Roaming cats
In NSW, cats are permitted to roam. It is not unlawful for a cat to enter private property or roam public places.
If you are bothered by a roaming cat, make contact with the owner and politely express your concerns.
You may also consider attaching a paper collar displaying your contact details and a polite message asking the owner to contact you. Ensure that the collar is able to tear off easily if it becomes caught on a fence or tree branch. Download AWL's paper collar template here.
Laws relating to cat ownership
These are set out by the Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Companion Animals Regulation 2018.
- All cats must be microchipped from the time the cat is 12 weeks old or earlier if they are sold or given away
- All cats must be lifetime registered by 12 weeks of age.
- Cats not desexed by 4 months of age require an annual non-desexed cat permit.
- All cats must wear a collar and identification tag or microchip when outside their property – visit this page to order a free engraved pet tag
- All cats are prohibited from being within 10 metres of a food preparation/consumption areas (meaning any public place, or part of a public place, that is within 10 metres of any apparatus provided in that public place or part for the preparation of food for human consumption or for the consumption of food by humans)
- All cats are prohibited from wildlife protection areas (meaning any public place or any part of a public place set apart by the local authority for the protection of wildlife and in which the local authority ordered that cats are prohibited for the purposes of the protection of wildlife and in which, or near the boundaries of which, there are conspicuously exhibited by the local authority at reasonable intervals notices to the effect that cats are prohibited in or on that public place)
Nuisance cats
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998, Council can issue a Nuisance Cat Order if satisfied that a cat:
- Makes a noise that persistently occurs or continues to such a degree or extent that it unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person in any other premises; or
- Repeatedly damages anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept.
If you wish to report a nuisance cat, please call Council's Customer Service on 02 9392 5000. You must be prepared to provide all required detail to support your claim. Reports submitted anonymously, and without detail, cannot be actioned by council officers.
Call us to report a nuisance cat
Offences and penalties
Below are some examples of common offences under the Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Companion Animals Regulation 2018 encountered by Council, along with their associated penalties.
| Offence | Minimum On the spot penalty | Maximum Local Court penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Animal not permanently identified (microchipped) | $180 – $1,320 | $880 – $5,500 |
| Animal not registered | $330 – $1,320 | $880 – $5,500 |
| Cat not wearing identification | $180 | $880 |
| Owner/person in charge of cat found in a prohibited place | $180 | $880 |
| Failure to comply with nuisance cat order | $165 | $330 – $880 |