What are the specific rules?
If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, don’t worry; the News is here to explain Greater Shepparton City Council’s rules and regulations regarding your kitty.
According to council’s website, responsible cat ownership includes having your cat registered, microchipped and desexed; caring for their welfare needs; keeping them safe; providing a great quality of life; and complying with local requirements for keeping cats on your property.
Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, all cats over the age of three months must be registered with council.
All cats living in Greater Shepparton must be desexed and microchipped before being registered with council.
Desexing helps to reduce the number of unwanted or feral cats and kittens.
Cats are highly valued pets in Australia; however, roaming cats can cause serious issues and become injured if allowed to roam.
Wandering cats can:
- Get hit by a car or become injured in fights.
- Catch fatal diseases such as feline AIDS.
- Kill native wildlife.
- Annoy neighbours by spraying, fighting, yowling and digging in gardens.
- Become lost.
In December 1996, council made an order under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, section 25, which makes it illegal for a cat to roam.
This means that legally, you are not allowed to let your cat leave your property.
It is an offence for a cat to be outside the owner’s premises at any time of the day or night.
Council officers can seize your cat, issue a notice to stop your cat trespassing or issue infringement notices if your cat wanders off your property.
To confine your cat, you can:
- Keep your cat in the house or flat with you.
- Buy a ‘cat enclosure’ for your garden, or use clear netting to enclose your courtyard, alleyway or verandah.
- Build your own A-frame enclosure with chicken wire, or adapt an aviary.
- Make fences difficult to jump. You can try attaching floppy chicken wire to the top of your fences to make them harder to climb or build an inward-facing ledge along the top of them.
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