New cat regulations are in force in Whittlesea from today.
Under the new regulations, all cats must be confined to their owner’s property or under effective control when outside, and newly registered cats will need to be desexed, from August 1.
Council’s chair administrator Lydia Wilson said unconfined cats can be problematic for neighbours and local wildlife.
“Last year council received more than 1000 complaints relating to cats. During consultation with the community, we heard from approximately 1800 people, with more than 80 per cent supporting some form of cat confinement,” Ms Wilson said.
“We understand that cat confinement will not provide an immediate solution to cat nuisance issues, however it will make it easier for both residents and Council to address issues more swiftly.”
The new regulations do not mean that cats need to be kept solely indoors but require cat owners, to keep their cats contained to their property or under effective control whilst outside their property, such as in a cat carrier or backpack, cat pram, or on a leash; these are the same rules that apply for dogs, council said.
“Over the past 12 months, Council has developed videos, run workshops, held community pop-up stalls, and contacted all cat owners to help them prepare for the changes,” Ms Wilson said.
Council said educating cat owners will be its priority and fines will only be issued as a last resort.
Details: www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/cats
