Australia tries to implement 'cat curfews' – and people are baffled

'Cat curfews' are spreading across parts of Australia to stop felines freely roaming the streets. It comes after concerns that pets threaten the country's wildlife.

Sarah Legge from the Australian National University told the BBC that cats are "the primary contributor" to the extinction of two-thirds of the 33 mammal species in Australia.

"That's a massive extinction rate… you don't see that replicated anywhere else in the world," she told the publication. "They continue to cause mammal declines today,"

She continued: "There's eight species that only survive now in cat-free areas, so either islands or fenced areas on the mainland."

Cat owners could face restrictions such as how many cats are allowed per household and the requirement to have them on leads.

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The drastic rules have understandably caused a divide among residents, with many turning to social media to poke fun at the rules.

"They about to put a curfew on the young cats wilding out downtown," one said, while another humoured: "How would that even work? "You'll need to be home by 10."

A third Aussie wrote: "Me and my mom waiting for my cat to come home like he’s a teenager who was out late and not being home for curfew."

Meanwhile, another added: "Cats wander free, no fear / Towns impose fines, a curfew / Felines not pleased, meow."

A Cat advocacy group in the US also chimed in on the move, calling them "anti-cat".

A representative from Alley Cat Allies said: "On this and other anti-cat policies, Australia is a true outlier,"

"The idea of cats living indoors is a human invention only made possible by the introduction of kitty litter about 70 years ago."

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