All About Cats

Confine your cat Tag your cat DIY cat enclosures and fencing Microchipping Registration Pet shops Shelters and pounds Desexing Who’s for cats?

Benefits of cat ownership

Cats make great pets!

They are quiet, clean and they don’t need a lot of space or exercise.

Compared to dogs, cats cope better with being left alone when owners are at work.

Cats provide excellent company. They can be playful and affectionate, yet can still be very independent.

Cat ownership also teaches children responsibility, and helps them develop their social and nurturing skills.

Legal responsibilities

The law aims to protect animals from neglect and cruelty, and to protect the community from animals becoming a nuisance or danger.

If you don’t comply with legal requirements, such as microchipping and registration, you can be fined.

Note that there can be additional legal requirements depending on where you live. Check with your council to see if they have any local laws. For example, they may require cats to be desexed, or to be kept on their owner’s property during certain hours.

Under animal cruelty legislation, if you mistreat or fail to properly care for your cat you can be prosecuted and face fines, jail or a ban on owning an animal.

Microchipping and registration

All cats three months of age and over must be registered with the local council.

Existing registrations must be renewed by 10 April each year.

If being registered for the first time, cats must be microchipped prior to registration.

Permits are required when there are more than a certain number of dogs or cats kept in a household. This number is set by your local council, so you need to check with them what the limit is.

If your cat is found wandering off your property and is not identified, he/she can be seized and impounded. You may have to pay a fine when reclaiming your cat from the pound.

Your cat’s council registration tag should be attached to an elasticised collar or safety collar that breaks away if he/she gets caught on something. The collar should be firmly fitted - you should be able to fit two fingers comfortably between your cat’s collar and its neck. It is a good idea to place a bell on the collar too, to alert any animal that your cat may try to stalk and catch.

Microchipping and registering pets greatly improves their chances of being returned to you if they become lost.

If you move house, make sure you update your details with your local council, and also with the microchip registry (you have to contact both organisations separately).

Registration fees also provide a range of other important services. These services include animal control and community education about responsible pet ownership and dog bite prevention.

See links above for more information.

Health care

You must:

• Feed your cat an appropriate balanced diet to maintain him/her in good condition. Either too little or too much food, or the wrong type of food can cause health problems for your cat. Don’t feed dog food or a purely vegetarian diet to cats as this will not supply all the necessary nutrition for cats.
• Supply clean cool water at all times in a container that cannot be tipped over.
• Provide a comfortable dry sleeping area, including shade during the day.
• Protect your cat’s health. This includes regular vaccinations, worming (including heartworm), flea and tick control, and veterinary treatment for injuries or illness.
• Give your cat plenty of company and time with the family.
• Ensure your cat is adequately cared for when you are on holidays.

See links above for more information.

Desexing

If you aren’t going to breed from your cat, have him/her desexed.

Thousands of healthy cats are euthanased (put to sleep) each year in Victoria. This is because not enough homes can be found for them – we have an ‘over supply’ of cats. Many cats are bred by accident, because owners don’t get around to desexing them.

You are less likely to forget to desex your cat if you have it done as soon as the cat is purchased or obtained.

In general, cats can safely be desexed from three months of age. Desexing at a younger age can be less stressful for kittens than it would be for older cats, and they may recover more quickly.

Your vet can give you further guidance on desexing your kitten/cat.

Along with helping to prevent cat overpopulation, there are many other benefits of desexing cats. Desexed cats can be better behaved. They may be less likely to roam, yowl at night or spray strong smelling urine.

Desexing pets can also prevent them from getting certain types of cancer.

It is also important to desex a female cat kept inside as they can continue to cycle if they are not mated which can cause problems for the cat.

See links above for more information.

Confinement to the property

Serious problems can occur if cats are allowed to roam outdoors, particularly at night (around eighty percent of accidents involving cats happen at night). Roaming cats can get hit by cars, injured in fights, catch fatal diseases (eg feline AIDS) or become lost.

Roaming cats can also kill native wildlife – even well fed cats will hunt. Roaming cats can annoy neighbours too, by spraying, fighting, yowling and digging in gardens.

Legally, you are not allowed to let your cat trespass on other people’s property. If your cat wanders onto another person’s property more than once, he/ she may be seized and impounded. Council may issue an order to stop your cat trespassing, and if you don’t comply you can be fined.

