If you’ve ever wondered whether council meetings can rival reality TV for sheer entertainment value, the latest session at Kiama Council has your answer.

Motion 20.4, a seemingly straightforward discussion about companion animals, turned into a purr-fectly hilarious exchange that left some councillors feline amused and others catatonic with disbelief.

Councillor Stuart Larkins kicked things off with a serious pitch for developing a companion animal strategy, citing changing housing patterns, updates to the NSW Companion Animals Act, and the state’s increasing focus on feral cat management.

A reasonable, well-structured argument, right? Well, enter Councillor Michael Cains, who clearly had other ideas.

“I recognise that Councillor Larkins has pounced on this particular strategy,” he began, barely a minute into his speech. “But I’m not feline the same disposition towards this.”

The puns only escalated from there, as Councillor Cains questioned the necessity of new regulations, floated the idea of a mayoral cat (in the newly refurbished mayoral quarters, no less), and drew comparisons to the weighty matters of Fabian socialism.

“Are we supposed to create some sort of paw patrol? And where do we stop? Are we going to start counting goldfish now?” he asked, perhaps wondering if the council chambers had transformed into an episode of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Kittens.

The response was swift. Councillor Larkins, whilst impressed with the feline wordplay, pointed out that the motion was about more than just cats, it addressed responsible pet ownership across the board.

Councillor Imogen Draisma tried to rein things back in, noting that COVID-19 had led to an increase in pet ownership and, as a result, more compliance issues. But by then, the cat was well and truly out of the bag.

As the debate continued, the council chamber became a battleground of animal references.

Councillor Matt Brown declared, “You’ve got to be kitten me,” before supporting an amendment for consultation with the RSPCA.

Councillor Yasmin Tatrai circled back to the dogs, while Councillor Erica Warren sought to tweak the wording on household pet limits.

Somewhere amidst the chaos, a serious discussion about responsible pet ownership was taking place, but you’d be forgiven for thinking you had tuned into a satirical panel show instead.

In the end, the motion passed, with council agreeing to establish a formal pet management strategy.

The debate left a lasting impression, not just for its policy implications, but for the sheer entertainment value.

If council meetings continue like this, we may have found Kiama’s next must-watch event. Forget Married at First Sight, this is local government at its most unfiltered.

And best of all, it’s free to stream here