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Local Cat Laws
Have your say on cat restrictions
The City of Wanneroo’s Cat local law, which is due for review in 2024, addresses cat registrations, sterilization, microchipping and the number of cats permitted to be kept.
Owners are currently urged to keep their cats at home to prevent them from causing a nuisance to other residents or hunting fauna in nearby bush or reserve areas. However, there are no legal restrictions or penalties.
To effectively review the local law, the City needs to consider any potential issues and get feedback from residents on options to adequately control cats.
Feedback invited
Tell us what you think about cat ownership and restrictions to adequately control cats through our community survey.
All results will be confidential. However, if you wish to share your views online, you are invited to comment through the Shared Community Comments section below.
If you have any queries, please contact the City’s Community Safety and Emergency Team.
Background
As a result of community interest, a Motion on Notice was drafted and presented to Council in February 2022 to consider the need for a review and update of the Cat Local Law provisions to address cat control issues, such as a cat curfew.
The notice advised there was a limited number of complaints regarding the adequacy of the local law, which may indicate specifically what provisions may be required or supported by residents in terms of cat control provisions.
The local laws do not prevent cats from leaving their home, causing a nuisance to other residents, hunting in bush or reserve areas or entering your home. To effectively review the local law and consider what issues may need to be addressed with cats, the City needs to engage with the community to enable an amended local law to be drafted.
The City will then review the community feedback and report its findings to Council, before drafting a revised local cat law. This draft will be advertised and subjected to further community comment and feedback before it becomes enforceable.
Check this page regularly for ways to have a say and get updates on the local cat laws.
Key Dates
Public comment period opens, including community survey
Monday, 12 September 2022
Date: 13/09/2022
Public comment period (Now closed)
Closed Sunday, 9 October 2022
Date: 10/10/2022
Information Analysis
October to December 2022
Date: 31/12/2022
Council Review and Approval
February to March 2023
Date: 31/03/2023
Community consultation on draft law
August 2023
Date: 31/08/2023
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Submit your comments
Please refer to the City's Rules of Engagement before submitting a comment.
Click below to submit a comment.
Shared community comments
Please amend the laws to make it a requirement for cat owners to contain their cat/s at all times. I currently have at least 5 different cats coming onto my property and being a nuisance. They fight, pee/poop around the property, dig up garden beds etc. I am unable to enjoy my backyard because of the stench they leave behind. They have destroyed my side gate and outdoor furniture by scratching them. I've spent so much money trying to keep them out but nothing works. Cat owners need to be more responsible and contain their pets.
I strongly advise on laws that enforce cats being contained within a house at all times. Curfews don't work, cats roam at all times of the day/night and hunt native wildlife. They roam the streets which causes motorists to swerve increasing the likelihood of car crashes. Cats also defecate on others properties and terrorize dog owners. Why should i have to restrain my dog on walks down my street, whilst a cat walks around freely? Cats are introduced, feral animals. I recommend registration for cats, and enforceable fines. It is a responsibility to be a good pet owner, no one should be exempt.
We have recently moved into the area and have a predominantly inside cat (only goes outside with us) and have had 7 different cats in our yard. They sit at glass doors and annoy our cat, they spray on our laundry and front doors and will spray other items outside. We've tried scaring them away, and they always come back. One even came into the back yard while our cat was out during the day and started to approach our cat. We've tried various sprays, water bottles, noises, following or finding them to talk to the owners but can't locate them
I live in a small unit in Girrawheen, with a very small garden bed. I also tend the communal garden area opposite my unit by pulling up weeds and keeping it tidy. Two cats living next door have turned it all into an outdoor litter tray. I look forward to ban on outdoor cats.
Cats need to be controlled just like dogs. 3 neighbours around me have uncontrolled cats that constantly jump fences, spray in our patio if blinds are up and over our front door. One neighbour leaves food on her windowsill which the other cats have found so are always crossing back and forth through our property and using it as their toilet and the neighbours don’t care yet I have to have my dog controlled, I’m starting to hate cats due to owners attitudes.
Have have two cats that I keep on my own property so am a cat lover however I also am passionate about lizards and have a neighbour whose cat has killed many of our resident King Skinks leaving them partly alive to die a horrible death and leave their mates which were for life.
Laws need to be for cats to be contained in their owners property others wise they should be trapped and removed.
Please pass this.
Cats around my house are out all night going up to dogs and causing them to bark.
We have to keep our dogs inside our yard unless on a lead. Why should a cat be any different.
Same rules for dogs and cats
Please pass this law. Neighbourhood cats regularly torment local dogs, defecate in ornamental & vegetable gardens causing potential health risks. Pee on my front door & spew up fir balls on my driveway!
In relation to the local cat laws, I believe cats should not be allowed to roam. The amount of damage and destruction they do to the local wildlife in the area is astronomical.
I walk daily and it is not uncommon to see up to 10 different cats on my walk at night, many of them not wearing collars.
Today I saw a cat take out a small native marsupial, at this rate we won't have any local wildlife.
