CAT owners have told the City of Swan that they cannot control their pets, and they should not be held responsible for keeping felines off private property.

Cat owners are the main complainants of a local law introduced in January that allows people to trap straying pets, according to the City of Swan.

The City has received a number of complaints about the law changes, with neighbours allowed to trap cats on private property and take them to the pound without notifying owners.

Ellenbrook’s Rosemary Donald has two cats, and was recently appalled to find one of her neighbours had started trapping without advising nearby cat owners. But, according to the City of Swan’s local law, this is completely legal – people are not required to advise their neighbours they will be trapping cats that stray onto private property.

Mrs Donald is calling on the City of Swan to bring in a bit of common sense to the cat laws to ensure they are not abused.

When her feline Simon went missing on March 18, it took her a week to locate him at a kennel in Malaga, and she isn’t the only one in her street to go through the distress of a missing pet.

“I had a call from a worried neighbour who had been visited by a ranger in response to a neighbour’s complaint.”

While the City recommends people with cat traps should advise their neighbours of their intentions, it is not compulsory.

“There is no legal obligation to advise neighbours they intend to do this,” a City spokesman said.