Cats

Registration is not just for dogs.

The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters does not apply a fee for registering a pet cat. However you must record your contact details and your cat’s microchip details at Dogs and Cats Online

You can access Dogs and Cats Online anytime to register your cat’s microchip number, change your contact information or list your cat as lost.

Keeping your information up to date is especially important if your cat goes missing because microchips offer the best form of identification and will help you quickly reunite with your cat.

As with dogs, your cats microchip can be scanned to help identify you as the owner should your cat become lost at any stage.

The introduction of new laws from 1 July 2018 includes the compulsory microchipping of all dogs and cats, irrespective of their date of birth.

Cats in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters do not need to be registered and as such no fee is charged, however new state laws require microchipping details to be recorded in the state-wide register Dogs and Cats Online.

Please note, the steps to record microchipping details in Dogs and Cats Online are similar to registering a dog.

The introduction of new laws from 1 July 2018 includes the compulsory desexing of all dogs and cats born after 1 July 2018, by a registered veterinary surgeon.

Desexing must take place:

• before the pet is six months of age
• within 28 days after the owner takes possession
• if the owner is granted an extension of time, before the day specified.

Exemptions:

• dogs and cats born before the 1 July 2018
• dogs defined as a “Working Livestock Dog”
• dogs belonging to Dogs SA members
• cats belonging to FASA or Cat Fancy of SA members
• Greyhounds currently registered to Greyhound Racing SA (retired greyhounds are not exempt)
• board exemption.

Vets may also grant you a desexing exemption based on it posing an undue risk to the health of the dog or cat, or adversely affecting its growth, development or wellbeing.

For more information on desexing, visit the Dog and Cat Board.

Cats Assistance To Sterilise (C.A.T.S.)

The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters provides Cats Assistance To Sterilise (C.A.T.S.) with an annual grant to assist in the provision of desexing services.

C.A.T.S. is a community organisation which helps residents with free cat desexing. C.A.T.S. also provides advice on cat management issues and can refer residents to local veterinarians who participate in its low cost desexing scheme. 

The Council has worked with C.A.T.S. for many years to resolve cat-related problems in our Council area. This has been a successful partnership with many cat issues being dealt with in an effective and humane manner. Thousands of cats have been desexed through this work. 

It is important that as many cats as possible are desexed to prevent unwanted breeding and unsustainable cat numbers.

You can contact C.A.T.S. by telephone on 08 8331 0476 or via their website: Cats Assistance To Sterilise (C.A.T.S.)

Cats can be very efficient hunters of birds and other small wildlife and if not confined to their property may also be the source of frustration to neighbours.

Cats wandering into neighbouring properties can cause issues such as fighting with other cats or killing wildlife.
 
Whilst it is more difficult to confine a cat than a dog, there are a number of products and measures that a cat owner can take to properly confine their cat (such as cat runs or enclosures, or simply keeping the cat inside).

Stray or feral cat entering your property

What is the difference between a stray and a feral cat?:

• stray cats have at some stage been a pet. These cats are more likely to be handled and are generally more likely to seek human interaction. Stray cats may currently be pet cats that are just wandering from their property or for some reason have been separated from their family (they may have been lost or abandoned) and are now having to fend for themselves.
• feral cats are cats that have never been domesticated and have always had to fend for themselves, normally by killing wildlife and scavenging for food. True feral cats are wild animals and will normally not want any interaction with humans.

If you believe that a cat has taken up residence on your property, the Council recommends that you do the following:

• speak to your neighbours to determine if the cat belongs to someone
• if you cannot identify where the cat is from then you may wish to catch the cat in a humane cat trap/cage for the purpose of taking the cat (within 12 hours of capture) to either the RSPCA, the Animal Welfare League or a veterinary clinic.

Please note:

It is important to remember that it is illegal to trap an identified cat.

If you trap a cat that either has identification or you know who owns the cat, then you must release the cat immediately.

If you have lost your cat you can contact the following organisations for assistance, visit:

• RSPCA Adelaide
• Animal Welfare League 
• your local veterinarian.

The Council sincerely hopes you and your pet are reunited as soon as possible.