Cat welfare and native wildlife on Bruny Island are set to benefit from the opening of a cat management facility.
On March 15, representatives from the Ten Lives Cat Centre, Kingborough Council, NRM South, and State Government met at Alonnah to officially open the facility that will help manage stray and feral cats, and support on-island cat desexing and cat safety.
Jointly funded and managed by the Ten Lives Cat Centre and Kingborough Council, this facility is part of a broader suite of activities under an Australian Government funded project which aims to reduce the impact of cats on north Bruny Island’s Eastern Quoll populations. The facility plays an integral role in stray cat management on the island, enabling residents to bring in stray cats to be assessed and cared for, and where possible, rehomed.
Feral, stray and roaming pet cats are one of the top threats to native wildlife across Australia. The ‘Priority actions for Eastern Quolls on north Bruny Island’ project aims to both remove feral and stray cats and manage impacts of domestic cats on north Bruny Island. Supported by NRM South, through funding from the Australian Government’s Environment Restoration Fund, the project is a joint partnership between Kingborough Council, Biosecurity Tasmania, Bruny Farming, weetapoona Aboriginal Corporation and the Ten Lives Cat Centre.
Noel Hunt, manager of Tasmania’s cat management organisation Ten Lives said “Partnerships are vital to the delivery and success of cat management activity – particularly in regional and rural areas. The partnership between Kingborough Council and Ten Lives specifically for this community facility is a pivotal part of the broader project on Bruny Island.”
Kaylene Allan, Cat Management Officer for the Kingborough Council commented “Unowned cats on Bruny, including dense populations around some townships, pose a major threat to the island’s wildlife, tourism and livestock. However in the past, community members were faced with a four hour round trip to take any of these cats to the Ten Lives Cat Centre in New Town. This new facility will help the community in addressing this problem.”
Kaylene also stressed the importance of community participation in locating and trapping stray cats as critical to the success of the project as well as the role of community engagement. The facility will act as a ‘shop front’ for the project, serving as a space where community can bring stray and trapped feral cats and find out more about what is being done across the island to contain pet cats, and control stay and feral cats. The centre will also offer incentives such as on-island desexing, containment and rehoming services.
– Media Release 15.03.21 –