Cats
As a responsible cat owner you have an obligation to care for the health and wellbeing of your animal. Cats can provide great joy and companionship but come with responsibility. You have a duty to ensure your cat's activities do not interfere with your neighbours or the environment.
Responsible cat owners:
- Desex their cat
- Provide their cat with sufficient food and water
- Play with their cat daily
- Provide toys and a scratching post
- Keep their cat contained to their own property - even at night
Responsible cat owners have a legal requirement to:
- Register their cat
- Microchip their cat
Subsidised desexing
Animal Welfare Cairns provides subsidised pet desexing vouchers for eligible pension and concession card holders.
If you are struggling to afford to desex your cat, contact AWC on 4051 4862 to discuss your options.
In Cairns you can automatically have 2 cats no matter what size your property is, including units and apartments.
If you are renting, you may need your landlord's permission to have pets, while those living in units or apartments may need Body Corporate approval.
More pets
If you wish to keep more cats than automatically allowed you need to apply to Council for an excess permit ( PDF, 0.24 MB ).
We considered excess permits on a case-by-case basis.
A Council officer will discuss your application with you and will inspect your property to establish suitability. There is a $284 application fee for requesting excess pets.
All cats must be registered with Council by the age of 12 weeks, and microchipped.
Cat registration is free and for the life of your pet (it doesn't have to be renewed each year).
Council does not issue rego tags for cats.
You can:
- register your cat online
- Download the cat registration form ( PDF, 0.24 MB ) and take the completed form to any of Council's Customer Service Centres.
In the first instance, we encourage neighbours to discuss and attempt to resolve neighbourhood conflicts, including wandering pets. It is common that owners are unaware of the nuisance their animal/s are causing.
If you are not comfortable talking to your neighbour or you don't know where the animal lives, contact Council on 1300 69 22 47. We can potentially:
- Capture and impound the cat incurring impound fees
- Issue fines
- Issue a compliance notice to the owner to contain the animal secure
You can report a wandering animal online, by phone on 1300 69 22 47 or in person at Council's Customer Service Centres.
Cat traps
You can borrow a cat trap from Council so you can catch cats that may wander onto your property. You can borrow a cat trap for 14 days.
If you catch a cat in one of our traps, let us know and we will impound the animal and attempt to find the owner.
To organise a cat trap, contact Council on 1300 69 22 47.
Cat owners are legally required to keep their cats on their property at all times - including at night.
Cats that are kept at home will live longer, on average 12 years, compared to cats that are allowed to roam, which have a life expectancy of just 4 years.
Cats that are allowed to roam can:
- Pick up illnesses such as feline AIDS, parasites and ticks
- Be killed or injured by other animals
- Be hit by cars
- Kill or injure native wildlife
- Become feral
- Be more likely to have unwanted litters
There are many options available to keep your cat contained to your property:
- Contain your cat inside your home - most cats adjust quickly and are content to stay indoors. Remember to provide your cat with its own dedicated area, toys and climbing equipment.
- Modify existing fencing to make it 'cat proof' – give your cat access to the whole yard and know that it is safely contained to your property.
- Build an enclosure attached to your house – this will allow your cat to come in and out.
- A free standing enclosure – tailor make your enclosure to suit the needs of your cat.
Council has created step-by-step instructions for building your own cat enclosure, which you can find on this webpage.
Cat owners need to ensure their cat stays on their property at all times.
Cats that are kept at home will live longer, on average 12 years, compared to cats that are allowed to roam, which have a life expectancy of just 4 years.
Cats that are allowed to roam can:
- Pick up illnesses such as feline AIDS, parasites and ticks
- Be killed or injured by other animals
- Be hit by cars
- Kill or injure native wildlife
- Become feral
- Be more likely to have unwanted litters
There are many commercial products available for cat owners wanting to keep their cat at home, from fence paddles to cat runs and enclosures. Most pet stores can assist, or look online.
If you, or someone you know, is handy, building your own enclosure may be a cheaper option.
Our How to Build Cat Proof Fencing and Cat Enclosures booklet provides step-by-step instructions for building cat proof fencing and cat enclosures, as well as providing advice on how to enrich your cat's life so they are content staying at home.
You can download the full booklet, or specific factsheets below.
Council would like to thank the Victorian Department of Primary Industry (now the Department of Agriculture) for allowing us to reproduce this booklet.
The animals below are currently at the pound. If you believe one of these animals is your pet, click the "This could be my pet" button for instructions on how to claim your pet.
If your pet's not listed below
Many members of the public will take care of a pet they find wandering while looking for the owner. If your pet isn't listed below you can try:
- Lost and found pet pages on Facebook
- Ringing nearby vets
- Contacting shelters (RSPCA, YAPS)
Please note, Council does not adopt pets from our pound. If you are looking for a new furry family member get in touch with one of the rehoming organisations that work in our region.
Pets at the Pound
ID | 1308394 |
Date impounded | 13/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 08:30 am |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308394 | 13/04/2024 | 08:30 am |
ID | 1308398 |
Date impounded | 15/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 11:25 am |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308398 | 15/04/2024 | 11:25 am |
ID | 1308400 |
Date impounded | 15/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 01:15 pm |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308400 | 15/04/2024 | 01:15 pm |
ID | 1308409 |
Date impounded | 16/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 12:20 pm |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308409 | 16/04/2024 | 12:20 pm |
ID | 1308420 |
Date impounded | 17/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 01:00 pm |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308420 | 17/04/2024 | 01:00 pm |
ID | 1308424 |
Date impounded | 17/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 04:00 pm |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308424 | 17/04/2024 | 04:00 pm |
ID | 1308430 |
Date impounded | 19/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 05:38 pm |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308430 | 19/04/2024 | 05:38 pm |
ID | 1308433 |
Date impounded | 20/04/2024 |
Time impounded | 12:56 pm |
ID | Date impounded | Time impounded |
---|---|---|
1308433 | 20/04/2024 | 12:56 pm |
Last Updated: 25 March 2024
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