APWF identified through research and data analysis that this approach was not working. They identified a better and more humane solution – and they were ready to prove its effectiveness to Australian state and federal governments.

They launched a transformational five-year Community Cat Program to conduct the research needed to convince the government and local councils to change their ineffective cat management policies and stop unnecessary euthanasing of homeless animals for good. The goal of the project was to prove that intensive free desexing of cats is the best way to keep the cats from multiplying and thus reduce stray cat numbers to solve the problem and save lives.

The Community Cat Program is now well underway in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia, with over 600 cats desexed at the Queensland site alone. The study is being supported by Australia’s leading animal charities, top universities as well as international experts.

NSW’s Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) has lent its support to the project, and it is pleased to see a new approach for managing urban stray cats being investigated. “WIRES will be following the results keenly. We hope this approach will lead to long term benefits to wildlife in cities and towns throughout Australia by reducing the impacts on native animals,” said Ms Leanne Taylor, CEO of WIRES.

In addition to bettering the life of animals, this project will also enhance quality of life – and potentially even life expectancy – for vets, vet nurses, shelter and pound staff. Though it is not talked about enough, Australia’s current approach to managing stray cats can be deeply damaging and traumatic for animal-health staff. Every day, all year-round, someone is asked kill an otherwise healthy or treatable stray. Almost every second cat arriving at pounds and shelters, to be precise.

This can damage their mental health – sometimes costing them their life. Overseas, animal care workers involved with euthanasia have the same workplace suicide risk as police and firefighters, which is higher than all other industry sectors.

We can, and must, do better – for them and for the animals.

But it’s not without challenge. And one of the key drivers of change is the ability to justify the cost or the desexing strategy. That’s why the APWF is engaging economists who will determine the costs of Australia’s current stray-cat management approach versus the proposed strategy of desexing. They expect the results will show that funding free desexing for all cats in the target area is the most cost-efficient way to reduce urban stray cat numbers.

If the final results come out as expected, the APWF will lobby for a legislation change that will allow councils to implement Community Cat Programs in their cities or towns and save the lives of cats, wildlife and people.