I have security cameras out the front I have atleast 4 or 5 regular cats every night in my yard. Defecating in my yard. My dog eats it and becomes sick frequently.They set off my dog barking constantly day and night I have lived here 6 months and I am sick of it . Why do cats get to roam free making a mess of my property. I pay rates this is a joke !
We have trail cam footage of multiple cats looking for quenda on our block. It played like a horror movie; a shot of a quenda scurrying around, followed by a shot of the cats searching for them. Is it not enough to bulldoze their habitat? We allow everyone's predatory pets to hunt them down too.
I think the Council should look into helping owners with the cost of sterilising their cats. I have rescued 8 kittens last year and I have noticed a couple of very fat cats in my area which are females this year, so the problem continues. It is very hard to monitor a cat's behaviour and for the Rangers to enforce the laws
Why is this even a discussion? I can't believe the Wanneroo council thinks it's appropriate to just have zero laws regarding cats, an invasive species that's is responsible for nearly 1/3 of all reptile, mammal and bird extinctions since the 1600s.
You don't need to ask the community if it's appropriate to have a curfew, it's common sense and embarrassing you need help making the decision.
We are being harassed at night time-around 2 to 4am by cats jumping and sometimes fighting on our house roof. This is very upsetting, and it is difficult to get back to sleep. I am a dog owner, and I would get into trouble if I let my dog roam free at night, waking my neighbors and killing native birds and animals. I think cats should have a curfew during darkness hours.
I agree with the rest of these comments
I don’t hate cats, I don’t own any but I don’t hate them, cats should it be able to be let out to roam the neighbourhood our dogs aren’t so cats shouldn’t be able to either
Not only do they use peoples garden beds as litter boxes and wreck gardens but they are also a threat to people I’m not saying all cats but some cats attack so why are they allowed out we should have a blanket rule for all pets
Feral cats are using my patio furniture regularly and rendering them unusable due to cat hair and the smells they leave behind. I have to constantly clean outdoor furniture and spend money on cat deterrents and furniture protectors. Have to clear cat's mess from my garden every day. Veg patch had to be removed due to garden being contaminated by cat poo. I incurred huge costs financially, costs in time, and a complete loss of my backyard due to the irresponsibility and selfishness of cat owners. Something has to be done by council.
Cats should be required by law to be kept indoors or in a cat run on the owner’s property. I don’t hate cats but choose not to own one so I shouldn’t have any in my yard. Sick of them pooing in my garden beds, fighting and leaving chunks of hair on my lawn and trying to eat the fish out of my pond! And what about their impact on native wildlife?!
Cats are an invasive species and we just let them roam? Does nobody else thinks that is crazy?
It will be great when CoW mandate cats be restricted to their owners property. I'm sick and tired of having neighbouring cats terrorise my pets.
Please require cats be confined to their owners property. Cats allowed to roam intrude on other people's property where they may be destructive or unwanted. They also kill wildlife. Cats outdoors also are subject to being injured or killed themselves.
I would dearly love COW to consider mandating that cats be retained on the owner's private property at all times. The amount of damage that cats do to native fauna, along with annoyance to community members, is unconsciencable. Other councils around Australia have already taken this environmentally sound step. I feel the COW should follw suit.
Cat should not be out roaming the streets, we have a lot of cats in our streets roaming entering people's properties waking the dogs and in Turn waking the residents and small children. Pooing in our garden beds and yards, fighting in the streets, killing lots of local wildlife and cauing havoc, we have tried to speak to owners but they dont care, have rung the council and there is nothing they can do we have to go to the effort of hiring cages to catch them, then call ranger or take to the vet. We shouldnt have to do this, dogs are not allowed to roam so why are cats!
It needs to be better regulated.Neighboors cat it's eating the birds nesting in my backyard.
I understand this is up for review in 2024- I live in Newgain Crescent in Carramar and have had enough of cats roaming the street- wandering into our back yard and defecating in our gardens and kids' playground sandpit.
Cats should be contained to their own property like dogs do. The neighbours cats and feral cats fight, urinate and poo in our garden bed, spray marking their territory on our fence/door, and eat the native baby birds from our trees. They climb the backyard tree to get to the baby birds, leaving a trail of feathers and dead birds for our young children to find in the morning. It’s disgusting. Please help change the law for cats, not only for their safety but for the safety and peace of others.
I have various cats coming onto my property using it as their toilet, destroying garden beds and fighting amongst themselves. Dog owners are told off or fined for not picking up after their dogs or not containing them on their own property so why should cats have special rules that enable them to be a nuisance to others? If you own a cat, please have an outdoor cat run on your property or keep them indoors so they don’t become a nuisance to others. Please change the laws around cat ownership so cats and all other domesticated animals have the same rules.
I am a cat owner. You wouldn't let you dog, horse, snake, mouse, rabbit, Guinea pig or any other pet roam the streets at anytime of day so I don't see why cats need to either. Instead you should have a self contained outside area on your own property. Licensing, sterilisation and microchipping are all a must. Found outside your yard equals penalty fine. This will control feral cats in the local area.
