Owned (pet cats)
Cats that are cared for by a specific person and are directly dependent on humans.
Responsible pet ownership is important to protect pets, the community and the environment. This includes desexing your pet and making sure they aren’t roaming the streets.
We have almost 4000 registered cats in the City of Melbourne. 97 per cent are desexed and 74 per cent of cats live in apartments.
Last year we impounded 410 cats and only 46 of these were reclaimed by owners. Many impounded cats do not have owners. Cat overpopulation and overcrowding in pounds and shelters is an issue across Victoria.
Cats that are not desexed breed very quickly. Cats can start breeding from four months of age and can have up to three litters a year.
There are different categories of cat ownership:
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Semi-owned
Cats that are fed or cared for by people who do not consider themselves owners. They socialise with people and may be known to one or more households. This may be a cat that visits your property that you feed but wouldn’t say you own.
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Unowned
Cats that are indirectly dependent on humans. Some may have casual or temporary human interaction. They may not get along with humans and may live in groups where they scavenge for food, such as in industrial areas.
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Feral
Cats that are unowned, unsocialised, have no relationship with or dependence on humans, and reproduce in the wild.
Current state
We had 103 reports of cats roaming or causing nuisance to people last year. Most of the reports related to semi-owned or unowned cats. Most reports were in North Melbourne, Kensington and West Melbourne, where we know there are many groups of unowned and semi-owned cats.
Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, Council does not allow cats to wander onto private property. If cats trespass on private property, we can take action – such as fining the owner and impounding the cat.
If we introduced a cat curfew, cats would not be allowed to roam on public land such as streets and parks as well. A penalty would be introduced for breaches.
Mandatory desexing would mean that all cats and kittens would need to be desexed before they can be registered with the City of Melbourne. Cats would have to be desexed before we can register or renew their registration.
We will not register or renew the registration of a cat that is not desexed. Cats already registered in the City of Melbourne would not need to be desexed.
What would mandatory cat containment look like?
Cat containment, sometimes called a cat curfew, is a specified time when cats are not allowed outside of their owner's property boundary. This means they can be on your balcony or in your backyard but can’t go any further.
Of the 79 councils in Victoria, over half have already introduced a cat curfew. Another 16 councils are considering introducing one.
