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Responsible Cat Ownership in Tasmania

Owning a cat brings joy to many Tasmanians. As a cat owner you are not only responsible for providing it with food and water, you are also responsible to ensure the cat does not impact on Tasmania’s native wildlife or become a nuisance to others and complying with local requirements.

The Tasmanian Government promotes responsible cat ownership and the Cat Management Act 2009 and the Cat Management Regulations 2022 provide support for the community in managing the health, welfare and impacts of cats.

Under the Act:

Only registered breeders or a person holding a cat breeding permit are permitted to breed cats.
Cats over the age of four months must be desexed and microchipped(exceptions apply).
Cats that are sold or given away must be more than eight weeks old, desexed, microchipped and have passed a health check.
The Act also permits the trapping, seizing and humane destruction of cats in certain circumstances, and gives landowners and managers the statutory power to control 'roaming and nuisance' cats found on their land.
A limit has been prescribed for the number of cats over the age of four months that can be kept on an individual property.

Keep your cat from roaming

Pets should stay at home. Cats that are prevented from roaming are protected from being hit by cars, from being injured or catching disease from interaction with other cats and from being trapped.

Cats kept indoors or in a specially designed cat enclosure won’t prey on wildlife. Cat enclosures can provide cats with access to your house and to an enclosed outdoor area. It is easy to enrich their environment to ensure they get enough exercise and don’t get bored.

As a responsible owner of a cat, it is important that you ensure your cat is not causing a nuisance with neighbours or Tasmania’s native wildlife.

'But my cat doesn't roam, kill wildlife and isn't a nuisance to my neighbours.'

You might be surprised! Learn about the adventures of ‘Tic-Tac’, a local cat tracked in Kingborough Council’s Cat Tracker Project.

The TassieCat website also has a range of resources to assist owners to manage their cat responsibly.

In this Topic

Desexing and Microchipping
From 1 March 2022 the Cat Management Act 2009 requires all cats over the age of four months to be microchipped and desexed, unless a vet certifies that it may adversely affect the health and welfare of the cat.
Multiple Cat Permits
A Multiple Cat Permit is required for people with more than four cats.
Breeding, Selling & Buying Cats
From 1 March 2022, anyone wishing to breed a cat must be a registered breeder or hold a Cat Breeding Permit.
Cat Breeding Permits
From 1 March 2022, if you are breeding or intending to breed a cat in Tasmania, and you are not a registered breeder, you will need to apply for a Cat Breeding Permit.
Cat Management Facilities
The Cat Management Act establishes cat management facilities as a key community resource to manage unwanted and stray cats.
Roaming and Nuisance Cats
As pets, cats are wonderful companion animals and have a range of health benefits for their owners, but if not managed well, cats can also be a nuisance in our community and have serious impacts on our agriculture and wildlife.