Responsible cat ownership: the status quo on past attempts, current efforts and future aspirations of local governments in Western Australia

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a popular pet and ownership is increasing in Australia. While there is increasing evidence-based agreement on core components of responsible pet cat ownership – desexing, registration and microchipping, and permanent containment – there is inconsistent enabling policy and enforcement across the country, particularly at the local government level where these issues are managed. We sought to clarify past, current and planned future efforts in Western Australia (WA) to inform future improvements in responsible cat ownership and associated policy. Our voluntary survey was completed by 74.1% of 139 local governments covered by the WA Cat Act 2011. Survey responses identified poor awareness among the local community of what best practice responsible ownership involves (42% reported low awareness) and low overall compliance with laws (only 13.6% report a high level of cat registrations and microchipping, and only 16.5% for desexing). Almost half of the local governments had a cat local law to enhance the state-level act, yet only 3 of 26 have been successful in implementing local laws for permanent containment. Our survey has revealed high, increasing public support for cat containment as 78% of local governments confirmed that they would include a requirement for permanent containment in a local law if there was a clear pathway to implementation. Addressing legislative, enforcement and community education aspects of responsible pet cat ownership remains a priority for improving the welfare of pet cats, the conservation of native wildlife, and human health values in WA and beyond.