Pet Safety

How to keep your pet safe, healthy and happy.

A night-time cat curfew will be introduced from 1 Jan 2024.

We know that pets are a much-loved part of many families in Yarra. At Yarra City Council, we work hard to keep your pets safe. Council’s holistic approach to managing pet safety in our community ensures residents, their pets, and Yarra’s native wildlife can co-exist harmoniously.

At the 10 October 2023 Council Meeting, changes were made to the Council Order to improve rules around responsible ownership of pet cats and dogs. These changes have been incorporated into the information below. Read the full Council Order.

Let’s work together to keep our pets and community safe.

Cats

Keeping your cat safe at night

From Monday 1 January 2024, a night-time cat curfew will be introduced in Yarra to benefit both cats and the community. All cat owners within Yarra will be required to keep their pet cats within their property between 7pm and 7am.

This follows extensive community consultation with 75% in favour of a night-time cat curfew.

Introducing a cat curfew presents many benefits to cats and the community including keeping your pet safe from accidents and injury, protecting native wildlife from predation, and avoiding nuisance to neighbours.

Legal requirements for cat owners

We may issue an infringement notice if your cat causes a problem related to:

wandering on to another person’s property without their permission
roaming outside of your property between 7pm and 7am after the 1 January 2024
roaming outside your premises at any time without current Council registration details

How to keep your pet safe, healthy and happy.

A night-time cat curfew will be introduced from 1 Jan 2024.

Cats

Keeping your cat safe at night

Legal requirements for cat owners

We may issue an infringement notice if your cat causes a problem related to:

wandering on to another person’s property without their permission
roaming outside of your property between 7pm and 7am after the 1 January 2024
roaming outside your premises at any time without current Council registration details

What are the benefits of a cat curfew?
Keeping cats indoors during the curfew hours presents numerous benefits for pet cats and the community at large:
- Reduces risk of disease: Research indicates that cats are more prone to catching diseases from other roaming cats if they are allowed outdoors at night.
- Less chance of injury: The likelihood of cats getting into fights, contracting feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), or being hit by a car is significantly reduced when they are kept indoors at night.
- Less chance of going missing: There's a reduced risk of cats getting lost in unfamiliar territory or being accidentally locked in garages or sheds.
- Reduces exposure to weather extremes: Roaming far from home can expose cats to weather extremes such as thunderstorms, frost, and heat, which can be hazardous to their health.
- Protects native wildlife: Keeping cats indoors, especially at night, helps protect Yarra’s native wildlife. Cats result in the loss of millions of native Australian animals annually, including birds and marsupials.
Keeping cats indoors during the curfew hours presents numerous benefits for pet cats and the community at large:
- Reduces risk of disease: Research indicates that cats are more prone to catching diseases from other roaming cats if they are allowed outdoors at night.
- Less chance of injury: The likelihood of cats getting into fights, contracting feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), or being hit by a car is significantly reduced when they are kept indoors at night.
- Less chance of going missing: There's a reduced risk of cats getting lost in unfamiliar territory or being accidentally locked in garages or sheds.
- Reduces exposure to weather extremes: Roaming far from home can expose cats to weather extremes such as thunderstorms, frost, and heat, which can be hazardous to their health.
- Protects native wildlife: Keeping cats indoors, especially at night, helps protect Yarra’s native wildlife. Cats result in the loss of millions of native Australian animals annually, including birds and marsupials.

Why a night-time curfew?

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. The hours between dusk and dawn are also when cats are more likely to kill local native wildlife.

What research did you do to support this?

Before consulting the community, we looked at other councils’ cat containment measures, international and Australian studies about the impacts of pet cats including the Australian Parliament’s “Project Noah”, information from RSPCA Victoria and SafeCat and Wildlife Victoria.

Before consulting the community, we looked at other councils’ cat containment measures, international and Australian studies about the impacts of pet cats including the Australian Parliament’s “Project Noah”, information from RSPCA Victoria and SafeCat and Wildlife Victoria.

Did Yarra Council engage with the community before making this decision?
Yes, Council ran a community engagement for 6 weeks between June and August 2023 to discuss revisions to the Council Order, which included a night-time cat curfew. A survey was made available to the public and the following data was captured:
- 950 contributions were received
- 75% of contributions supported a night-time cat curfew
- 53% of contributions were concerned about protection of native wildlife
- 20% of contributors were concerned about the safety and wellbeing of cats
Yes, Council ran a community engagement for 6 weeks between June and August 2023 to discuss revisions to the Council Order, which included a night-time cat curfew. A survey was made available to the public and the following data was captured:
- 950 contributions were received
- 75% of contributions supported a night-time cat curfew
- 53% of contributions were concerned about protection of native wildlife
- 20% of contributors were concerned about the safety and wellbeing of cats

Can my cat still go outside?

Yes, but during the curfew time of 7pm to 7am, your cat must not leave your property boundary. You may choose to supervise outside time with a harness and a lead or install cat proof fencing, netting or an enclosure. Other options for confinement during this time may be setting up a shed as a sleeping area or keeping your cat inside.

There is no curfew during the day, however Council does recommend keeping your cat within your property boundary during the day for its own protection and the protection of our wildlife. This also helps prevent your cat causing a nuisance to your neighbours.

