From July 1, 2024 cats are required to be securely confined to the owner’s property at all times.
Keeping your cat contained to your property will help:
- Cat health, safety and longevity - less accidents with cars, cat fights, picking up diseases or pests, or getting lost
- Better neighbourhood relations - less spraying and howling, causing dogs to bark, fighting with other cats, and defecating in gardens
- Protect wildlife - cats will instinctively hunt and kill wildlife, even if they are not hungry
- Compliance with the Council order and laws preventing cats from trespassing onto private property
Roaming cats that are caught will be returned to their owners where possible. If we are unable to contact the owners the cat will be taken to the Bendigo Animal Relief Centre (BARC) until their owner collects them.
The cost of a roaming cat
If your cat is held at the Bendigo Animal Relief Centre (BARC), you must pay its boarding costs. An unregistered cat must not be released until it has first been registered with Council. You may be fined for your cat roaming away from your property or being unregistered.
Removing nuisance cats
If you have a cat nuisance problem you can borrow a cat cage from Council to catch trespassing cats. Once the cat has been trapped it must be returned to the owner or be delivered to the Bendigo Animal Relief Centre (BARC) within 12 hours of being trapped.
Animal Management Services will pick up the cat during normal business hours Monday - Friday.
To apply to borrow a cage please contact Animal Management Services during business hours on 1300 002 642
Can my cat still go outside?
Cats can still go outside, as long as they remain on your property. Cat enclosures and cat-proof fencing are some ways to stop a cat from wandering outside your property.
Cats can leave your property in a cat carrier on a leash or in a cat pram - as long as you have effective control of them in a securely fitted harness.
Building permits for cat enclosures
In most cases, a building permit is not required to construct a cat enclosure. This includes:
- Portable cat enclosures and portable cat runs
- Lightweight cat enclosures constructed of steel mesh material
- Freestanding cat enclosures in the backyard that are less than 10m2 in floor area, and less than 3m in height. If the enclosure is within 1m of a boundary, it must be less than 2.4m in height
You may need a building permit if you want to build a cat enclosure that is attached to your home. This includes permanent attached roofed structures, like a patio or verandah.
Before you build any attached permanent structure, we recommend contacting us to see if a building permit is required.
