All about cats

Download the "All about cats" factsheet

In 2007 there were 3256 cats registered in the City of Yarra.

Council encourages everyone to be responsible pet owners. This includes registering your cat with Council, keeping your cats indoors between dusk and dawn, giving them plenty of play and exercise, as well as a balanced diet, getting them vaccinated, wormed, de-sexed and microchipped.

Mandatory De-sexing
Keeping your cat safe at night
Teaching your cat to come in at night
Legal requirements for cat owners
Number of cats allowed in your home
Vaccinations

Mandatory De-sexing of Cats
If you own a cat in Yarra it must be de-sexed.  From 1 March 2010 Council will not register or renew the registration of a cat unless it is de-sexed.  Exceptions will only be made for cats used for breeding purpose or due to veterinary advice.  De-sexing your cat will help reduce the number of stray and unwanted cats in Yarra.

Keeping your cat safe at night
To keep your cat safe and out of danger do not let them roam outdoors between dusk and dawn. The majority of accidents involving cats happen at night, including your cat getting into fights, being hit by a car, getting lost or even catching fatal diseases.

Keeping cats in at night also helps reduce the growth of the stray cat population.

Getting your cat desexed also helps alleviate this problem. For more information on desexing refer to the Registering, desexing and microchipping fact sheet, contact your local vet or Council on 9205 5063.

The hours between dusk and dawn are also when cats are more likely to kill local native wildlife. Cats kept in a night are much happier, healthier and safer.

Although Council does not enforce this or have a cat curfew, we do however strongly encourage cat owners to keep their cats confined between dusk and dawn.

Option for keeping your cat confined at night:

• Simply keep them inside your house or flat at night.
• Buy a cat enclosure from your local pet shop.
• Build your own A-frame with chicken wire
• Attach floppy chicken wire to your fences to make them harder to climb.

Teaching your cat to come in at night
When first training your cat to come in at night, skip their morning feed and then call them in for their evening feed. Don’t feed your cat until they are inside. Your cat will learn quickly that it won’t be fed unless it is inside. Then feed your cat the next morning inside before letting them out.

Legal requirements for cat owners
If your cat continually wonders onto another person’s property without their permission it can be seized. It is important to register and microchip your cat so Council can quickly identify them and return your pet to you as soon as possible. Unidentified cats will be taken to the pound. If your cat continues to be a problem Council can issue an order to stop your cat from roaming, and can issue fines if your cat continues to roam.

To ensure your cat stays confined to your property you can adapt fences to make them harder to climb. Try placing floppy chicken wire along the top of your fence or an inward facing ledge. You can also purchase a ‘cat house’ for your garden.

Number of cats allowed
If you live in a house you are allowed to keep:

• Two cats over three months old.
• Four cats under three months old.

If you live in a unit or flat you are allowed to keep:

• One cat over six months old.
• Three cats under six months old.

Vaccinations
When you purchase your cat ask for their vaccination certificate. If there is no certificate you need to get your cat vaccinated. Kittens need to be vaccinated between 6-9 weeks with a second at 12-16 weeks old. All cats then require a booster vaccination every 12 months.

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Further information

Community Amenity
Richmond Town Hall
333 Bridge Road Richmond
Telephone 9205 5063
Email info@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Links

Within this site
Animal registration renewals Payments
catproof cat enclosures and fencing

External sites (Yarra City Council accepts no responsibility for the information or opinions contained within external sites)
Lost Dogs Home Helps to reduce the number of sick, stray, abandoned and unwanted animals. Based in North Melbourne.

Information supplied by: Electronic communications & design officer - 9205 5214

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