Many people love cats and consider them a beloved pet. But in Western Australia, their natural hunting instincts have turned them into dangerous predators.
Dr Maren Beeston, a veterinarian, sees the damage they do all to often.
She tends to an injured owl, the latest victim of a vicious attack by cats. She expresses doubt about the chances of the animal surviving.
Dr Beeston says, “Unfortunately for this Boobook (a type owl), it looks like the fracture involves the joint. So the likelihood of recovery from this is probably not very good.”
“The cat’s jaw might have caused the fracture, and it’s certain that it’s causing all of this inflammation, infection and swelling.”
Hundreds of victims of cat attack are brought to justice Wildlife of Western AustraliaEvery year, only half of them survive.
Domestic felines are banned in Australia. an estimatedEach year, there are 230 million Australian native birds, reptiles, and mammals.
Dean Huxley, the rehabilitation clinic’s manager, said that “cats are evolving, learning more about different wildlife, and they’re getting much better at hunting these animals.”
A controversial paw-posal
In response to the plight of the nation’s wildlife, a Western Australian city councillor is now leading the push for stronger laws on cat ownership.
Adin Lang is proposing to go one step further.
The councillor states that the plan is to ban cats from Fremantle’s city property. This would include all roads and footpaths.
The only exception to this rule is if the cat is being led – an uncommon but increasingly popular method for exercising cats in the city.
Lang says that “surprisingly” Lang has a few friends who regularly walk their cats on leads.
The proposal is part of a national movement by councils encouraging citizens to build enclosures for their pets – with some owners subject to fines if their cat is found outside their property.
“I think like dogs, cats will soon be inside,” says Lang.
“Our future generations will look back and say to us, ‘you guys let cats roam around Australia eating all our wildlife for all these years?’”
Watch the video above to find out more about Australia’s deadly predator.
