The Victorian Government is taking action to reduce the cat overpopulation crisis by providing $300,000 in grants to local councils across Victoria.

The funding will help councils partner with animal rescue shelters to increase cat desexing rates.

Ros Spence, Minister for Agriculture, announced that 14 councils will benefit from the initiative, including Hume City Council, which has secured a $25,000 grant. Hume City will work with two vet clinics, including Second Chance Animal Rescue in Craigieburn, to desex around 80 cats.

“This targeted cat desexing program supports local councils to provide free or low-cost desexing programs which will help to manage the overpopulation of cats, while reducing the strain on our state’s animal shelters,” said Spence.

The program targets semi-owned and unowned cats, providing free desexing, microchipping, and even free registration for the first year. This support encourages individuals caring for stray or community cats to take full ownership and become responsible pet owners. Additionally, the initiative offers low-cost or free desexing services to cat owners experiencing financial hardship.

Marisa Debattista, CEO of Second Chance Animal Rescue, highlighted the financial barriers for pet owners, saying, “One of the main reasons people don’t desex their pets is because they can’t afford it. These grants make cat desexing more accessible for vulnerable community members.”

Victoria is grappling with a complex cat management issue, with over 227,000 registered cats and a significant number of unregistered or feral cats in both urban and natural areas. Although 95 per cent of registered cats are desexed by age two, cats can have multiple litters before this, exacerbating the overpopulation problem.

The initiative is part of a broader $1.3 million investment from the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to address cat management issues. The state’s first long-term Cat Management Strategy is expected to be released later in 2024.

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