Breeding Cats FAQs
What is the difference between a registered breeder and a person with a Cat Breeding Permit?
A registered breeder is a person who is a member of an
Approved Cat Organisation.
A
Cat Breeding Permit may be provided by the NRE Tas Secretary or the General Manager of your municipal council to permit a person who is not a member of a cat organisaiton to breed a cat under certain conditions. The
Permit will be conditional, time-limited, and is issued per cat,
not per person.
I only want to breed one litter. Do I need to become a registered breeder?
Under the Cat Management Act 2009 to breed even one litter of kittens you will either need to become a
Registered Breeder or hold a
Cat Breeding Permit.
I want to breed my cat, which is not a pedigree, and I can’t join a cat organisation. What do I have to do?
An application should be made to the Secretary of NRE Tas or your municipal council General Manager (if they issue cat breeding permits) for a
Cat Breeding Permit. If issued, a Permit will be
conditional depending on the circumstances, and may be valid between 6 months and 2 years.
How long before I wish to breed my cat should I apply for a Cat Breeding Permit?
As soon as you decide that you would like to start breeding cats, you should either become a
member of a cat organisation or submit your application for a
Cat Breeding Permit. You will need to be a registered breeder or hold a Cat Breeding Permit to be exempt from the requirement to have a cat desexed or to buy an 'entire' (non-desexed) cat.
Is it only the owner of the female cat that needs to be registered as a cat breeder?
No. Under the
Cat Management Act 2009 a person is considered a cat breeder if the person allows:
Selling Cats FAQs
A person holding a permit to breed a cat is advertising 9-week old kittens for sale, which are not microchipped or desexed. Are they in breach of the Act?
Possibly. A person must not sell a cat that is not microchipped or desexed.Exceptions to desexing includes the purchaser being a registered breeder, or a vet has certified that
desexing or microchipping the cat could affect the health of the cat. The minimum age that a kitten may be sold is 8 weeks and must meet the prescribed health checks under section 22 of the Cat Management Regulations 2022.
A person does not have to be a registered breeder or hold a cat breeding permit to sell a cat or kitten. Anyone selling a cat or kitten must comply with the Cat Management Act 2009 and Cat Management Regulations 2022.
Is it okay to advertise kittens to give away on social media or the internet (e.g. Facebook or Gumtree)?
A person can advertise cats or kittens to
give away. However, the kittens/cats must be at least 8 weeks of age, desexed, microchipped, treated for internal worms, free from external parasites and vaccinated before ownership can be transferred to another person (for further details see section 22 of the Cat Management Regulations 2022).
Buying Cats FAQs
Who are the best people/groups to buy/adopt a cat or kitten from?
When buying a cat or kitten, you want to find the cat that best suits your lifestyle. Regardless of where you get your next feline family member, make sure the cat/kitten is desexed, microchipped, at least 8 weeks of age, and has been vaccinated, had at least one treatment for internal worms and free from external parasites. Ensure you get all the paperwork associated with the cat at the time of taking ownership of the cat.
If a cat/kitten you are looking at appears to be unwell in anyway, do not buy/take the cat.
My neighbour has some kittens she is giving away. Should I take one?
All cats/kittens sold (which includes giving away) must be at least 8 weeks of age, desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, have had at least one treatment for internal worms and be free from external parasites.
If a cat/kitten does not meet the above requirements, do not take possession of the cat/kitten.
Should I buy a cat/kitten that is not microchipped or desexed?
No. Under the Cat Management Act 2009, a person is not premitted to sell or give away a cat that is not microchipped and desexed, unless there is a letter from a veterinary surgeon stating that microchipping and/or desexing will impact the cat’s health and welfare, or you are a registered breeder and can purchase an entire (undesexed) cat, but it will still need to be microchipped.
For further information: