Cat Containment Laws Are Not the Answer

Mandatory cat containment laws are not the answer. In her disallowance motion, Amanda argued that these laws unfairly penalise low-income households, increase the risk of cat abandonment, and create enforcement systems that are costly, divisive, and largely ineffective.

Instead, Amanda set out a clear path toward real solutions: subsidised desexing programs, public education campaigns, and incentives for guardians to build safe cat enclosures or keep their cats indoors. These approaches actually reduce roaming without punishing responsible cat guardians.

In Parliament, Amanda emphasised that protecting wildlife means addressing the real drivers of biodiversity loss — habitat destruction, mining, and land clearing — rather than relying on punitive quick fixes. She will continue pressing for a fair, evidence-based review of the Cat Act 2011 that delivers outcomes good for cats, communities, and native wildlife alike.