Responsible Cat Ownership in Tasmania

Owning a cat can be a rewarding and fun relationship. However, owning a cat is a big responsibility and requires a person to be a responsible cat owner. As a cat owner you are responsible for:

providing the cat with adequate food, water and shelter
ensuring the cat does not negatively impact on Tasmania’s native wildlife
ensuring the cat does not become a nuisance to other people
complying with legislative requirements by ensuring your cat is desexed and microchipped before it reaches four months of age
ensuring the microchip register for your cat is up to date with your current address and contact number

The Cat Management Act 2009 (the Act) and Cat Management Regulations 2022 provide the control and management of cats through promoting responsible cat ownership, effective management of cats and reducing the negative effects of cats on the environment.

Under the Act:

A person wanting to breed a cat must be a registered breeder or hold a Cat Breeding Permit or valid registration issued by the Department prior to 1 March 2022.
Cats over the age of four months must be desexed and microchipped (exceptions apply).
Cats that are sold or given away must be at least eight weeks old, desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, had at least one treatment for internal worms and be free of external parasites.
A person is permitted to trap, seize and humanely destroy cats in certain circumstances.
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 typically healthier. They do not come into contact with cats carrying diseases, they do not get into fights with other cats or get hit by a car, which also means less vet expenses. A cat that is allowed to roam, also risks being trapped.

Owned cats should not be allowed to negatively impact on wildife. A cat that is allowed to roam will have a negative impact on Tasmania's native wildlife. Cats are opportunistic hunters, they will hunt when the opportunity arrises, not because they are hungry.

Cats that are kept indoors, or in a specially designed cat enclosure, won’t be provided with the opportunity to prey on our wildlife.

Cat that are kept in enclosures, or indoors, can easily be entertained by enriching their environment to ensure they get enough exercise and have the opportunity to express their natural hunting instincts by the additon of moving lights or toys.

If you believe your cats does not roam, kill wildlife or could be 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
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
The Cat Management Act 2009 requires anyone wishing to breed a cat in Tasmania, must be a registered breeder or hold a Cat Breeding Permit.
Cat Breeding Permits
Under the Cat Management Act 2009, 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.
Tasmanian Cat Management Plan
The Tasmanian Cat Management Plan represents the first comprehensive and collaborative approach to managing cats in Tasmania. The Plan recognises that cat management is a shared responsibility across all levels of government, business and the community and includes actions under seven objectives.