Dumping a problem for cats and wildlife

Liz Bell liz@mpnews.com.au

EYEWITNESS accounts of cats and kittens being dumped on the Mornington Peninsula have alarmed animal welfare bodies and environmental advocates, who say cats living wild wreak havoc on nature.

There are also fears for the safety and welfare of the dumped cats, thought to be released pets, which would most likely struggle to survive in a strange environment.

There have been at least three recent sightings of people dumping cats on the peninsula, including a black car seen releasing two caged cats in bush in Wooralla Drive, Mount Eliza. Two other cases involved a black car seen dumping up for four cats near Crib Point, one of which was immediately hit and killed by a car as it frantically ran across the road, and two cats dumped near Hastings.

Mornington Moggie Rescue volunteer Ricki Lee Bryant, of Tyabb, said cat dumping was abhorrent and cruel, with domesticated cats having few skills to survive in an unfamiliar place without food, and being vulnerable to predators and traffic.

She is urging people who can no longer care for their cats to seek out animal welfare groups or rescues groups, which will take unwanted cats without judgement.

“There is no excuse for dumping a cat, it causes enormous environmental damage and is unbelievably cruel to the animal,” Bryant said.

Mornington Moggie Rescue is just one of several groups on the peninsula that will take in unwanted or stray animals.

Others are RSPCA Peninsula: rspca-peninsula;
Peninsula Cat Rescue: peninsulacatrescue.com.au;
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council pound: mornpen.vic.gov.au;
Mornington Moggie rescue: morningtonmoggierescue@gmail.com