The city council finally voted to include cats in the nuisance by-law so they will no longer be allowed to roam free. I honestly cannot believe it actually happened after all this time spent emailing the local office and digging through those studies. Keep an eye on your own backyards …
April 13, 2016
Final supporters
The domestic cat (Felus catus), an introduced species, is currently free to roam the outdoors within the City of Guelph contributing to property damage; to health impacts on humans; to the high mortality rates of wildlife; and higher cat mortality rates. As a result cats should be included as a nuisance animal within the City of Guelph’s Animal Control By-Law.
Those who signed the following petition would like to see cats incorporated into the City of Guelph’s Animal Control By-law. In addition they would also like the following items to be included in the by-law:
a) the forbidding of cats to roam freely outdoors,
b) the forbidding of cats to cause damage on other people’s properties,
c) the forbidding of any person to permit a cat to enter or remain on private property without the property owner’s or occupier’s consent, and
d)that outdoor cats must be spaid/neutered.
The majority of the urban areas in Canada and surrounding Guelph already contain the above items within their Animal Nuisance By-Law. The following lists are not inclusive.
a) Cats are not allowed to roam in Sarnia, Welland, Waterloo, Hamilton, Oakville, Calgary, and Winnipeg;
b) Cats are not permitted to cause damage to property in Sarnia, Toronto, Ottawa, Welland, Waterloo, and Oakville; and
c) in Winnipeg all cats must be sterilized.
According to a number of recent studies (Beckerman et al. 2007, Baker et al. 2008, and van Heezik et al. 2010), cat predation contributes to a high mortaility rate of birds, small mammals, and amphibians in the urban and suburban landscape. No estimates of any other anthropogenic mortality source (e.g. collisions with windows, buildings, communication towers, vehicles, and pesticide poisoning) approach the bird mortality determined for cat predation through a recent study by Loss et al. (2013). This peer-reviewed study has found that outdoor cats cause a much higher bird and mammal mortality annually than has been widely reported, with annual bird mortality estimated to be 1.4 to 3.7 billion and mammal mortality to be 6.9 to 20.7 billion individual annually within the United States. Despite these harmful effects, policies for management of free-ranging cat populations and regulation of pet ownership behaviors tend to be dictated by animal welfare issues rather than by ecological impacts.
Preventing cats from roaming while outdoors will not only protect surrounding wildlife, but also protect cats from a variety of dangers: Outdoor cats are more prone to getting lost, vehicular accidents, cat fights, disease and parasites. As a result, indoor cats live longer healthier lives than their outdoor counterparts (Levy 2003, and Taylor 1995).
Allowing cats to roam outdoors increases the risk of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii to be transferred to humans. All cats that have access to the outdoors are essentially infected by this parasite. Outdoor cats often use neighbouring gardens as their litter box where they may bury their fecal matter. The owner of the property is thus at high risk of coming into contact with this fecal matter unknowingly while working in their gardens. Toxoplasmosis, the infection associated with this parasite, can be extreme to deadly for unborn children if their mothers are exposed (U.S Food and Drug Association 2013).
Realizing that cats are difficult to capture, and therefore using Sarnia’s Animal Nuisance By-law as a precedent, the City of Guelph’s by-law should allow the public to confine trespassing cats in a humane portable container until the City’s Animal Control Officers is available to pick up the cat.
The fines associated with the by-law must be enough to persuade the citizens of Guelph to abide. It is suggested to use an increasing fine structure such as the one used in Welland, Ontario. Welland’s expenses to reclaim the cat are outlined as follows:
a) First time offense $25.00;
b) Second time offense $75.00;
c) Third time offense $150;
d) All additional offenses $500;
e) Expenses of care of the cat - $25.00 per day or part thereof; and
f) Veterinary bills are to be paid entirely by the owner.
Damage inflicted by outdoor cats on neighbouring property and local wildlife can be greatly minimized by including domestic cats into the City of Guelph’s Animal Nuisance By-law. Domesticated cats should be confined to the same standards as all other domesticated animals. This is an opportunity for cat-owners and their neighbours to work together for the betterment of cat life expectancy, local wildlife and personal properties.
