A group of people who are self-declared cat hunters is now warning residents of a Melbourne suburb not to let their pets off their property or they will be captured or killed.
The Cat Busters Facebook group has been dropping flyers inside the mailboxes of Frankston homes telling locals “Cat Busters catches cats”, the Herald Sun reported.
“In suburban areas this includes the use of cage and leg-hold traps, and most captured cats and up destroyed (sic),” the flyer reads.
“In rural areas and some government land cats may be shot on sight.”
As well as reminding readers of the “dangers” that feral cats can pose to native wildlife it also warns that domestic cats are not safe should they leave their owner’s homes.
“Any cat found off its owner’s property at any time is at risk of capture and destruction,” the flyer states.
“If you have a cat and you want to keep it, keep it inside.”
The group confirmed that it had distributed the flyers through its page on Facebook but declined to comment further, saying “The crazy-cat-lady-lobby means we don’t identify ourselves or our supporters in public as it puts us in danger.”
Too bad, right?
The Cat Busters Facebook page contains a number of gruesome and graphic images of dead cats, which has led to calls for the page to be taken down.
Peninsula Cat Rescue Inc. president Joy Herring says she has notified the Victorian Rescue Groups of the group and their Facebook page.
“Do they have hunting licences? How do they get the traps? And if it is council traps, why are they not being monitored?” she stated.
“It is really sickening and (it) seems they are Australia-wide. They really need to be reported, shut down and prosecuted.”
Frankston Mayor James Dooley explained that the council had been made aware of the group and was “extremely concerned”.
He also added that he understood the flyers had been distributed across Melbourne and had taken his concerns to the RSPCA.
The RSPCA has not made any comments.
