Every cat deserves humane treatment.
Across Queensland, photographs of impounded cats are showing a disturbing pattern—many have severe facial injuries.

Whether these cats are beloved family pets, lost companions or unowned cats, they deserve to be captured without suffering unnecessary harm.

If current trapping methods are contributing to these injuries, then it's time for an independent review.

We're not asking councils to stop managing roaming cats.

We're asking them to ensure that the methods used are humane, evidence-based and meet modern animal welfare standards.

Why this matters
Queensland law rightly recognises that animals should be treated humanely. Yet every week, council impound pages appear to show cats with significant injuries to their faces and noses after capture.

Australia's own trapping guidance acknowledges that:

"Facial injuries are common" in cage-trapped cats as they attempt to escape.

If injuries like these are occurring regularly, we need to ask:

• Are current cage traps the safest option available?
• Could improved trap designs reduce injuries?
• How many cats are being injured during capture?
• Are councils recording these injuries?
• Have current traps been independently assessed for animal welfare?   

These are reasonable questions that deserve transparent answers.

 What we're asking for

We call on the Queensland Government and local councils to:

✅ Conduct an independent veterinary review of injuries sustained by trapped cats.

✅ Publish statistics on injuries to impounded cats.

✅ Independently assess the cage traps currently approved for public and council use.

✅ Replace any trap designs shown to cause avoidable injury.

✅ Investigate safer trapping technologies and improved welfare standards.

✅ Develop statewide humane trapping guidelines based on the latest animal welfare evidence.

 This isn't about stopping cat management
Responsible management of roaming cats is important. Cats can impact wildlife and create neighbourhood issues.

However, animal management and animal welfare should go hand in hand.

No animal should suffer preventable injuries simply because it has been trapped.

We believe Queensland can protect wildlife and improve animal welfare.

Queensland can do better.

Animals deserve humane treatment.

It's time to review the traps.