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Here in NZ it is very much as BookCat describes for the UK for cats and dogs.
Dogs can be off a leash only in prescribed exercise areas in urban areas (and those may be limited to certain times of the year or of the day) and in the country if caught worrying farm animals can be legally shot. Most cats are free to go outside; we have no land mammals here of any danger to cats or dogs, cat's (and sometimes dogs) biggest danger is road traffic. Nor do we have any small native land mammals to be in danger from cats (unlike Australia, for example). We have 3 cats, the 2 pedigrees have lived inside since kittens and know no better, the other was rescued at around 3 months age and was used to being outside and we let her do so when she wants.
Regarding stray cats, including those in colonies, they are treated here very much the same as BookCat describes for the UK but if they are trapped they are also microchipped before release. If the trapped cat(s) has a "minder" it may also have one ear clipped (about 1cm removed from the tip) so if it is trapped or complained about as being a stray it is left to go free as known to be in "care". A stray cat that has become a household pet friendly to its owners but unfriendly to strangers may also have an ear clipped so that it will be left alone - such cats will be neutered, microchipped and ear clipped for just a nominal cost to the adopter.
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