Cats
Cat ownership comes with a number of responsibilities including desexing, microchipping, and registration. You must ensure your cat does not pose a nuisance to your neighbours or be a threat to wildlife and the environment.
Keeping your cat indoors or in an enclosure is the best method to minimise nuisances to neighbours, or threats to wildlife and the environment. This also has the added benefit of keeping your cat safe and healthy.
For more information on cat ownership, you can refer to Good Cat SA.
Cat registration
There is no fee to register your cat's microchip in our Council area, however, you are required to register your cat’s microchip details at Dogs and Cats Online (DACO) within 14 days of adopting or taking ownership.
Desexing (mandatory)
Cats born after 1 July 2018 must be desexed by 6 months of age, or within 28 days of taking ownership.
Desexing your cat can prevent antisocial behaviours and unwanted litters, as well as provide some good health benefits.
A vet may provide a desexing exemption for medical reasons.
Microchipping (mandatory)
All cats must be microchipped. For cats born or adopted after 1 July 2018 they must be microchipped at the point of sale or by 3 months of age.
Microchipping is a safe and permanent means of identifying your cat for life.
Cat nuisance
While cats make great companions we understand that sometimes animal nuisance behaviour may occur and cause problems. We work with the community to mediate nuisance animal behaviours and educate on how best to avoid potential issues.
Uninvited cats
There are many forms of nuisance cat behaviours including, trespassing onto neighbouring properties, spraying, toileting, fighting, harassing or attacking owned animals.
If your neighbour’s straying cat is affecting you consider a calm and respectful conversation or letter directly with your neighbour to work together to find an effective solution. Refer to Good Cat SA for useful resources.
If the problem persists contact us to discuss options for managing the nuisance behaviour.
Stray or feral cats
Stray or feral cats may result through a number of factors including owning or feeding undesexed cats, allowing an owned cat to roam or cat abandonment.
If you are experiencing issues with a stray or feral cat on your property you may set a trap, which are available to hire from us. Any captured cat must be taken to a vet or to the Animal Welfare League to be scanned for a microchip to either be reunited with its owner or re-homed.