RowanGreen
Well-Known Member
It was only a quick look, so I wouldn't guarentee it wasn't a trick of the light *G*
Rat Survey- UK Zoos
- Thread starter Pertinax
- Start date
How they keep the cat confined is up to the owner, the law doesn't specify that. There is actually a large market for the construction of cat runs, some of which are really elaborate cat palaces. The laws, by the way, have the support of both conservation and animal welfare organisations, the latter fed up with seeing cats splattered over the road.
Cats and dogs are registered in the same way, and there is a significant difference in the registration fees for entire animals as against neutered animals. All this has lead to a decline in cat numbers overall and far fewer cats roaming at night. This in turn has lead to an increase in possum numbers in the suburbs, which has been followed by the return of Powerful Owls into suburban Melbourne.
I am also intrigued. Are the laws regarding containing cats at night Australia-wide or does it differ by state and locally within states? I tried doing some Google-digging but didn't get any clear answers.
volvox
Well-Known Member
I'm still intrigued too, so I've found the Australian RSPCA site. It says it is NOT mandatory to register cats except in New South Wales and Victoria (Melbourne being in Victoria, perhaps MRJ thought that law was universal). And curfews aren't mandatory either, by day or night; so it's not true that by law cats must be contained. The most authoritative statement merely says "RSPCA Australia ENCOURAGES [my caps] the containment of cats in an enclosed area, at a minimum from dusk until dawn. Containment of cats during this period can help to protect cats from disease and injury through fighting and accidents, increase the opportunity for owner-animal interaction and reduce the impact of hunting by cats and disturbance caused to neighbours." That applies to all states. That seems more reasonable and less draconian! I'm glad to hear about the Powerful Owls, though, I've never heard of them, they look magnificent (thank you Google images)
Sorry I should have been clear. Yes the law as I described it applies in Victoria, not sure where the other states stand. It is interesting how cat supporters seem to defend the right of cats to do exactly what they want. Personally I don't think a law that requires an animal of an owner to restrain an animal so that it a) does not injure or otherwise endanger itself, b) stops it being a nuisance to others, and c) stops it destroying protected wildlife is draconian. If for instance I took my dogs out to the local park and set them on the local wildlife I'm sure there would be an outcry, but if I do the same with cats it is all ok? Likewise if I allowed my dogs to run across busy streets at night, or fight with other dogs, or enter others property to urinate of defecate where they will?
Peter Dickinson
Well-Known Member
I could not agree more. A bell should be a legal requirement along with a microchip.
Very true- but because in the UK they have never played a role in exterminating native species- as they have in both Australia & NZ, nobody apart from bird protection societies seems to attatch much importance to this.
volvox
Well-Known Member
The RSPB has a whole page of info on this subject: "Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation." And it goes on in more, interesting detail. See The RSPB: Advice: Are cats causing bird declines?
ZYBen
Well-Known Member
As far as I am concerned a good feral cat is a dead one!
And any cat left to predate on native wildlife (an essential tool if its gonna go feral) is as good as dead in my books too. If Australia was feline free it would be better off.
In the particular area of Pet Industry I work in Cat food and accesory sales come in 5th, behind Dogs, Fish, Small Animals and birds. Reptiles are slowly catching up.
And any cat left to predate on native wildlife (an essential tool if its gonna go feral) is as good as dead in my books too. If Australia was feline free it would be better off.
In the particular area of Pet Industry I work in Cat food and accesory sales come in 5th, behind Dogs, Fish, Small Animals and birds. Reptiles are slowly catching up.
Greywolf
Member
Control
Interesting ideas here. I´m actually doing a research in pest control in a urban zoo. I´ve read that some of you are actually the pest controllers in your zoo.
Could you tell me some of the ways you control the pests in your zoo´s?
The major pests in the Zoo are rats and pigeons.
Interesting ideas here. I´m actually doing a research in pest control in a urban zoo. I´ve read that some of you are actually the pest controllers in your zoo.
Could you tell me some of the ways you control the pests in your zoo´s?
The major pests in the Zoo are rats and pigeons.
My cat is called Heathcliff, and he is a Norwegian Forest Cat. I named him after the Wuthering Heights character, not the 80's cartoon and I am 100% sure that his collar reads "Heathcliff" not "Heathcilft"...
He walks around the zoo whenever he fancies, but tends to hide when it's bad weather. He also likes to tart around outside the Keeper's Lodge! Lol... We both live in the zoo, so he is allowed to be in here, he's fully vaccinated, microchipped and insured. He's brilliant pest control along with Tiger, the other Lodge feline resident.
Hope that has cleared up some unimportant stuff about my cat
See you around ZSL London Zoo xxx
RowanGreen
Well-Known Member
Thanks for clearing that up. It seems the 't' was indeed a trick of the light. I only got a brief look at the tag!
How do you prevent them falling victim to the busy Road just outside?
Yes it is a very busy road. Some years ago the zoo had to phone for an ambulance as an elderly gentleman had been knocked over on it by a London taxi, this gentleman was making his way to the zoo, his name, Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, who unfortunately died of his injuries, what a sad end for the man who instigated the foundation of Whipsnade.
RowanGreen
Well-Known Member
I'd be worried about letting a cat out in that area. However Heathcliff was definitely behaving sensibly when I saw him, and I'm sure he, as an individual, is safe.
One point worth making is that a busy road is actually less dangerous to cats than one with occasional fast traffic. If there's constantly cars zooming past then a cat that has everything it needs on one side of the road (like Heathcliff) is unlikely to decide to dive under one suddenly after several years of safety. There's some danger of a scared cat running out, but Heathcliff would be more likely to run for cover behind the railings, which is where I've already seen him going to avoid noisy school kids.
Like I said it's the roads (eg out in the country) with infrequent fast traffic that are really dangerous to cats, because a cat is more likely to be taken by surprise. Some country cats have even been known to snooze on warm tarmac...
One point worth making is that a busy road is actually less dangerous to cats than one with occasional fast traffic. If there's constantly cars zooming past then a cat that has everything it needs on one side of the road (like Heathcliff) is unlikely to decide to dive under one suddenly after several years of safety. There's some danger of a scared cat running out, but Heathcliff would be more likely to run for cover behind the railings, which is where I've already seen him going to avoid noisy school kids.
Like I said it's the roads (eg out in the country) with infrequent fast traffic that are really dangerous to cats, because a cat is more likely to be taken by surprise. Some country cats have even been known to snooze on warm tarmac...
I didn't see any in London Zoo but I watched a big one in Regent Parks from the bridge along the bit of the lake where the pinioned waterfowl are kept. It was methodically searching along the bank for bread scraps and threatened any of the small-sized ducks that didn't move out of the way quick enough.
They do seem very attracted to watery sites- I'm sure the semi-stagnant lake at Colchester is a perfect breeding ground for them. Twycross Borneo Longhouse is near Water too.
They do seem very attracted to watery sites- I'm sure the semi-stagnant lake at Colchester is a perfect breeding ground for them. Twycross Borneo Longhouse is near Water too.
I don't need to do anything to prevent him getting hit. He sits by the road, watching the cars go past and is not bothered by them at all. Not much actually does bother him!! I can't watch him 24/7, nor can I keep him in either. He's lived here at the zoo his whole life, so knows no different.
He's more scared of school children!!
I don't blame him...
When I went in the Reptile House I had to leave because of the Din, and go back after they had left in the afternoon.As discussed on here many times, Schoolkids in Zoos often seem totally out of control nowadays.