Homeowners fined for introducing 24-hour “curfew” by Council of Australia

The Felines are known to like to roam, but starting in early October they will be subject to a “24-hour cat curfew” in a municipality in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Introduced by Knox City Council, the new rule requires owners to keep their cats on their property at all times.

“When they are allowed to roam, cats are at higher risk of disease and injury,” said Mayor Lisa Cooper. Said in a press release. “Keeping cats on their owners’ property also protects wildlife and prevents it from harassing neighbors and their pets.”

The council said it could take the wrong cats and impose fines.

The rule was introduced after a trial period last year, in which cats were kept overnight. It will come into effect from October 1.

However, some residents opposed the new rule and online Petition Demanding its amendment, it received more than 740 signatures.

“Knox Council should focus more on the welfare and fundamental rights of aging cats,” he said, adding that curfew orders would rob creatures of the “basic freedoms” they are accustomed to.

He called on the council to impose adequate restrictions on newly registered kittens, saying “cats that live today will continue to live as they always have.”

The petition also alleges that more than 163,000 people failed to “formally consult” the municipality’s community, according to a 2019 report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

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Knox City Council reports that opinion polls on the new law were gathered by more than 720 respondents during last year’s trial curfew, with more than 86% in favor. Nearly half of them are cat owners, he said.

Domestic cats are considered one of the most aggressive breeds in the world, a Research article Of the Australian National Environment Program released in June.

In Australia, feral cats eat about 2 billion reptiles, birds, frogs and mammals each year, the document said. They also contributed to 34 mammal extinctions in Australia, he said.

Mitchell Shire Council, another municipality in the Australian state of Victoria, has introduced a night curfew order for cats.

“The curfew order will help keep cats safe, reduce the impact of annoying cats in the community, protect wildlife and the environment, and manage wild cats,” the council said in a statement. Notice At the time.