This is a story of cat killing vigilantes which tells me that Australia’s attitude towards domestic, stray and feral cat is disgusting. It is reprehensible and they should be ashamed of themselves.
A group of sadistic people have formed “Cat Busters”. They advertise themselves by putting flyers through letter boxes across Melbourne and Sydney. They say that they always act within the law but what they do makes you wonder whether the law is a complete ass or at least completely inhumane.
They trap any outdoor cat that they can and then take the cat to the local pound where they gleefully advertise that the cat is almost invariably destroyed.
As to feral and stray cats they hunt them with rifles. They place photographs of the rifle and the dead cat on the Internet, on social media, once again gleefully advertising their sadistic pastime. They love killing cats and the law approves.
The flyers say that Cat Busters catches cats and in suburban areas they catch the cats using cage and leghold traps and that most captured cats and up being destroyed. They then say that any cat who is found outside of its owner’s property risk being captured and killed. This presumably is intended to terrorise the community into keeping their cats indoors. I’m not sure whether it is obligatory to keep cats indoors at all times in Sydney and Melbourne, the areas where they operate. It probably is a legal obligation which allows them to act within the law (but see below).
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the law is cruel and this cruelty is compounded by the almost forgone conclusion that any cat taken to a local pound will be killed.
The RSPCA in Australia tell us that they are investigating the matter. They ask for concerned people to contact them. Cat Busters has been criticised by concerned residents and cat owners.
The law wasn’t intended in my opinion to facilitate this sort of cruel behaviour.
Cat Busters say:
“In residential areas, we trap cats. This is done entirely in line with local laws. We then deliver the trapped cats to the local authority, which in most cases is the local council. Most of these cat with end up destroyed. A good result!”
To add insult to injury in rural areas shot cats are often strung up with dead foxes on fences.
“In country areas, including in state forests et cetera, cats may be trapped, baited or shot, depending on the specifics of the area being covered. This is done entirely lawfully. It is the legal responsibility of cat owners to keep their cats within their property boundaries at all-time.” (Cat Busters)
The RSPCA say that cats and dogs aren’t allowed to roam onto other people’s property in the state of Victoria. That is not the same thing as being outside the owner’s property. Has Cat Busters got the law right?
The RSPCA Victoria say:
“Another person can therefore trap your cat on their own property and can then contact the council to collect the animal.” – Once again this is not the same as trapping any cat outside anywhere as stated by this obnoxious group.
The RSPCA say that feral cats need to be managed but in a humane way. They imply that this group is not acting humanely towards cats which is quite obvious. All traps can cause injury especially and harm, leg holds, so they should not be used unless it is absolutely necessary.
Over many years it is hard to deny, as it has been made abundantly clear to outsiders, that Australia’s relationship with the domestic, stray and feral cat has deteriorated and this group, Cat Busters, have taken the lead from the authorities who enact the laws to act inhumanely towards cats. Their behaviour is legal (they declare) and therefore in this instance the law is encouraging inhumane treatment of animals. That can’t be right.
Source: Daily Mail
Thanks Pippa for commenting. I agree with you. Many Australians love cats, I Know. It’s the authorities who worry me.
Many of those cats look like pet cats – this was supposed to be a Govt initiative to get rid of feral cats in remote areas, not suburban areas where there is little if any wildlife. I live in Victoria and we can’t even have TNR here it’s so anti cat. I keep my cats indoors or in an enclosure for THEIR safety because at the very least ppl are so precious these days – eg cat paw prints on their car etc. however I do the right thing. These vile creeps on cat busters are acting illegally and cruelly. They are a hate group and act out their hate on vulnerable small animals. Humans are the biggest threat to wildlife. Australia is big though and I think the wildlife groups and bird groups are getting out of line with their hatred for cats. I’m embarrassed to be Australian, as it’s become a place where killing cats who are owned and loved is treated as being ok -,the Govt need to remember that cat owners vote too. Also FB need to lift their game as this hate group has been reported numerous times but as per usual it is all just fine with Facebook – shame on you Facebook! I also disagree with culling feral cats as they are demonised here and yet humans are the reason they are here. They want to live too and have a right to.
im not big on name calling, but if they were lobotomized theyd do as crappy a job at picking up trash as they do TRYING to be decent human beings, if one could even call it that…which i doubt.