Cats

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, 0.35 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, 0.3 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.