We noticed your article: Cat welfare advocate pleads for flexibility on council cat limits.
Desexing pet cats to reduce the oversupply of cats (50,000 per year are put down by shelters as there are not enough homes) is a very important aspect of cat management.
However, the statements made by Lisa Roberts Daintree about desexing unowned cats and then returning them to the wild as an effective form of cat control, or that roaming cats can have some beneficial territorial effect on wildlife, are completely untrue.
There is an enormous body of research to show that these statements are wrong.
There certainly has not been a program that desexed 135,000 cats in conjunction with Australian councils and then returned them to streets and parks.
Collecting an unowned cat, desexing it and then returning it to the wild (including local streets or parks) where it was originally collected is illegal in Australia.
Unfortunately, her sentiments match a long-running line of unsubstantiated pseudo-science from cat advocates, which is in direct contradiction with evidence-based recommendations.
Sadly, I think that many people who repeat these ideas do not even realise they are parroting unsubstantiated fiction.
Giving these messages airtime in the local community further fuels misinformation.
Her commitment to containing her cats to her property is required by law in Redland City Council.
This factsheet summarises research findings and their recommendations for councils and pet owners.
https://biodiversitycouncil.org.au/resources/the-impact-of-roaming-pet-cats-on-australian-wildlife
Jaana Dielenberg (M. Environment)
Science Communication Director
Honorary Fellow, The University of Melbourne
