Cat fight has Maylands residents at wits’ end

Neighbours of a Maylands property allegedly housing more than a dozen cats claim persistent odours and roaming animals are making life unbearable.

Residents on Caledonian Avenue claim cats from the home of 82-year-old Louise Jones regularly enter neighbouring properties and climb onto roofs.

“They came over the fence and hang around on our roof,” one neighbour, Lily, told 9News Perth.

“The washing on the line, sometimes we have to take it in early so it doesn’t smell like cat.”

Another neighbour, Ryan Quinn, claimed he and his partner had barely used their backyard since moving in two years ago.

“Anyone that’s cleaned a cat’s litter tray, it’s like that amplified a thousand-fold,” he said.

Concerns about the property date back about a decade, when more than 30 cats were living there and the City of Bayswater deemed the home unfit for human habitation.

The city’s chief executive, Jeremy Edwards, said the council had responded to complaints since 2016 and was now investigating obtaining a warrant to re-enter the property to determine whether the state’s Cat Act has been breached.

He said the city had conducted numerous investigations, issued notices under the Health Act and exercised enforcement powers under its cat local law.

Edwards alleged the property owner had repeatedly challenged the city’s actions through the State Administrative Tribunal.

Property owners can keep up to three cats, which must be sterilised, microchipped and registered.

Jones is also facing 12 animal cruelty charges brought by RSPCA WA.

The RSPCA alleges a dozen cats were confined between December 2024 and June 2025 in a way that caused, or was likely to cause, harm.

It also alleges Jones allowed the animals to suffer harm that could have been alleviated by taking reasonable steps.

Jones is due in Perth Magistrates Court next week.

9News Perth approached Jones at her Maylands home for comment but received no response.