Responsible cat care
Cats need food, shelter, bedding and much more to ensure they live a long and happy life.
There are minimum standards of day-to-day care you must provide for your furry friend.
Cat registration
Registering your cat and keeping your registration details up to date will help keep your cat safe. We can use the pet identification tag and microchip information to identify and return your cat if it gets lost.
Cats over 3 months of age must be microchipped and registered with Council. Registering your cat is the best way to avoid a fine. Pet registration is a state government rule under the Domestic Animal Act 1994.
If your pet is unregistered and gets lost, we will take it to Council’s pound Animal Aid in Coldstream. If your cat can be identified, Animal Aid will attempt to contact you.
Find out more about registering your cat.
Random door knocks
Council conducts random door knocks throughout Knox to check for unregistered animals.
You may be fined if unregistered dogs and cats are found.
You need a permit to have more than two cats or two dogs on one property.
Learn more about animal permits.
Free microchipping
All pet owners must microchip their cat. Animal Aid provides free microchipping for up to 2 cats or kittens to Knox residents.
Cat containment
From 10 April 2022, cat owners need to keep their cats on their property at all times.
This change is designed to:
- keep cats safe
- protect wildlife
- reduce nuisance to neighbours.
Cats are at a much higher risk of illness and injury if allowed to roam. They can live up to 4 times longer if kept on your property.
Cats can live their best lives at home when they have a comfortable environment. This could be in your home, yard or in an enclosure.
Council endorsed a cat curfew in the 2017-2021 Domestic Animal Management Plan.
A fine may apply for not keeping your cat on your property. A first offence fine is $91, based on penalty unit rates set by the Victorian Government. Cat containment is the best way to avoid these fines.
Can my cat still go outside?
Cats can still go outside, as long as it remains 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, e.g. when taken to the vet or pet boarding facilities. You can also walk your cat outside if it is on a leash.
Resources to prepare for cat containment
It is important to look at ways to engage and enrich your animal to ensure it can adapt to its new living arrangements, for example, interactive toys.
The RSPCA and Zoos Victoria have developed a range of tools to help cat owners give their cats happy and enriched lives at home.
Expert advice to help your cat thrive at home
Other helpful resources
- Cat proof fencing
- Freestanding cat enclosures
- Building a cat enclosure attached to the house or shed
- Your cat's welfare needs
- RSPCA Guide to Safe and Happy Cats
- RSPCA video on helping cats thrive at home
- Enrichment ideas for your cat
Building permits for cat enclosures
In most cases, you do not need a building permit to build and construct a cat enclosure. This includes:
- Portable cat enclosures and portable cat runs
- Lightweight cat enclosures constructed of steel mesh material
- Freestanding cat enclosures located in the backyard less than 10m2 in floor area, and less than 2.4m in height
But 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 you contact us online or by calling 9298 8000 to see if a building permit is required.
Dealing with wandering cats
Cats are not allowed to trespass on other people's property. If you find a cat wandering on your property, we recommend:
- discussing the matter with the cat owner. The owner may not be aware that their cat is wandering.
- printing out and dropping a notification letter in the cat owner’s letterbox to let them know their cat is entering your property.
Find out more about dealing with nuisance cats.
Compulsory cat desexing
We introduced compulsory desexing of cats in April 2011 to help manage unwanted cats in our community.
This only applies to newly registered cats, not those already registered.
Desexing vouchers for concession card holders
If you have a concession card, you may be eligible for a desexing voucher worth up to $400. This Victorian Government grant supports disadvantaged and vulnerable community members.
Each property can receive a maximum of two vouchers, and availability is limited.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a voucher you must:
- be the owner of the cat
- be a valid concession card holder that lists an address in Knox, and the animal's address must match the details listed on your concession card
- not have more that two cat or dogs at your address.
You must also submit evidence of at least one of the following concession cards:
- Centrelink Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card - Department of Human Services or Centrelink
- Pensioner Concession Card - Department of Veterans' Affairs
- DVA Gold Repatriation Health Card – TPI
- DVA Gold Repatriation Health Card - War Widow.
How to apply
- Ask your preferred vet clinic if they are participating in the desexing voucher program
- Complete the online application form:
Apply for a voucher - Council will assess your application within 10 business days
- If eligible, Council will email you a voucher
- Contact your vet clinic to make a desexing appointment
- Take the desexing voucher and current vaccination certificate to the vet clinic
- After the procedure, the vet will reduce up to $400 off the cost of desexing your cat
- Council will reimburse the vet clinic directly - not pet owners.
Desexing voucher cat registration
If you have received a desexing voucher, you may also be eligible to receive your first pet registration period for free.
Once your cat has been desexed you can register your cat online and select the 'De-sexing voucher Scheme' option. Your desexing voucher and desexing certificate are both required to register for free as part of the desexing scheme.
You can register your cat online.
Information for vet clinics
Vet clinics can seek reimbursement from Council within 30 days of the desexing procedure by providing:
- Council voucher provided by the pet owner, and
- Tax invoice including:
- customer and animal details
- voucher number (must match the Council voucher)
- details of the procedure performed
- total cost of the procedure
- amount paid by the customer
- outstanding amount payable by Council
- payment details.
Please email these documents to [email protected], with the subject line 'Attention Community Laws'.
Need help?
Contact us and we will get back to you.
Or call our Community Laws department on 9298 8000.