Some councils also have laws prohibiting cats from certain areas, or requiring cats to be kept on their owner’s property during certain hours.

Most importantly, cats kept on their owner’s property tend to live much longer and healthier lives than cats that are allowed to roam.

You can keep your cat in the house or flat with you, or in the garage or shed at night. Just make sure he/she has a warm dry sleeping area, a litter tray and plenty of water.

Other options include buying or building a “cat enclosure” for your yard, or installing “cat proof fencing”. Look under “Pet Shops’ Suppliers” in the Yellow Pages for companies that sell enclosures and netting.

If you’re handy and would like to save money, you can download the booklet “How to build cat proof fencing and cat enclosures”. This booklet includes step by step DIY instructions with supporting illustrations and photos. See link above.

Ventilation is important if keeping cats in a confined area, especially if you have a number of cats, to prevent spread of disease and respiratory problems from a build up of fumes or stale air.

When training your cat to accept confinement, skip the morning feed and call him/her in at night to be fed. Don’t feed your cat until he/she comes inside – your cat will learn quickly that he/she won’t get fed unless home by dusk. Once inside, don’t let your cat out again until morning. If you wish, you can gradually extend the time your cat spends indoors or in an enclosure.

When confining cats for long periods you must enrich their environment. This will prevent them from getting bored or developing behavioural problems.

Environmental enrichment

Cats have a number of basic needs that must be met if they are to stay happy and healthy when they are contained in the house, yard or an enclosure.

• Companionship. Cats require plenty of social contact with owners. If cats are in an enclosure, this can be achieved by access to the house through a cat door (and tunnel if applicable). Set aside time each day to interact with your cat, for instance, patting, playing with, or grooming him/her.
• A well-informed owner. You should find out as much as you can about cat behaviour and care. Talk to your vet about health and nutritional requirements for cats.
• Space. Cats prefer to have their own ‘personal space’, and this is particularly important to prevent aggression in group housing situations. Each cat requires his/ her own area that provides all the essentials (food, water, bed, resting places, litter tray etc).
• Sleeping, resting and viewing areas. Cats like to spend a lot of time sleeping and resting in quiet areas where they feel safe and secure. Cat beds can be purchased, or blankets, towels, pillows etc can be provided. High sided cat beds and boxes are useful to give cats a sense of ‘privacy’. Cats use elevated areas as vantage points from which to observe their surroundings. These are essential, and can be provided by access to platforms, shelves, climbing posts or window ledges. Some cats love to watch birds (you can place a bird bath/feeder outside the window or enclosure), insects (try planting flowers to attract them), fish in aquariums and even nature footage on TV!
• Food and water. Ensure bowls are located away from the litter tray. Many cats like having their water bowl in a separate area to their food bowl. Cats can also be given grass to chew (non toxic varieties).
• Litter boxes. Each cat requires his/ her own litter box, that is big enough for easy access and is located in a safe and private area (if a cat is startled while using the box, he/she may not use that box in future). You may have to experiment to find out your cat’s preferences for covered or uncovered boxes, type of litter and depth of litter. Cats are very clean animals that do not like using dirty litter boxes, so boxes will need to be scooped daily, and cleaned with water and non-scented soap once a week. A thin layer of baking soda placed on the bottom of the box will help absorb odours between scoopings. If you are pregnant, it is best if litter trays are cleaned and disinfected daily. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning trays, or get someone else to do it for you. This will prevent you catching Toxoplasmosis, which is a very rare disease that can be transmitted through contaminated cat faeces, and can harm unborn babies.
• Scratching posts. Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats, that sharpens claws, stretches muscles and leaves scent marks. Your cat will need a scratching post, which can be horizontal or vertical, and can be made from sisal (a course natural fibre), carpet, cardboard or wood. You can encourage your cat to use the scratching post (rather than other things like the furniture!) by putting catnip on it. Cats have an excellent sense of smell, and many cats love catnip, which can be supplied as a dried herb or grown fresh in pots.
• Toys and exercise. Exercise your cat through play (or even by training your cat to walk outside on a harness and leash!). Cats enjoy toys that move or make noise, and remind them of prey such as mice, birds, and insects. They need a variety of toys they can roll, pounce on, capture and bite, and toys should be rotated regularly to prevent boredom. Some examples of simple and cheap toys (that are safe for cats to play with) are crumpled paper balls, paper bags to explore, cardboard boxes, and toilet paper tubes. Try stuffing old cotton socks with cotton balls and some catnip, and tying a knot in the end. You can also buy furry toys (eg in the shape of a mouse) that make noises and can be rolled, balls (eg ping pong balls, or balls that can be filled with food or treats), sticks with toys dangling from the end of a string etc.
• If your cat is not in an outdoor enclosure, ensure he/she can access window ledges for sunshine, or place a chair near a window.