Yes, but during the curfew time of 7pm to 7am, your cat must not leave your property boundary. You may choose to supervise outside time with a harness and a lead or install cat proof fencing, netting or an enclosure. Other options for confinement during this time may be setting up a shed as a sleeping area or keeping your cat inside.

There is no curfew during the day, however Council does recommend keeping your cat within your property boundary during the day for its own protection and the protection of our wildlife. This also helps prevent your cat causing a nuisance to your neighbours.

Do I still need to register my cat if it is confined to my property?

Yes. All cats and dogs over the age of 3 months must be registered with your local Council. This is a requirement under Victorian law, as outlined in the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

How do I get my cat to come home by 7pm?
We recommend that cats are always confined inside their property boundary.

If your cat is used to being outside at night, try changing their routine by:
- gradually keeping your cat inside for longer periods of time each day
- introducing an earlier feed time (if fed in the evenings) so that it is less likely to want to go outside
- consider using a pheromone diffuser to help reduce your cat's stress levels
- allowing supervised outdoor time
- making sure your cat has a comfortable and stimulating environment indoors, with plenty of toys
- considering other ways to keep your cat safe outside on your property such as such as confined cat enclosures, netting or cat runs.
There are a number of resources on the internet providing information on how to build, or where to purchase cat enclosures.

SafeCat is a great free resource that has been set up as a joint initiative between Zoos Victoria and RSPCA Victoria.

They provide tips and tricks such as:
- Recycled cat toys made from household objects that you can create at home.
- Hacks to increase indoor time for your cat.
- Tips to build connection and companionship with your cat.
- Blogs focusing on stories, tips and advice for cat owners.
We recommend that cats are always confined inside their property boundary.

If your cat is used to being outside at night, try changing their routine by:
- gradually keeping your cat inside for longer periods of time each day
- introducing an earlier feed time (if fed in the evenings) so that it is less likely to want to go outside
- consider using a pheromone diffuser to help reduce your cat's stress levels
- allowing supervised outdoor time
- making sure your cat has a comfortable and stimulating environment indoors, with plenty of toys
- considering other ways to keep your cat safe outside on your property such as such as confined cat enclosures, netting or cat runs.
There are a number of resources on the internet providing information on how to build, or where to purchase cat enclosures.

SafeCat is a great free resource that has been set up as a joint initiative between Zoos Victoria and RSPCA Victoria.

They provide tips and tricks such as:
- Recycled cat toys made from household objects that you can create at home.
- Hacks to increase indoor time for your cat.
- Tips to build connection and companionship with your cat.
- Blogs focusing on stories, tips and advice for cat owners.

What happens if my cat is caught?

If your cat has been caught in a cat trap outside your property within the curfew time, is not identifiable or has not been registered with Council, Council Officers will take it to the Lost Dogs Home in North Melbourne. Release and registration fees will apply to collect your cat. Penalties may also apply for breaching the cat curfew.

If your cat has been caught in a cat trap outside your property within the curfew time, is not identifiable or has not been registered with Council, Council Officers will take it to the Lost Dogs Home in North Melbourne. Release and registration fees will apply to collect your cat. Penalties may also apply for breaching the cat curfew.

Will I be fined if my cat is caught outside during curfew hours?

Our approach is always education first. Our goal is to ensure our community is aware of these rules. Fining people is a last resort. If you continue to ignore the rules and your cat is causing problems, we may issue an infringement notice.

What do I do if I see a cat out during curfew hours?

Council Officers do not respond to reports of roaming cats during curfew hours and do not capture cats seen roaming in public.

If there is a cat that visits your property without your permission, check to see if it is owned by your neighbours. If you can, start with having a friendly and respectful conversation regarding the impacts of their cats wandering and their responsibilities regarding cat ownership.

Council Officers do not respond to reports of roaming cats during curfew hours and do not capture cats seen roaming in public.

If there is a cat that visits your property without your permission, check to see if it is owned by your neighbours. If you can, start with having a friendly and respectful conversation regarding the impacts of their cats wandering and their responsibilities regarding cat ownership.

Do other councils have a curfew?

At least 45 of the 79 Victorian councils have a cat curfew in place. This includes a mix of 24-hour curfews and night-time curfews.

Dogs

Dogs in public spaces

Yarra’s public spaces are often bustling. It’s vital that dog owners follow the rules to keep your pets safe and our public spaces enjoyable for all.

Visit our parks and gardens directory to check where you can walk your dog off-leash in the City of Yarra. Be sure to put the appropriate filter on when using the search engine.

Or view the full list of dog-friendly reserves here.

Legal requirements for dog owners

We may issue an infringement notice if your dog:

is found off-leash in a leash-required area
destroys Council property by digging or otherwise
is found off-leash when Council or contract workers are undertaking maintenance works
is found outside your premises or at large (your dog may also be impounded)

Other pet safety measures

Why microchipping your pets is so important

It's important to ensure that you keep your microchipping details up to date as well. For more information on how to do this, see tips from the RSPCA.

Pets during fireworks and thunderstorms

Melbourne is known for experiencing thunderstorms throughout the year. There are also certain days during the year that fireworks are used for celebrations. These events have a huge impact on our pets’ wellbeing. Read the information about pets during fireworks and thunderstorms on the Animal Welfare Victoria website to help keep your pets safe during these events.

Reporting concerns about animal welfare

We encourage you to report any concerns about animals on a property without adequate water, shelter, food or veterinary treatment to the RSPCA or call 03 9224 2222.