Charter For Responsible Cat Ownership

Cats In Our Society
- Benefits and Costs
Responsible Cat Ownership
- Before you get a cat think carefully about what is involved
- Be aware of your responsibilities
Reproductive Management
- Desexing
Breeding
Identification
Control and Confinement
Nutrition
Environment and Housing
Hygiene
Health Care
Transport
Disposal of Unwanted Cats
Handling A Cat Nuisance In Your Neighbourhood
A cautionary note about trapping
Need More Information?
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Cats are an important part of our society and many of us value their companionship. As with any domestic animal there are standards of care and welfare that need to be observed. The views and concerns of our neighbours also need to be considered where there is potential for our animals to cause inconvenience to other people.

This is responsible cat ownership. It means accepting full responsibility for providing our animals with their needs as well as managing them according to expected community standards.

The Charter for Responsible Cat Ownership has been developed to help all cat owners achieve responsible cat ownership goals. It is an integral part of the ACT Urban Cat Management Strategy and is consistent with the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats in the ACT made under the Animal Welfare Act 1992.

The objective of the Charter is to improve animal welfare and reduce incidence of community nuisance attributed to cats by providing information and guidance to cat owners and other members of the community. It discusses the responsibilities of cat owners to their cats and to the community in which we live, including their legal obligations and courses of action that may be taken where cat issues of concern exist.

Cats In Our Society

Benefits and Costs.

People all over the world, have enjoyed the company of cats for centuries. Currently in Australia, 25 % of households maintain a cat, and the companionship cats provide to their owners can lead to enhanced human well-being and promote a sense of care and responsibility. Evidence from some studies suggest that health benefits to cat owners may also accrue.

Whilst cats are important companion animals in our society, there are also costs associated with them. These costs do not just relate to monetary expense of providing appropriate care, but also include neighbourhood inconvenience and nuisance, predation on native wildlife and animal welfare concerns relating to homeless and mistreated cats.
These costs to the community can be minimised through widespread acceptance and practice of the principles of RESPONSIBLE CAT OWNERSHIP as set out in this Charter.

Responsible Cat Ownership

When cats are cared for in line with the principles of Responsible Cat Ownership, benefits are enjoyed by:

Cats;
Owners;
Neighbours;
Wildlife;
Animal welfare agencies; and
Government.

Before you get a cat think carefully about what is involved.

The responsibilities of owning a cat are significant and long-term. Therefore, the decision to own a cat should be an informed one, with acknowledgement by owners of the commitment and responsibility involved in caring for a cat.

People thinking about obtaining a cat should consider carefully whether their lifestyles and finances are compatible with a considerable commitment of time, effort and money over a long period. Potential cat owners should also take into account the type of community or neighbourhood in which they live. For example people living adjacent to bushland must recognise the extra responsibilities involved, in ensuring that their cat does not interfere with native wildlife in these areas. Similarly, people living near busy roads need to consider the potential need to confine their cats to reduce risks associated with motor vehicles.

Be aware of your responsibilities

Responsibilities relate to all aspects of the way in which you care for your cat. Most aspects of Responsible Cat Ownership are covered by laws or codes of practice in the ACT.

Reproductive Management

Desexing

Unless specifically intended for breeding, all cats must be desexed by the time the animal is six months old, unless you have applied for, and obtained a, a permit to keep the cat entire.

Although six months is the latest age by which a cat should be desexed, desexing can be safely carried out from about six weeks of age and many vets are now encouraging early desexing. Please discuss this with your vet.
Desexing your cat will result in:

a reduction in the number of homeless domestic cats in the ACT suffering from hunger, exposure and disease, thereby causing animal welfare concerns and often a neighbourhood nuisance;
a lighter load on animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, and fewer cats and kittens being unnecessarily put down;
your cat is less likely to behave in ways that cause a nuisance to neighbours (desexed cats are generally quieter, less aggressive, wander less, and are less likely to have behavioural problems such as spraying);
a reduced incidence of abscesses, other injuries and diseases resulting from cat fights;
fewer injuries (and fatalities) from cars and dogs (entire cats wander more);
your cat is likely to live longer; and
you will save money (fewer vet bills).

It is a common misconception that female cats need to have one litter before they are desexed. This is not correct. Mating or having a litter neither adds to or detracts from a female cat’s personality. In the case of male cats, they make better pets if desexed.

Under the Domestic Animals Act 2000 it is compulsory to desex all cats born after 21 June 2001, unless the owner of the cat obtains a licence to keep the cat sexually entire.