References:
Baker P.J. et al. 2008. Cats about town: is predation by free-ranging pet cats Felis catus likely to affect urban bird populations? Ibis , v.150 (Suppl. 1), p.86.
Beckerman, A.P. et al. 2007. Urban bird declines and the fear of cats. Animal Conservation. v.10, p.320.
Levy, J. 2003. Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population. Journal of the American Veterinatry Medical Association. 222(1), pg. 42-6.
Loss, S. R., Will, T., and P. P. Marra. 2013. The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2380.
Taylor, E.J. 1995. Some nutritional aspects of ageing in dogs and cats. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.54(3), pg. 645-656.
U.S Food and Drug Association. Accessed: July 7, 2013. Food Safety for Moms-To-Be: Before You're Pregnant - Toxoplasma
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm082328.htm
van Heezik, Y., Smyth, A., Adams, A., and J. Gordon. 2010. Do domestic cats impose an unsustainable harvest on urban bird populations? Biological Conservation. 143 (1), pg. 121-130.
Updates
March 28, 2016
I have been spending way too much time reading studies on local bird populations and honestly it makes my head spin how much damage is happening right in our own backyards. People keep sending me messages about their gardens being ruined and I am trying to gather all these stories to show the council that this is a real problem for actual property owners. I think I need more coffee before I can finish drafting this next email update but please keep telling me your experiences because they really help me keep going when the paperwork gets overwhelming.
March 28, 2016
I honestly did not think this would gain this much steam but here we are and honestly it feels like people are finally noticing how serious this cats roaming issue actually is. My inbox is blowing up with stories about property damage and I have even had a local reporter message me which is just wild because I really just wanted to protect the local birds and keep things tidy.
Reached 100 supporters
March 28, 2016
15 Comments
Very necessary change in the by-law. I have a problem cat defecating in the gardens and leaving dead animals around the property. Guelph SPCA can't do anything. Essentially it is my responsibility to rid the cat from my property.....
I am tired of finding cat poop on my property as an allergy sufferer I run the risk of my eye swelling shut because some one doesn't care about my issues. I also do not believe having rules for one species is proper cats and dogs should both be licensed and if outside must be on leash in the control of the owner.
Lately there have been outdoor cats coming around and harassing our indoor cats through the windows. Their stress levels have gotten so high that they've started attacking each other and we've been forced to cover all the windows so that they can't see outside. It's incredibly irresponsible and inconsiderate of cat owners to let them roam wild like this. This has greatly decreased the quality of life of my 3 previously happy indoor cats (who used to love watching birds and squirrels through the windows), caused injury to them and myself, and a great deal of unneeded stress. I sincerely hope that something will be done to stop this! There is no reason for cats to be allowed to run wild outside and many reasons to not permit it.
Hello, I have backyard chickens that comply with Guelph's by-laws. Recently we had a cat jump their fence and attack one of the chickens. Our chickens are quite safe from wild predators, it saddens me that they are not safe from domestic predators.
Cats are an invasive species to this part of the world responsible for the high mortality rate of wildlife regardless of the fact they are owned and fed by someone. This is not a matter of survival... it is their killer instinct.
My cat hates other cats and any time my neighbours cat is in our yard she pees everywhere and is completely stressed. I'm sick of people letting their cats roam free. You can't do it with dogs, so why cats
Last week I came home to see my indoor cat and neighbours roaming cat on either side of window on our front porch. Neighbour Cat looked at me and then urinated on outdoor loveseat cushion. Lovely. Same car leaves our bird bath daily with live birds and once a chipmunk in its mouth. Stop this! Now!
