Wodonga Council

Cat

Cats provide entertainment and companionship to many people of all ages and backgrounds in our community.

In return, you need to be a responsible owner starting with choosing a pet that is right for you - consider the yard space, the time you’ll have to spend with your cat, and other family members.

Also consider:

The costs involved such as veterinarian fees, food, immunisation and council registration costs;
Exercising your pet daily;
Providing a healthy balanced diet; and
Having your cat sterilised if it is not intended for breeding/showing.

Wodonga Council helps owners to understand animal behaviour to protect and enjoy their animal, and ensure it does not disturb the community or local environment.

All domestic cats over three months of age must be registered each year with us. We conduct a doorknock each year to ensure all cats over three months of age are registered. Microchipping is compulsory for all animals under the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

What are my responsibilities to the community as a pet owner?

Cat owners can be fined or prosecuted for offences if your cat is:

A nuisance, or you fail to comply with a court notice ordering you to stop the cat being a nuisance;
Is wandering on to private property without the owner's permission on more than one occasion, and a warning has been issued by us, an infringement notice may be issued; or
Unregistered.

You may also be fined if you:

Allow any part of the animal's excrement to remain on any road, street, nature strip, reserve, and public or council land; and
Fail to take responsibility for any damage your cat may cause.

Infringements

If you have received an infringement and would like it to be reviewed, complete an application for review.

Infringements can include (and are not limited to):

Cat at large in restricted hours (from 7pm to 7am); and,
Failure to apply to register cat.

You can apply to review your infringement, find out more here.

Cat curfew

Cats must be confined to their owner's property between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week.

You may be fined if your cat breaks the cat curfew.

Roaming cats

Cats must be confined to the owner’s property between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week.

Should you wish to make a request for the council's rangers to investigate cats roaming from their property, contact the council on (02) 6022 9300 with the location, address, breed and colour (if known) of the roaming cat/s.

PLEASE NOTE: Sometimes issues of roaming cats can be resolved by speaking to the cat owner first, without the need to involve the council.

Wodonga Council has developed a friendly letter to raise the issue of the nuisance cat with your neighbour.

Cat enclosures

Cat proofing your fence provides your cat with secure access to your entire yard.

Before you start with fence alterations, observe where and how your cat gets out of your yard.

This may expose escape points that you were not previously aware. Larger tree trunks may need to be banded with Colorbond steel or polycarbonate.

Ensure you seal gaps under the fence , including gates. To prevent cats from scaling your fence, you can attach lengths of two inch PVC piping along the top of the fence.

Frequently asked questions

What is the council’s cat curfew?

Cats must be confined to their owner’s property between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week.

What can I do about a roaming cat in my neighbourhood?

If you know the owner of the cat, we encourage you to speak to the owner of the animal before contacting the council. We have developed a friendly letter to raise the issue with your neighbour here.

If you are unsure of who owns the cat and would like to make a request to the council’s rangers to investigate, please contact us on (02) 6022 9300 with the location, address, breed and colour (if known) of the roaming cat.