Did you know that in 2019, Inala topped the list of Brisbane suburbs with the most cat trapping requests?
According to the animal complaints data, there were 663 wandering cat reports and 629 requests for cat trapping received by Brisbane City Council in 2019. Inala topped the list of suburbs with the most cat trapping requests with 26, followed by Forest Lake and Wynnum West with 17 each; Acacia Ridge with 16; Bracken Ridge, Clayfield, St Lucia, Wynnum with 14 each; and Bald Hills and Sunnybank with 13 each.
Cats are known to prey on birds, amphibians, fish, and other small mammals, apart from being notorious for their nuisance behaviours. Cats may also carry parasites and spread diseases that affect livestock, wildlife, and humans.
Your responsibility as a cat owner
As a cat owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your cat does not cause a nuisance to your neighbours. According to the Brisbane City Council, the common cat nuisance issues reported by residents include:
- Wandering onto other properties;
- Being noisy;
- Defecating in other people’s yards;
- Attacking their cat or pets;
- Damaging property; or
- Attacking or killing native wildlife.
If your cat is found wandering, Council could impound it and you may receive a fine. Your cat should also be fully vaccinated and microchipped — when sold, given away, or before reaching the age of 12 weeks.
If you are no longer able to keep your cat, you should never release it to fend for itself as this an offence under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. You may instead surrender your cat for rehoming. Council currently has two animal rehoming centres where surrendered and lost cats are provided with a safe environment whilst being rehomed.
Photo credit: sandid/ Pixabay
Top 10 suburbs with most cat trapping requests:
- Inala – 26
- Forest Lake, Wynnum West – 17
- Acacia Ridge – 16
- Bracken Ridge, Clayfield, St Lucia, Wynnum – 14
- Bald Hills, Sunnybank – 13
- Moorooka – 11
- Darra, Sandgate – 10
- Brighton, Chermside, Sunnybank Hills – 9
- Algester, Boondall, Carina Heights, Stafford Heights, Zillmere – 8
- Calamvale, Camp Hill, Carina, Chapel Hill, Fitzgibbon, Mount Gravatt East, Richlands, Salisbury – 7
Feral animal sightings may be reported using the Council’s online form. For wandering cats, Council encourages residents to contact the cat owner or report it on (07) 3403 8888.