Cats

Key points

All cats need to be kept contained to their owner's property at all times. If your cat wanders or is being a nuisance you may be given an official warning or a fine. Wandering cats may be taken to the pound.
If a cat is wandering or being a nuisance, let the owner know about the problem. If the cat is still being a nuisance, please report it to us.

Report a missing cat

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Why do I have to keep my cat on my property?

Reasons include:

to protect native wildlife
to reduce the feral cat population
reduce the spread of disease
to decrease the number of cats that need to be put to sleep
to reduce the number of complaints about problem cats
to keep your cat safe.

How to keep your cat from wandering

Cats, even when domesticated, will still often want to wander and hunt outdoors.

Desexing your cat helps a lot with this behaviour, but will not completely stop them from wandering.

Here are some ideas for helping to keep your cat indoors or on your property:

Keep your cat exclusively indoors from the time it is young. Kittens who are kept indoors are usually happy to stay there as they grow up
Install cat fence toppers on your fences at a 45 degree angle to stop your cat from climbing or jumping your boundary fences
Build or buy a “catio” or similar enclosure
Enclose your outdoor patio area and install a cat door using wire mesh or material netting
Put an indoor perch by a sunny window
Train your cat to walk on a leash with a harness.
Install netting over your backyard. , this can be done by attaching netting to your gutters and across to your boundary fencing.
Play a lot with your cat. This will stop them from getting bored and wanting to wander. Toys should be switched from time to time so they are more interesting for your cat.
For more tips on keeping your cat happy and safe at home visit the Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife website

Report a problem cat

If a cat is wandering or being a nuisance, here's what you need to do.

1. Talk with the owner first or contact them via letter

If you know where the cat comes from, have a talk with the cat owner. The owner may not be aware their cat is being a nuisance, and this gives them the opportunity to do something about the problem.

If you are not comfortable speaking face to face with the owner, you can fill in the details on this Letter to owner of problem cat and drop it in their letterbox.

2. Report the problem to us

If the cat continues to cause problems after you have let the owner know about the issues, please report it using the form below.

You can report:

cats that are being noisy
cats causing a health risk
cats that keep coming on your property
too many cats being kept on a property

What you need to include in the form

your name, address and phone number (for our records only. A Council officer will action the complaint and contact you to advise you of the outcome).
address of the property where the cat lives, and how you know this.

Report a problem cat online

If your cat has gone missing

For info go to the Missing dogs and cats web page

Hire a cat cage (cat trap)

If the cat is still causing problems after you speak with its owner, you may want to hire a cat cage from us.

Deposit for cat cage: $160.00
Your deposit will be refunded when you return the cage in the same condition as when it was loaned to you.

To hire a cat cage contact us on 1300 787 624 or mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au

Using the cat cage

We collect trapped cats between 8.30am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. If a cat is trapped outside of these hours it will not be collected until the following business day. For this reason, do not set traps over the weekend or on public holidays.

Use strong-smelling foods in the cage to attract the cat, such as tinned cat food, tuna or sardines.
Make sure you give the cat food and water in the cage.
Once you have caught the cat, call us immediately on 1300 787 624 to let us know so we can collect it. Where possible we will return the cat to its owner. If this isn't possible, we will take the cat to the pound.

Why it's important to get your cat desexed

According to the RSPCA, cats can start breeding at 4 months old. If not desexed, one female cat and her offspring can produce up to 5,000 cats in 7 years. Many of these will become feral cats which then harm our native wildlife.

More info: RSPCA website

Feral cats

You can help to remove feral cats from our environment by hiring a cat cage. Once caught, an officer will collect the cat during business hours and take it to the local vet clinic to be assessed. Once it has been confirmed that the cat is feral, it is then humanely euthanised at our expense.

More info on the Agriculture Victoria website

Picture of a cat in its home