Ridgewood – cats and Spearwood dune bushland pockets

How layout shapes cat movement

Ridgewood sits on the Spearwood dune system, with housing blocks between Connolly Drive, Marmion Avenue and Ridgewood Park.^S1 Back fences along places like Hinchinbrook Avenue and streets east of Ridgewood Boulevard often face drainage corridors or small bushland pockets rather than deep internal lots, so a loose panel can put a cat straight onto shared paths or sand tracks.^S2

Wildlife most exposed

• Spearwood dune vegetation remnants in local reserves support small birds and reptiles typical of coastal shrublands, recorded in City of Wanneroo vegetation mapping and DBCA urban bushland work.^S1
• Banksia and other nectar trees in reserves and streetscapes can attract black cockatoos noted in regional movement data for the northern suburbs.^S3
• Ground mammals such as quenda are recorded more broadly across City of Wanneroo bushland where understorey cover persists, and similar habitat patches exist in nearby reserves.^S4

Common cat lifestyles

• Fence-base slip cats – move through sand gaps where dune soils fall away from fence posts at the back of lots that abut reserves.
• Gate-lift cats – use lifted gates opening directly to laneways and path links through Ridgewood Park.
• Dusk-pressure cats – patrol along the mown edges of reserves at last light where small birds are still feeding.
• Pine-belt / creek-line scent followers – follow scent along drainage lines and planted corridors that run between Marmion Avenue and Connolly Drive.

High-risk zones (specific)

• Back fences of properties bordering Ridgewood Park and drainage corridors north and south of Hester Avenue.^S2
• Laneways and side passages that run straight from garages to reserve edges off Ridgewood Boulevard.
• Low points along drainage inlets where bare sand and grass meet, making easy patrol routes for roaming cats.

Cat rules that apply

Ridgewood residents are subject to the WA Cat Act 2011 and the City of Wanneroo Cat Local Law, which together require registration, microchipping, sterilisation and limits on cat numbers.^S5 Council advice also urges keeping cats at home so they do not hunt fauna in nearby bush or reserves.^S6

Why containment fits this suburb

In Ridgewood, many backyards share a boundary with small reserves, swales or the larger Ridgewood Park, so a gap in the yard perimeter can place a cat directly onto these shared corridors instead of staying inside house blocks. Open-top yard netting that closes the full rear boundary and sides is often chosen where a block sits directly against a park or basin, limiting exits to these shared corridors. Here is an example in Ridgewood.

Better options for cats

• Keep cats indoors at dusk when small birds and ground fauna are still active around park edges.
• Inspect fence bases on dune slopes where wind can scour out soil and open pathways.
• Use cat netting where rear fences directly meet Ridgewood Park or drainage reserves.

Helpful links

• City of Wanneroo – environment overview^S1
• City of Wanneroo – owning a cat^S5
• ReWild Perth – Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo^S3
• Back to Wanneroo: https://www.kitty-safe.com.au/cat-safety-network-2/city-of-wanneroo-coastal-corridor-wetlands-bushland-roaming-cats/

Sources

• S1 – City of Wanneroo environment material noting local vegetation complexes including Spearwood dunes.^S1
• S2 – City and DBCA urban bushland mapping for northern coastal suburbs including Ridgewood.^S2
• S3 – ReWild Perth Carnaby’s black-cockatoo resource and associated suburb list including Ridgewood region.^S3
• S4 – City of Wanneroo information on native mammals such as quenda in urban bushland across the City.^S4
• S5 – WA Cat Act 2011 and City of Wanneroo Cat Local Law and “Owning a cat” page.^S5
• S6 – City of Wanneroo local cat law and nuisance cat information urging cats be kept at home near bushland.^S6