Cat Owner Responsibilities

Cat registration and details

Under the Cat Act 2011, all domestic cats over six months old must be sterilised, microchipped and registered. To register your cat or to notify us of a change to your animal’s details, please go to Cat registration and change of details.

Number of cats allowed

Only three cats are permitted to be kept at any one residence.

You may keep kittens until they reach the age of six months.

Should you wish to keep more than two cats then you must make an application to Shire of Harvey. Please contact us to find out more.

Breeding of cats

If you wish to breed cats, you must apply for a Breeding Permit (renewed annually). To find out more, including eligibility, contact us.

When selling or giving away a cat, it must be microchipped and sterilised prior to the transfer of ownership. If the cat is too young to be sterilised, you must provide a prepaid sterilisation voucher to the new owner.

Nuisance cats and traps

To ensure your cat does not become a nuisance to your neighbours or harms wildlife, the following tips are suggested for responsible cat owners:

• The cat remains on your property.
• The cat wears a collar with name, contact number and registration tag.
• Your cat is kept inside at night.

If you are experiencing a nuisance cat, traps are available for hire from the Shire for a deposit amount only. To hire a trap please contact us.

Rangers will collect a cat from a resident if the animal has been captured and remains in the trap.

All impounded cats are checked for registration tags and scanned for microchipping details. If the owner can be readily identified Rangers will make contact with them to advise how and where to collect their cat. Go to Animal pound (cats and dogs).

All domesticated cats that are identifiable and the owner is known will be returned to the owner. If the cat is not claimed after 7 days,  the cat may be rehomed. If the owner of the cat is not known, after a period of three days, the cat may be rehomed.

More information and contacts

For more information about cat owner responsibilities, please contact us.

Related legislation

• Cat Act 2011

Related pages

• Cat registration and change of details
• Animal pound (cats and dogs)
• Dog registration and change of details
• Dog owner responsibilities