Cat ownership and complaints

Responsible cat ownership

Council requires all pet owners to comply with local laws to ensure a safe, happy and healthy environment for pets and the community. As a responsible pet owner, you are obligated to ensure your pet does not cause a nuisance to other people or the environment.

Many cat owners are not aware they are legally responsible for everything their cat does, especially when it is outside their property. All domestic animals, including cats, must be kept on their own property and prevented from wandering or escaping, per Council’s Local Law.

Register and microchip your cat

If you own a cat, it must be registered with Council and wear an identification tag. You may be fined if you do not register your cat. Learn more about animal registration.

All cats and dogs born after 1 July 2009 must be microchipped per the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008. The City of Moreton Bay Animal Pound provides subsidised microchipping.

Desex your cat

Desexing your cat will not only help reduce the unwanted pet population, but also reduce your registration fee and helps keep your cat safe. Desexed cats can live happier, healthier lives and are less likely to get diseases. Desexing can reduce behaviour problems, such as aggression and spraying.

Keep your cat safe

Contrary to popular belief, cats don't need to roam. Providing their basic needs are met, cats can enjoy longer and healthier lives when confined inside or in an enclosure. Cats that roam from their property are at risk of being run over, attacked by other cats or dogs, or going missing.

If your cat is missing or has escaped its enclosure, contact the Pound on (07) 3480 6450.

If your cat is found wandering from your property or is impounded, you may receive a Council fine and be required to pay an impound release fee.

Cat complaints

Feral Cats

Feral cats (Felis catus) have never been domesticated - they are truly wild animals. These cats will have nothing to do with humans and have no reliance on humans for food or shelter. They live in the wild, killing wildlife and scavenging for food.

Feral cats can carry infectious diseases which can be transmitted to native animals, domestic livestock and humans. They are a serious threat to the survival of endangered native animal species.

Due to the significant impact they have on the environment, feral cats are classified as a restricted invasive species. It is the responsibility of landholders to control restricted invasive animals on their property.

Stray cats

Stray cats are usually cats that were once domestic pets, but have become lost or been abandoned, and have had to learn to fend for themselves.

Nuisance cats

If you are experiencing problems with domestic or stray cats on your property you should contact a licensed pest control operator or alternatively refer to Council's cat trap hire service. 

Cat trap hire

Cat traps are available at no charge for residents experiencing problems with wandering or nuisance cats on private property. The hire period is up to 14 days. Wait times will vary depending on demand.

Hire a cat trap

Terms and conditions of hire

• The hirer is obliged to accept responsibility for the welfare of the cat/s whilst in their possession or during transport to the Dakabin Animal Pound and Animal Management Centre.
• Cat/s must to be treated humanely and not ill-treated.
• The trap must be:
  • placed in a shaded sheltered area and food and water provided
  • covered to keep the cat calm
  • placed in an area where other animals, particularly dogs, cannot access the trap.
• Council does not pick up captured cats. They must be taken to the Dakabin Animal Pound and Animal Management Centre within 24 hours of being captured.
• Hirer's must return cat traps to the Dakabin Animal Pound and Animal Management Centre by the end of the 14 day hire period, the date of which is identified on the loan agreement.
• Cat traps must be returned properly cleaned, free of fur, mud and dirt, with the trigger plate free from soiling. 
• Council does not collect traps.

Cat traps not returned

If the trap is not returned in an acceptable condition by the end of the 14 day hire period, the hirer will be charged for the full replacement cost of the trap.