Issue: Increased cat hate and violence to domestic cats by people and owned dogs

We raise concerns for the rising hate and violence against domestic cats and their caregivers, in urban and peri urban locations. We seek higher penalties and creating new specific legislation for desperately needed additional protection for domestic cats.  

We call on the NSW Premier and his Ministers to strengthen the laws under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Companion Animal Act to include new specific actions as cat hate and incidents against cats by people, and people with dogs, appear to be continuingly rising nationally and state-wide. 

•  The rise in cat hate is seen in media and on community social media pages, and by community members in the areas they live and work.
• Cats are being taken from their own properties, attacked in the streets, even harmed and killed in shops / business sites where they are owned and reside.
• Across NSW cities and towns there are many thousands of community cats under thousands of carers and rescue groups. The community cats and their caregivers have been physically attacked, the cats may often be poisoned. Horrifically but appearing more often, some cats are spray painted in colours for people to then gamble of which cats are destroyed by their dogs first.
• RSPCA NSW has reported a rise in animal cruelty over the last few years.

It appears well understood that violence to animals is often associated with violence to people. Cruelty to animals, and specifically cats, needs a higher level of attention and funding for actions before leading to violence to other people, or potentially influencing existing dangerous family or community situations.

Suggestions for improvements in legislation

It is noted the Companion Animal Act is currently under review, and a set of animal welfare improvements were introduced in January 2026, however, the latter appears to have been more focused on dogs. 

We are seeking improvements in our companion animal and prevention of cruelty legislation to include:

• Harsher penalties offences for deliberately removing a cat from their owner’s property or harming or killing a domestic cat property
• New specific offences for owned dogs harming or killing a domestic cat
• Increased funding for police and animal welfare/cruelty enforcers to investigate incidents of dogs injuring or killing domestic cats
• New consequences for owners whose dogs significantly injure or kill cats, including incidents of failure to control their dogs
• New and more intense responses where there are repeated offences by dogs and their owners
• Improve data gathering and reporting of dog attacks on cats, to assist with improving responses and measures
• Clear obligations for anyone or their dog responsible for a harmed or killed cat to ensure the cats owners and authorities to be notified and not to dispose nor conceal a body. With associated responses and measures when owners have been prevented from being appropriately informed.
• Other related actions or measures that may be deemed appropriate.

We are not legal advisors, nor experts in these areas and welcome proactive contributions.

Why this matters & is timely

Domestic cats are great companions to many people, either owned or semi owned as a community cats forming very special emotional and mental bonds. This is not a petition against dogs. Many cat owners and caregivers also care for dogs and for wildlife.

Providing better protection for domestic cats appears needed in a timely manner due to a number of legal and cultural factors.

• The increase in cat hate and harm appears to be influenced by the national government’s ten year “War on Cats” only recently modified to a war on feral cats, and misinformation from invasive species and conservation groups with blurring the lines between feral cats and domestic cats. This also appears to be accompanied on social media with the often seen and flawed “right” to destroy any animal not clearly owned and kept to their own property, incorrectly classing domestic roaming cats as feral cats.
• The highly respected International Cat Care organisation recognise that the Australian cat management systems are fragmented, polarised, with legal ambiguity / inconsistent laws, unclear definitions, patchy enforcement, legal grey areas for community cats and their caregivers, including that they found the most divisive issue is “Conservationists see cats as a critical biodiversity threat, while welfare groups prioritise humane management and care”.
• Recently a national Senator raised in Parliament the need to reassess our terminology for introduced animals versus the demonising invasive species term and included “Animals are not villains to be shot, or obstacles to be poisoned to death, the answer to colonialism's legacy is not more violence and more death".

We seek a safer community and environment in cities and towns for cats and their caregivers. It appears the Australian culture has been encouraged to demonise all cats and influences the rising cruelty to domestic cats.

Improvements and changing our attitudes to cats can only be achieved through commitment from our governments, our communities and normalised caring animal welfare attitudes and approaches. These approaches, policies and frameworks must follow ethical, humane animal welfare standards and proven scientific evidence. 

We acknowledge the efforts by Drew Carter and their efforts for their petition Make Dog Attacks on Cats a Specific Offence in UK Law. We encourage people to also support their inspiring cause.

This petition is backed by the following animal support groups:  Love Rescue Collaborate, Save Community Cats, Protect All Cats 

Reference Information 

Companion Animals Act 1998 No 87 https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1998-087

Companion Animals Act Review https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/councils/policy-and-legislation/companion-animals-act-review

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 No 200 https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/pdf/inforce/2024-10-10/act-1979-200​

https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/nsw-government-delivers-on-communitys-demand-for-better-animal-welfare-laws​

https://www.rspca.org.au/latest-news/media-centre/feral-cat-plan-targets-the-wrong-cats/​

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-19/australia-war-with-feral-cats-bruny-island-lessons/105167666​

https://scienceinsights.org/why-animal-abuse-matters-its-link-to-human-violence/

Understanding the Link between Animal Cruelty and Family Violence: The Bioecological Systems Model  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7246522/

International Cat Care, Cat Welfare and Population Management in Australia (July 2025) https://icatcare.org/resources/icatcare_insight_gathering_report_australia.pdf​

https://au.news.yahoo.com/greens-senator-mehreen-faruqi-calls-for-words-invasive-species-to-be-ditched-063013344.html​

www.change.org/p/make-dog-attacks-on-cats-a-specific-offence-in-uk-law