Cat ownership laws and fines

Unlike dogs, 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 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 undesexed 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 (conditions apply)
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)

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	On the spot penalty	Local Court penalty
Offence: Offence: Offence: Offence: Animal not permanently identified (microchipped)	On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: Minimum penalty: $180 – $1,320	Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Maximum penalty: $880 – $5,500
Offence: Offence: Offence: Offence: Animal not registered	On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: Minimum penalty: $330 – $1,320	Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Maximum penalty: $880 – $5,500
Offence: Offence: Offence: Offence: Cat not wearing identification	On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: Minimum penalty: $180	Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Maximum penalty: $880
Offence: Offence: Offence: Offence: Owner/person in charge of cat found in a prohibited place	On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: Minimum penalty: $180	Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Maximum penalty: $880
Offence: Offence: Offence: Offence: Failure to comply with nuisance cat order	On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: On the spot penalty: Minimum penalty: $165	Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Local Court penalty: Maximum penalty: $330 – $880

Lodge a cat complaint

Cat ownership laws and fines

Unlike dogs, cats are permitted to roam.

Laws relating to cat ownership are set out by the Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Companion Animals Regulation 2018.

Offences and penalties

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