Call to stop wildlife killers stalking suburban streets

While Wollongong City Council is set to consider backing new laws to contain cats at its meeting tonight, a 75-year-old Wollongong woman has found a quick fix for furkids with a killer instinct.

It’s a patio for cats, aka a catio.

Gerri Wood owns a rescue cat named Abbie, who arrived in a crate from the RSPCA at the start of the pandemic. Because Gerri has spent much of her life building and maintaining habitat for native animals, birds and insects, her new companion was always destined to be an indoor cat.

“My cat is sweet and loveable, but her natural instinct is to hunt and torment or maim any living thing which is small and moves,” Gerri said.

“She does not stalk because she is hungry but because that is her natural behaviour. When I am part of the group trying to protect Australian native species, I cannot allow her to be part of the problem. 

“I also know that my cat is not street savvy and has no understanding of  the dangers she would face outside my gate.”

Gerri lives in a retirement village and decided to adapt her home to keep Abbie and other animals safe.

“To keep her enclosed, I have a catio of see-through netting. A professional catio builder designed and made it for me and it covers my courtyard and gate. My cat loves the courtyard and enjoys smelling, rubbing up against and trimming the leafy foliage in the courtyard.”

Catios are in 'high demand'

Gerri's provider, Chris Hawes of Alcatraz Cat Enclosures, said his custom-made specialty service is in “high demand” as councils are introducing cat containment policies.

“We’ve been operating for seven years and service the Sydney metropolitan area and beyond. We can travel up to three to five hours from the Sydney basin for work,” Chris said.

“Prices vary as everything is made onsite to suit requirements. There’s no base price, but prices can range from $1500 to $5,000 or more.

“Over the years, we’ve had a broad spectrum of clients, including rescue organisations, elderly people seeking peace of mind, and single adults who want that peace of mind for their cats.”

Ninety-five percent of Chris’s enclosures are attached to the cat owner's home. “This provides a stronger and more secure way of enclosing the property, and it’s our preferred installation method,” he said.

“We often work on unit balconies and house sides. As average Sydney suburban blocks are getting smaller, it’s common to enclose the entire yard.”

Driving demand for his services is the peace of mind that containment offers, Chris said.

“Your cats live longer, have a better life, and are free from disease and stress. With rising living costs, unwanted vet bills are a thing of the past if your cat is contained within its property. People are becoming more informed and educated about this.”

Call for council to support cat controls

Freedom to stalk the streets may be coming to an end, with a new law to treat cats more like dogs – ie, kept at home or under an owner's control – to be debated in NSW Parliament later this year. Big brands like Petstock, Petbarn and Kmart have already read the room and stuffed their shelves with cute harnesses and cat leashes.

At February 23's Wollongong City Council meeting, Ward 3 councillor Cr Deidre Stuart will call on council to express its support for the Companion Animals Amendment (Control of Cats) Bill 2025. This bill aims to confine cats to their properties and would give councils the power to issue and enforce containment orders.

Currently, the 30,000-odd pet cats in the Wollongong Local Government Area may roam freely but the Illawarra Greens councillor said this is taking a heavy toll on our wildlife. 

“Based on the Australia Threatened Species Hub numbers, Wollongong’s pet cats likely kill about 5 million animals every year (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians) – with most of those killed being native animals,” her notice of motion reads.

Cat owner backs 'total confinement'

Although Gerri has taken steps herself to keep Abbie contained, she would like to see change come from the top.

“Sometimes I am accused of restricting my cat's freedom when freedom is very precious to me, but the right to life of other species is a much greater concern,” Gerri said.

“Therefore, I strongly advocate laws which keep cats confined inside their owners' properties at all times.

"Some people confine their cats only at night but this means the cat simply hunts in the day time. It needs to be a total confinement, 24 hours a day.”