I would like to see cat owners keep the cats in there own yard and out of mine by means of having a outside enclosure for there cats so can't kill any wildlife either
I have a cat that is kept indoors who is perfectly content. The argument that they need freedom to roam is nonsense, however multiple cats on my street are left to roam 24/7. They come onto my property, defecate/urinate in my garden beds and frequently fight, disturbing my dog and cat. It is common knowledge that cats are decimating local wildlife. They need to be contained, indoors or in a run. Suggest council should supply traps and rangers convey trapped cats to the shelter with a fee to collect. Self-sustaining business model and most are microchipped these days so quite easy to enforce.
I have 2 cats myself. I agree to have a cat curfew of a night. But during the day you can't leave your cats inside your house 24 7. They do need to go outside.
I do think it’s fair that cats should be kept in at night. Not only for their own welfare but out of respect for those who don’t want cats roaming on their property.
I don’t understand why the trap/neuter/release program isn’t utilized here, given it has been successfully used for years in other countries to reduce the cat population. Reducing the load on shelters, euthanizations and the psychological impact on workers and volunteers. Not to mention reducing the impact on wildlife.
I am allergic to cats and yet they defecate in my veggie patch, urinate on my property, have fights in the middle of the night, kill wildlife I work hard to attract, disturb my dogs and try to kill my pets. Keeping cats contained to the owners property should always have been law as it's basic responsible pet ownership.
Cats continually come into my yard, they sit watching the birds in the trees, use my garden as a litter box, and regularly have near misses with my dog. They are interfering with the "quiet enjoyment" of my home and should be kept on their own property, it isn't hard, and if owners find it too difficult then they shouldn't own a cat.
I agree all cats should be kept on the owners property just like dogs, they are devastating the local bushland and especially in hocking fighting loudly early hours of the morning
We rarely have cats visiting our gardens, the problem we have is irresponsible neighbours who have dogs that continually bark, and when approached about the problem in a polite and diplomatic manner have given us the cold shoulder and absolutely nothing was done. Barking dogs are a far bigger problem than cats running around. We have two indoor cats that never go out to roam. 🐱🐱
Definitely thinks cat laws need to be updated. Cat owners should not let their cats out at nights, they are destroying our wildlife. We get them around our property spraying up our doors etc & leaving horrible smell around the home, pooping in our garden beds etc...
Cats from house over road are out all day and night. They have continuously soiled in our front gardens. Right out side our front door, around our entrance path and every other garden. It is putrid , flies are thick on our front screen doors. I have asked them if they could keep them in at night but have made no attempt to do this. We have alot of bird life here and of course they destroy wild life.
I want the shire to impose bans on cats out at night. Please please impose bans. Thank you
I'm sick and tired of cat fights in the early hours of the morning, lady over the road has several cats that wonder around outside, shit in my gardens ,kill the wildlife and despite numerous attempts to ask her nicely to be a responsible cat owner ..her belief is that cats are meant to roam free...when one goes missing she goes and gets another replacement!!!!
We have to register dogs and manage them...same should apply with cats.
If dogs are restricted to their owners property at all times. I feel cats should have same rules applied.
Cats should be contained on the owners premises to stop them disturbing neighbours with their prowling at nigh. It also stops them attacking birds it they are in an enclosed run in the garden.
I believe cats should be contained in the owners premises. Our own cats have an outside run attached to the house ensuring they cannot attack native fauna and birds. They also cannot be poisoned by baits and disturb neighbours with their prowling at night.
Euthanasia has been suggested if a cat is trapped after curfew time. I disagree, particularly if cat is microchipped & sterilised. Perhaps a strike system, where, if caught at night, fines are imposed. Unsterilised males leave a strong scent, fight & disturb people at night, searching for female cats. MANY complain about this! ENFORCED sterilisation solves that particular problem. Phasing new laws in for those who have taken in rescues & strays. New pet owners should start off responsibly, with enclosure, curfew or fully indoors, especially for kittens.
I have cats continuously using my garden as their personal toilet. Something has to be done about the amount of cats roaming the streets in my area.
Cats should be kept in. My cat is never allowed out. People who let them out should not have one. They get hit by cars, poop wherever, even children’s sandpits. Spring is here and they spray and it’s obnoxious.
I have several neighbours with cats and have no issues with them being able to go outside or onto my property. A night time curfew would be responsible. I have never seen a cat catch or kill a native animal (apart from pigeons that are a nuisance and cause a lot more damage) and people walking and on dirt bikes cause more damage to the local flora and fauna!
Constant dogs barking and fowling the footpaths are more of a concern!
I have cats constantly marking my front door and my rendering near my door which has been stained from the cats, I would love for there to be a curfew.
Contact us directly
Use our Project Enquiry online form to contact us directly with any questions or comments.
Project contact
Name: Tony McTaggart, Coordinator Community Safety
Telephone: 9405 5000