No, it’s not OK to chain your cat up – new local council cat by-law is inhumane and ill-informed

Two of Adelaide’s metropolitan councils have tried to introduce by-laws that include the tethering of cats as an acceptable method for cats not to be deemed as “wandering at large” and RSPCA SA is pleased that following our lobbying of a range of politicians, the Legislative Council has used its powers to disallow the by-laws.

RSPCA South Australia CEO Paul Stevenson has expressed “extreme concerns” around the by-laws, which would make the tethering of cats to a fixed object by means of a chain, cord or leash an acceptable way to prevent the animals wandering at large.

Mr Stevenson has described the by-laws as “a completely inappropriate and unacceptable control mechanism for cats, that gives rise to serious animal welfare concerns”.

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