Cat ownership guidelines
- Microchip your cat before 12 weeks old or earlier if they are sold or given away
- Pay your once-off registration fee to council by the time they are 12 weeks of age
- It's highly recommended that all cats wear an I.D. pet collar or tag, displaying the owner's details. Visit this page to order a free pet collar or tag
- Desex your cat to prevent unwanted kittens and minimise cat population problems, excessive roaming and unwanted territorial behaviour
- Cats must be desexed by 4 months of age, or an annual non-desexed cat permit fee may apply
- Attach two bells to your cat's collar to prevent attacks on native birds
- Keep your cat inside between dusk and dawn and monitor your cat's activities during the day
- If you go away, make arrangements for a responsible person to stay with your cat or place your cat in a boarding facility
- If your cat was born before 1 July 1999, it must have either a collar and an identification tag or be microchipped
Companion animal management
Introduced by the NSW State Government in 1998, The Companion Animals Act 1998 (the Act) and the Companion Animals Regulation 2018 (the Regulation), are to provide for the effective and responsible care and management of companion animals. A companion animal is currently defined under the Act as a dog or cat.
The Act and the Regulation replace the Dog Act 1966 and provide legislation for the identification and registration of companion animals and for the duties and responsibilities of their owners.
The Act and the Regulation came about in response to community expectations about the role and place of dogs and cats in society. The new State Government approach to companion animal management has provided Council with an opportunity to develop a strategic response to managing pets in our community.
Pets in the City
The Petcare Information and Advisory Service has produced a guide called Pets in the City. This guide helps people decide whether they should have a pet, what the most suitable pet may be for them and their family, and how to enjoy life with a pet. Both potential pet owners and current pet owners would benefit from reading this guide.
We are Family
We are Family is a guide to nurturing the child-pet relationship, from pregnancy to preschool.