Cat Curfew and mandatory desexing

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From 1 May 2024 cats are not permitted to roam outside of their owner's property boundary and all cats being registered for the first time must also now be desexed.

The Shire-wide curfew has been introduced to help protect and enhance the welfare and safety of our local cats and wildlife.

Following extensive community consultation in early 2023 which showed overwhelming support for the introduction of these measures, Council decided in October 2023 to make an order under section 25 of the Domestic Animals Act (1994) to introduce these two key actions.

We understand that this is a change for cats and their owners and will provide support and information to help with the transition, including educational information, videos and practical advice on preparing your pet and your property.

What does the 24/7 cat curfew mean for my cat?

The cat curfew means cat owners must keep their cats from roaming outside their property boundary at all times.

Currently, cat owners are required to prevent their cat from wandering onto private land and this is an existing rule under State legislation. The cat curfew adds public land to the area a cat cannot roam, which simply means that your cat is not permitted to roam outside of your property - it can still go outside, sit in your garden and so on.

This can be achieved by keeping your cat:

  • In your front yard where your cat is unable to leave your property boundary
  • In your back yard where your cat is unable to leave your property boundary
  • Inside your home
  • In a suitable cat enclosure

What does mandatory desexing mean?

Desexing of all cats will now be a condition of registration. This means that when kittens are registered and microchipped at three months of age, (which is currently state-law) they will also need to be desexed. The same will apply if you are registering an adult cat for the first time.

Exemptions for the following will apply:

  • Cats owned by registered breeders that are kept for the purposes of breeding.
  • Cats deemed unsuitable for desexing by a vet (for example an underweight kitten or elderly cat) until such time as they are able to be safely desexed

Council provides a substantial discount for registration of a desexed animal.

Click through our FAQ's to learn more about the cat curfew and mandatory desexing and see the resources section to learn how to cat-proof your property.

From 1 May 2024 cats are not permitted to roam outside of their owner's property boundary and all cats being registered for the first time must also now be desexed.

The Shire-wide curfew has been introduced to help protect and enhance the welfare and safety of our local cats and wildlife.

Following extensive community consultation in early 2023 which showed overwhelming support for the introduction of these measures, Council decided in October 2023 to make an order under section 25 of the Domestic Animals Act (1994) to introduce these two key actions.

We understand that this is a change for cats and their owners and will provide support and information to help with the transition, including educational information, videos and practical advice on preparing your pet and your property.

What does the 24/7 cat curfew mean for my cat?

The cat curfew means cat owners must keep their cats from roaming outside their property boundary at all times.

Currently, cat owners are required to prevent their cat from wandering onto private land and this is an existing rule under State legislation. The cat curfew adds public land to the area a cat cannot roam, which simply means that your cat is not permitted to roam outside of your property - it can still go outside, sit in your garden and so on.

This can be achieved by keeping your cat:

  • In your front yard where your cat is unable to leave your property boundary
  • In your back yard where your cat is unable to leave your property boundary
  • Inside your home
  • In a suitable cat enclosure

What does mandatory desexing mean?

Desexing of all cats will now be a condition of registration. This means that when kittens are registered and microchipped at three months of age, (which is currently state-law) they will also need to be desexed. The same will apply if you are registering an adult cat for the first time.

Exemptions for the following will apply:

  • Cats owned by registered breeders that are kept for the purposes of breeding.
  • Cats deemed unsuitable for desexing by a vet (for example an underweight kitten or elderly cat) until such time as they are able to be safely desexed

Council provides a substantial discount for registration of a desexed animal.

Click through our FAQ's to learn more about the cat curfew and mandatory desexing and see the resources section to learn how to cat-proof your property.

Page last updated: 07 Jun 2024, 03:19 PM