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A recent petition calling for tighter domestic cat ownership laws in Queensland has been knocked back, despite rising concern among ecologists about the damage roaming cats cause to native wildlife.

Submitted in March by Sunshine Coast resident Tony Magrathea, the petition called for stronger state-wide controls including mandatory desexing, cat limits per household, breeding bans, and 24/7 containment. It also urged the state government to take over responsibility for cat management from local councils, arguing that the current system is too fragmented.

Despite gaining more than 1,100 signatures, the Queensland Government rejected the proposal, with Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett stating that local governments are best placed to handle cat management according to their communities’ needs.

But researchers and conservationists warn that the piecemeal approach is failing �Ӱ�ֱ��’s native animals.

Environment Institute member Professor Phill Cassey said an overarching authority for domestic cat management “made sense,” given the serious and widespread ecological impact.

“We don’t want to stop people having cats, they’re an incredibly important companion animal, but they need to be kept inside,” Professor Cassey said. “Once they’re outside, they have a devastating impact on our animals.”

Professor Cassey added that most cat owners underestimate how far their pets roam and how much damage they can do. “They’re travelling many kilometres,” he said. “And they’re responsible for the decline and extinction of many small native species.”

According to the Invasive Species Council, the average domestic cat kills more than 100 birds, mammals, and reptiles every year.

While the ACT remains the national leader with its strict containment and desexing laws, Queensland’s decision highlights an ongoing reluctance to introduce tougher regulations, despite mounting scientific evidence and support from conservationists.