Transport

If transporting your cat ensure he/ she is transported in a well ventilated cage or cat carrier and that the cage or container is strapped into the car to prevent it sliding around. Don’t transport your cat in an enclosed boot (such as a sedan boot).

Don’t leave a cat in a car on even a mild day as the interior of a car can heat up quickly and cause heat stress and even the death of your cat.

Cat training

There are many sources of information regarding kitten socialisation, cat training, and dealing with cat behavioural problems. For instance, your local veterinarian or animal shelter will be able to advise you on a range of cat health and cat behavioural issues. They may also run “kitten kindy” or similar socialisation classes for kittens.

Libraries and bookshops may stock various books on cat care and behaviour topics.

The Internet has lots of cat related sites, which you will be able to find easily by doing a search on key words such as “cat behaviour”, “kitten socialisation”, “cat training” etc.

You can also contact cat clubs or associations (look under “Pet Clubs” in the Yellow Pages).

Finding a lost cat

If your cat is microchipped, and you have kept your contact details up to date with the registry, it will be easy for the council to notify you if they find him/her.

If your cat is not microchipped or identified, you will have to contact your local council pound.

Descriptions of cats can vary greatly, and collars and tags can come off, so try to visit the pound to check for your cat. Repeat visits may be necessary until the cat is found. Take a cat carrier and documentation such as council registration papers, vaccination certificates, pedigree papers or photos.

If your cat is not found, leave a description of him/her, when and where he/she was lost, and your name and number.

Call and visit neighbouring pounds, animal shelters and vet clinics (Animal shelters are listed in the Yellow Pages under ‘Animal Welfare Organisations’).

Ask neighbours if they have seen your cat. Search the neighbourhood and call your cat, particularly at night. Put notices in local shop windows. Keep descriptions general so you can differentiate between a genuine and a nuisance caller by requesting they give you a more detailed description of the cat.

Finally, put a ‘Lost and Found’ notice in newspapers and notify radio stations that offer free announcements. (See ‘Radio Stations’ in the Yellow Pages).

If your cat is registered and identified, any council or animal shelter that takes him/her in will notify you in writing within four days of impoundment. Councils must hold all identified impounded cats for eight days. It is important you begin looking for your lost cat as soon as you realise he/she is missing. If you do not reclaim your cat within eight days, council may rehouse or euthanase your cat.

Who’s for cats?

There are half a million unowned cats in Victoria. These cats keep breeding more and more kittens into a life of disease and neglect.

This problem is made worse by people who feed stray cats. People feel sorry for the cats, and think they are helping them. But they are actually feeding a bigger problem.

The solution is for people to stop just feeding stray cats, and either;

• Take full ownership of the cat – this means desexing, identifying and registering, as well as feeding, the cat. Or:
• Arrange to take the cat to the local council pound or animal shelter.

See links above for more information or visit www.whosforcats.com.au

Domestic Animal Businesses

Domestic animal businesses include: pet shops, pounds and shelters, breeding and boarding establishments.

These must be registered with the local council, and comply with Codes of Practice.

These Codes of Practice are designed to protect the rights of consumers, and to ensure the welfare of animals. See links above for more information.

If you can’t keep your cat

Circumstances may arise that mean an owner is no longer able to keep their cat.

In this case owners must find an appropriate new home for the cat, surrender him/her to the local council or an animal shelter or have a veterinarian put him/her to sleep (euthanase them).

Dumping of animals is an offence.

If you are having an animal put to sleep it must be done humanely, a veterinary practitioner is best placed to do this.