Cats in the Australian capital Canberra are now under house arrest. They pose too great a threat to biodiversity.
It took some getting used to, but now the neighbors are no longer surprised when they see Emerson Riley (46) and her cat Mimi (11) taking a walk around the block. Mimi is tripping around, unimpeded by the line she’s attached to. “She loves to sniff around and look around. She’s happy outside,” Riley says.
Riley lives in a newly built suburb of the Australian capital Canberra. Already at the front door it is clear that a cat lover lives here. The wooden nameplate reads: ‘Emerson & Mimi’, a drawing of a cat next to it.
Mimi is my whole world. I’m crazy about her,” Riley says, tickling the cat under the chin. Mimi agrees. She has an orange, long-haired coat with white accents. Around her neck hangs a colorful necklace of crochet flowers and ribbons, created by Riley’s mother. “My mother is very creative and I like to dress Mimi nicely. She doesn’t care as long as she can go outside.
Emerson Riley
It would have been close if Mimi had been forced to stay inside for good. In the Australian Capital Territory, where Canberra is located, one of the world’s strictest cat-keeping laws goes into effect this Friday. New cats are no longer allowed to roam freely. In several neighborhoods, the strict rules also apply to older cats, such as Mimi. If you do not comply with this, you risk a fine of more than a thousand euros.
That should limit the damage that cats cause. Every year, 2.7 million domestic cats and three to six million wild cats kill more than a billion mammals, 399 million birds, 609 million reptiles and 92 million frogs in Australia. “Australia is a big country, but it’s clear that cats have a huge impact on our biodiversity,” said Helen Oakey, director of the Conservation Council ACT.
Australia’s unique flora and fauna have evolved over millions of years in isolation from the rest of the world. This was disrupted with the arrival of Europeans more than 230 years ago. Cats were introduced to Australia in 1788. Within seventy years they had spread across the country, and since then they have contributed to the extinction of at least 25 native animal species.
The damage is particularly significant around Canberra. More than 70 percent of the Australian Capital Territory consists of nature reserves. “We are surrounded by nature reserves that are home to many vulnerable native animals,” Oakey said.
Ten years ago, her organization began lobbying local government to address the issue. Drastically limiting the movement space of pets is a very unpopular measure. That is why, according to Oakey, it took a long time before the government was prepared to take steps. “It was only when people gradually realized that it is important not only for native animals, but also for the cats, that there was room for change.”
Cats kept indoors visit the vet less often. In addition, the risk of being hit or injured by fighting is limited.
Lots of followers on Instagram
Riley is also shocked by the damage that cats cause. It was never her intention to let her cat outside, but Mimi’s love of the great outdoors was too great to ignore. “When I adopted her I wanted to keep her in, but she kept trying to slip out. Then I once bought a harness with a line on it. She got used to it right away.” Although not all cats will want that, she thinks.
Riley and her cat communicate out loud. Riley talks to the orange cat, Mimi meows back. The two are almost always together. “I often take her to work. I let her out there too. We even go on holiday together.”
So she decided to take action against the new law. Her petition ‘Let Mimi Walk’ generated more than two thousand signatures in two months. Mimi gained a lot of followers on her Instagram page and she made the front page of the Canberra Times . “In the end, the minister even came by to meet Mimi,” Riley says proudly. “He showed a lot of understanding and understood that it is important for Mimi to go outside.”
Mimi is a pretty famous cat in Canberra, he says during a video call.
Minister Chris Steel of the metropolitan region remembers the visit to Emerson Riley and Mimi well.
Several cat owners wanted the law changed. It is clear that they want to be responsible with their pet, so we make an exception for cats on a leash.
In Australia there is remarkably little opposition to the strict rules. But that’s not the case everywhere this discussion takes place. In 2019, the Dutch legal scientists Arie Trouwborst and Han Somsen from Tilburg University stated that, according to European nature conservation law, domestic cats are not allowed to run outside at all . A request for enforcement was rejected by then minister Schouten (Agriculture, ChristenUnie). MPs found a leash obligation “complete nonsense”.
In Canberra, the image of people walking their cats is gradually becoming as commonplace as dogs on a lead. Emerson Riley likes to lead by example. “Usually people are immediately enthusiastic when they see us walking and say that they want to try it too. I am proud that Mimi and I have inspired others.” Ultimately, she hopes Canberra sets an example for the rest of the world. “Australia is not the only country in the world with beautiful animals. In this way, everyone can contribute to the protection of our natural environment.”