Toronto considers new plan to ban cats from going outdoors unless on leash
“If you love your cat, keep Fluffy indoors."
These were environmentalist and former Scarborough city councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker’s words to Toronto City Council Wednesday as a city committee discussed a plan that could prohibit cat owners from allowing felines to roam freely outdoors.
The motion, moved by Councillor for Ward 17 - Don Valley North Shelley Carroll, is rooted in the belief outdoor cats can be a danger to local ecosystems, hunting bird and rodent populations, and are themselves at risk of being hit by vehicles or attacked by wildlife while roaming.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Currently, city staff are proposing bylaws be changed to prohibit pet owners from allowed their pet to roam "at large" in the city, with the exception of cats and domesticated pigeons. Carroll wants to scrub cats from the exception with her motion, while still permitting pigeons to remain at large. Under the proposed bylaw, cats would still be allowed outdoors while on leash.
Members of council on the city’s economic and community development committee voted in favour of the motion by a show of hands.
“I’m moving [this motion] today because, truly I think people don’t want free-roaming cats,” Carroll said. “It is horrendously traumatic when you find a cat that has met with misfortune.”
However, the bylaw change hasn’t received final approval. It was not included in Wednesday's staff report featuring potential rule changes to the chapter of the city's municipal code dealing with animals and would still need the majority support of council before it could go into effect. Council is scheduled to debate the issue in two weeks.
Executive Director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre, Nathalie Karvonen, was present to speak on the subject Wednesday.
Addressing the committee, Kavonen cited a 2013 study conducted by Environment Canada researchers stating an approximate 200 million birds are killed by cats in Canada annually. She called outdoor cats a “massive problem” for Toronto-area wildlife.
Conversely, Carleton Grant, executive director of the licensing and standards division at the city, expressed he didn’t believe the plan was feasible, calling it “impossible” and “problematic.”
Current bylaws allow the city to impound cats that are causing damage or creating a nuisance.
ARE CATS AN INVASIVE SPECIES?
Andrew Holland, spokesperson for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, told CTV News Toronto Thursday domestic cats are considered one of the 100 most invasive species in the world.
“After habitat loss, cats are the number one human-caused reason for the loss of birds,” Holland said in a statement. “It is estimated that over 2.6 billion birds are lost annually in Canada and the U.S. from being killed by cats.”
Holland says keeping your cat inside and using a leash when outdoors, is a “small, but important” conservation effort.
If your cat requires a higher level of enrichment, he recommends building “a catio” – a cat patio – which is an enclosed outdoor space that allows cats to remain contained while outdoors.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.