Cat owners who do not de-sex their animals may no longer be able to escape the long arm of the law, if a new strategy floated today is implemented by the ACT Government.

Under current ACT laws, cat owners must have their animal de-sexed once they reach three months of age — and the fine is up to $7,000.

The only is exceptions are for owners with cats born before June 2001 and owners with cats that have a "sexually entire" permit, which are granted for breeding and health purposes.

The rules are rarely enforced, but this morning the ACT Government flagged changes to the current system.

City Services Minister Meegan Fitzharris launched the draft strategy today. ( ABC News: Clarissa Thorpe )

City Services Minister Meegan Fitzharris said every year the RSPCA in Canberra found themselves with litters of unwanted kittens in their care.

"It's really distressing for them to have to deal with that," she said.

"What the Government wants to be able to do is look at the best ways to prevent that from happening in the first place."

A draft Animal Welfare and Management Strategy, released for public comment today by Ms Fitzharris, flags the Government's intention to develop a compliance and enforcement program around existing laws within 12 months, with a focus on domestic animals.

'Enforcement would be key'

RSPCA ACT chief executive officer Tammy Ven Dange and her staff see about 2,200 unwanted cats every year in Canberra.

RSPCA ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange welcomes the strategy. ( ABC News: Alexandra Beech )

Ms Ven Dange said she would welcome tougher enforcement of de-sexing laws as a way to combat the problem.

"They will have one litter after another ... and that can turn into hundreds of kittens within two years' time," she said.

"The legislation is quite good ... the problem is the enforcement of it."

The strategy also aims to strengthen processes for animal identification and reunification, including through registration systems, and investigate options for expanding cat containment areas in the territory.

Both moves were welcomed by Ms Ven Dange, but she said again — enforcement would be key.

Denise White, president of cat society Capital Cats, said she believed better enforcement of cat de-sexing laws and the expansion of cat containment areas would be a positive step.

But she said enforcing a registration system for cats would be difficult.

"I can't see it working," she said.

"The number of cats that wander around that nobody knows exactly who owns ... it would be lot of money to enforce it."

Call for review of dangerous dog laws

The release of the Animal Welfare and Management Strategy coincided with a call from Opposition MLA Steve Doszpot for the ACT Government to review its laws around dangerous dogs and increase penalties for owners of dogs that attack, for the safety of the community.

It follows a string of vicious dog attacks in the ACT.

In response, Ms Fitzharris amended Mr Doszpot's motion to the Legislative Assembly, and agreed to consider allocating more resources to the issue, and to a review of the laws and penalties dealing with dangerous dogs.

As part of the strategy, the Government plans to conduct a full review of its animal welfare and management laws.