Like most Tasmanians we would love to see an end to stray cats in our community. We would love pet cats to all be desexed and live indoors with access to an outdoor run. We would love our communities to peaceful places where people who don’t like cats weren’t bothered by them and people who loved cats never had to worry about cars, snakes and other predators cutting their beloved cat’s life short.

The road to get there is illuminated by success stories in other countries, not by current Tasmanian cat narratives.

Working cat projects are one such success story. They take troublesome strays who don’t want to be pets and desex, microchip, vaccinate, parasite treat and vet check them and then adopt them to a life of being cared for at a distance by a business in exchange for keeping at bay the rats and mice attracted to the food source or waste that is an integral part of the business.

This solution will attract organic businesses who do not use poison. These businesses will undoubtedly already take good measures to keep rodent populations under control, and may even have the odd pet cat that has, as many cats raised by humans before them, failed to become an efficient ratter.

We expect breweries and distilleries, organic farmers, urban food businesses with contained properties, barns and warehouses to be interested in this option. Cats will be free of charge and merely require food and lodging in exchange for work done. Ecocats will check in on your feline employee four times a year to parasite treat and health check.

Interested businesses must be located in areas where inadvertent predation of other wildlife has no impact on Tasmania’s biodiversity or threatened species. Working cats will never be adopted to such environments and preference will be given to urban businesses with contained properties.

To employ a working cat in your business call 0490177542