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The city council finally voted to include cats in the nuisance by-law so they will no longer be allowed to roam free. I honestly cannot believe it actually happened after all this time spent emailing the local office and digging through those studies. Keep an eye on your own backyards …
April 13, 2016
Final supporters
The domestic cat (Felus catus), an introduced species, is currently free to roam the outdoors within the City of Guelph contributing to property damage; to health impacts on humans; to the high mortality rates of wildlife; and higher cat mortality rates. As a result cats should be included as a nuisance animal within the City of Guelph’s Animal Control By-Law.
Those who signed the following petition would like to see cats incorporated into the City of Guelph’s Animal Control By-law. In addition they would also like the following items to be included in the by-law:
a) the forbidding of cats to roam freely outdoors,
b) the forbidding of cats to cause damage on other people’s properties,
c) the forbidding of any person to permit a cat to enter or remain on private property without the property owner’s or occupier’s consent, and
d)that outdoor cats must be spaid/neutered.
The majority of the urban areas in Canada and surrounding Guelph already contain the above items within their Animal Nuisance By-Law. The following lists are not inclusive.
a) Cats are not allowed to roam in Sarnia, Welland, Waterloo, Hamilton, Oakville, Calgary, and Winnipeg;
b) Cats are not permitted to cause damage to property in Sarnia, Toronto, Ottawa, Welland, Waterloo, and Oakville; and
c) in Winnipeg all cats must be sterilized.
According to a number of recent studies (Beckerman et al. 2007, Baker et al. 2008, and van Heezik et al. 2010), cat predation contributes to a high mortaility rate of birds, small mammals, and amphibians in the urban and suburban landscape. No estimates of any other anthropogenic mortality source (e.g. collisions with windows, buildings, communication towers, vehicles, and pesticide poisoning) approach the bird mortality determined for cat predation through a recent study by Loss et al. (2013). This peer-reviewed study has found that outdoor cats cause a much higher bird and mammal mortality annually than has been widely reported, with annual bird mortality estimated to be 1.4 to 3.7 billion and mammal mortality to be 6.9 to 20.7 billion individual annually within the United States. Despite these harmful effects, policies for management of free-ranging cat populations and regulation of pet ownership behaviors tend to be dictated by animal welfare issues rather than by ecological impacts.
Preventing cats from roaming while outdoors will not only protect surrounding wildlife, but also protect cats from a variety of dangers: Outdoor cats are more prone to getting lost, vehicular accidents, cat fights, disease and parasites. As a result, indoor cats live longer healthier lives than their outdoor counterparts (Levy 2003, and Taylor 1995).
Allowing cats to roam outdoors increases the risk of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii to be transferred to humans. All cats that have access to the outdoors are essentially infected by this parasite. Outdoor cats often use neighbouring gardens as their litter box where they may bury their fecal matter. The owner of the property is thus at high risk of coming into contact with this fecal matter unknowingly while working in their gardens. Toxoplasmosis, the infection associated with this parasite, can be extreme to deadly for unborn children if their mothers are exposed (U.S Food and Drug Association 2013).
Realizing that cats are difficult to capture, and therefore using Sarnia’s Animal Nuisance By-law as a precedent, the City of Guelph’s by-law should allow the public to confine trespassing cats in a humane portable container until the City’s Animal Control Officers is available to pick up the cat.
The fines associated with the by-law must be enough to persuade the citizens of Guelph to abide. It is suggested to use an increasing fine structure such as the one used in Welland, Ontario. Welland’s expenses to reclaim the cat are outlined as follows:
a) First time offense $25.00;
b) Second time offense $75.00;
c) Third time offense $150;
d) All additional offenses $500;
e) Expenses of care of the cat - $25.00 per day or part thereof; and
f) Veterinary bills are to be paid entirely by the owner.
Damage inflicted by outdoor cats on neighbouring property and local wildlife can be greatly minimized by including domestic cats into the City of Guelph’s Animal Nuisance By-law. Domesticated cats should be confined to the same standards as all other domesticated animals. This is an opportunity for cat-owners and their neighbours to work together for the betterment of cat life expectancy, local wildlife and personal properties.
