19/05/2026
If you share your life with a cat, you already know how much they matter. And if youāre involved in rescue or welfare work, youāve probably seen what happens when things go wrong - abandoned cats, overwhelmed rescues, kittens born to cats that were never meant to have them.
The good news is that practical, affordable solutions exist. They just need to be taken up widely and supported over time.
* Keeping cats at home *
Cats kept safely at home live longer, healthier lives. Roaming cats face real risks from traffic, disease, fights, parasites, and getting lost or taken. A safe home environment, with enrichment and space to be a cat, genuinely improves their welfare.
* Desexing is the single biggest thing we can do*
An undesexed cat can be responsible for hundreds more in just a few years. Desexing eliminates the risk of unwanted litters, and is one of the most effective tools we have to reduce the number of cats ending up as a stray on the streets. Programs that make desexing genuinely accessible, especially in lower-income areas, are essential.
CatCare Alliance supports:
⢠Accessible and affordable desexing programs
⢠Safe, enriching home environments for owned cats
⢠Affordable cat containment solutions
⢠Enforcement of existing NSW microchipping laws
⢠Enforcement of abandonment laws
⢠Community cat management programs that reduce breeding and roaming at a population level
⢠Public education that helps owners make genuinely informed decisions
*The bigger picture*
Solving the stray and abandoned cat crisis in NSW isnāt one organisationās job. It takes education, accessible services, responsible ownership, and enforcement of the laws we already have. Every positive step across the community helps: for cats, for wildlife, for rescuers, and for the people who care.