References:
Baker P.J. et al. 2008. Cats about town: is predation by free-ranging pet cats Felis catus likely to affect urban bird populations? Ibis , v.150 (Suppl. 1), p.86.
Beckerman, A.P. et al. 2007. Urban bird declines and the fear of cats. Animal Conservation. v.10, p.320.
Levy, J. 2003. Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population. Journal of the American Veterinatry Medical Association. 222(1), pg. 42-6.
Loss, S. R., Will, T., and P. P. Marra. 2013. The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2380.
Taylor, E.J. 1995. Some nutritional aspects of ageing in dogs and cats. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.54(3), pg. 645-656.
U.S Food and Drug Association. Accessed: July 7, 2013. Food Safety for Moms-To-Be: Before You're Pregnant - Toxoplasma
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm082328.htm
van Heezik, Y., Smyth, A., Adams, A., and J. Gordon. 2010. Do domestic cats impose an unsustainable harvest on urban bird populations? Biological Conservation. 143 (1), pg. 121-130.
Updates
March 28, 2016
I have been spending way too much time reading studies on local bird populations and honestly it makes my head spin how much damage is happening right in our own backyards. People keep sending me messages about their gardens being ruined and I am trying to gather all these stories to show the council that this is a real problem for actual property owners. I think I need more coffee before I can finish drafting this next email update but please keep telling me your experiences because they really help me keep going when the paperwork gets overwhelming.
March 28, 2016
I honestly did not think this would gain this much steam but here we are and honestly it feels like people are finally noticing how serious this cats roaming issue actually is. My inbox is blowing up with stories about property damage and I have even had a local reporter message me which is just wild because I really just wanted to protect the local birds and keep things tidy.
Reached 100 supporters
March 28, 2016
15 Comments
I fully support this initiative - I do not understand why a cat - which is owned by anyone else, is allowed to come onto my property. When someone owns a cat they are not given authority to use other people's property. All owners should have the responsibility to control their cats - like dog owners. Why do cats get a pass?
Very necessary change in the by-law. I have a problem cat defecating in the gardens and leaving dead animals around the property. Guelph SPCA can't do anything. Essentially it is my responsibility to rid the cat from my property.....
I am tired of finding cat poop on my property as an allergy sufferer I run the risk of my eye swelling shut because some one doesn't care about my issues. I also do not believe having rules for one species is proper cats and dogs should both be licensed and if outside must be on leash in the control of the owner.
Lately there have been outdoor cats coming around and harassing our indoor cats through the windows. Their stress levels have gotten so high that they've started attacking each other and we've been forced to cover all the windows so that they can't see outside. It's incredibly irresponsible and inconsiderate of cat owners to let them roam wild like this. This has greatly decreased the quality of life of my 3 previously happy indoor cats (who used to love watching birds and squirrels through the windows), caused injury to them and myself, and a great deal of unneeded stress. I sincerely hope that something will be done to stop this! There is no reason for cats to be allowed to run wild outside and many reasons to not permit it.
Hello, I have backyard chickens that comply with Guelph's by-laws. Recently we had a cat jump their fence and attack one of the chickens. Our chickens are quite safe from wild predators, it saddens me that they are not safe from domestic predators.
Cats are an invasive species to this part of the world responsible for the high mortality rate of wildlife regardless of the fact they are owned and fed by someone. This is not a matter of survival... it is their killer instinct.
My cat hates other cats and any time my neighbours cat is in our yard she pees everywhere and is completely stressed. I'm sick of people letting their cats roam free. You can't do it with dogs, so why cats
Last week I came home to see my indoor cat and neighbours roaming cat on either side of window on our front porch. Neighbour Cat looked at me and then urinated on outdoor loveseat cushion. Lovely. Same car leaves our bird bath daily with live birds and once a chipmunk in its mouth. Stop this! Now!
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I fully support this initiative - I do not understand why a cat - which is owned by anyone else, is allowed to come onto my property. When someone owns a cat they are not given authority to use other people's property. All owners should have the responsibility to control their cats - like dog owners. Why do cats get a pass?