Although cats owned prior to 21 June 2001 will be exempt from compulsory desexing, it is strongly recommended that all pre-existing cats (unless kept specifically for breeding) be desexed. There is a requirement for a tattoo to be inserted in the cats ear at the time of desexing to indicate desexed status.

Breeding

Breeding should only occur where the owner plans to breed cats and has obtained a permit to keep a sexually entire cat. These cats may need special care, and owners should follow special conditions to ensure proper management and care. Owners should ensure that:

All sexually entire cats be managed to prevent unplanned pregnancies;
Entire male cats be housed separately to prevent fighting;
all kittens produced by their cat find suitable homes;
Where a suitable home cannot be found for a kitten or cat (through private arrangements), it should be taken to an organisation such as the RSPCA;
If it becomes necessary to dispose of the kitten or cat by euthanasia, this must only be performed by a veterinary surgeon;
Unwanted cats and kittens are not dumped or otherwise abandoned under any circumstances; and
follow the requirements of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats in the ACT made under the Animal Welfare Act 1992.

Identification

Under the Domestic Animals Act 2000, It is compulsory that all cats wear identification.

This can take the form of a traditional collar and tag, a tattoo or a microchip, or a combination of all three. They must however, choose at least one.

Cats should be identified by the time the animal is 12 weeks old, or within one month of acquisition if they are already older than 12 weeks at this time.

Microchipping is a new method of identification. This is a painless procedure which involves having a microchip about the size of a grain of rice implanted by a needle into a fold of loose skin at the back of the animal’s neck.

If you choose to microchip your cat, an additional (visible) means of identification (such as collar and disc) is encouraged. This will immediately indicate to neighbours that the cat has an owner and will facilitate the return of your cat if it wanders, or if found a long way from home, without the need to take the cat to a special location where a microchip scanner is available.

Identification enables owned cats to be distinguished from unowned cats and provide a link between a cat and its owner. This will assist in:

the safe return of lost, stolen or injured pets to their owners;
identifying the owner of cats that are causing a neighbourhood nuisance; and
appropriate management of unowned cats.

Very few cats taken to animal shelters and pounds are ever returned to their owners. More cats end up losing their lives through lack of identification than through any other cause.

Control and Confinement

The owners of cats are expected to maintain reasonable control of their cats at all times so that they are at less risk of harm and do not create a nuisance or danger within the community.

Confinement of cats to the owner’s property, particularly from dusk till dawn, is therefore encouraged.

In addition, people living adjacent to nature reserves must take appropriate measures to ensure that their cat does not enter these areas as they may kill or injure native wildlife.

Under the Nature Conservation Act 1980 (Section 57), it is an offence to take into, or knowingly permit to enter, a reserved area an animal other than a native animal.

Control and confinement is recommended to reduce the incidence of:

disease and injury to cats while at large;
cats preying on native wildlife; and
community nuisance caused by cats while at large.

Owners of confined cats must pay particular attention to ensure that cats are provided with all necessary requirements for stimulation and exercise.

Under the Domestic Animal Act 2000, the Government can declare a cat curfew in a suburb, or in an area of a suburb, if there is a serious nature conservation threat as a result of cat activities. During a cat curfew, cat owners must confine their animals to their premises. The curfew can also specify the times during which cats must be confined.

There are ways in which you can reduce the risk to native wildlife in your yard:

keep your cat indoors;
keep your cat in an outdoor run;
put a bell on your cat’s collar (although unproven, a bell may provide a warning to prey animals); and
If you have bird baths or feeding platforms, make sure they are out of the easy reach of cats and that they are out in the open rather than near shrubbery where a cat may hide.

Roaming cats can inconvenience neighbours by yowling at night, fouling children’s playpits, stalking birds, digging up garden beds and spraying offensive-smelling urine.

However, there are ways in which you can encourage your cat to remain within your property. For example, you can modify your fences by installing inward sloping ledges, floppy chicken wire or hessian overhangs which can discourage cats from climbing over them.

The following aspects of Responsible Cat Ownership are covered in more detail in the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats in the ACT. An outline of these requirements is provided below.

Nutrition

Cats require a nutritionally complete and varied diet. Ensure that your cat receives adequate and appropriate food according to its age and condition, and naturally, fresh water should be available at all times.

Environment and Housing

Cats should have access to adequate protection from weather and temperature extremes, as well as access to physical activity and human contact. Where a cat is housed in an enclosure, the owner must also ensure that the enclosure conforms with at least the minimum standards in relation to design and size, described in Section 4 of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats in the ACT.

Hygiene

The owner of a cat must ensure hygienic living conditions for their cats. This means ensuring cleanliness of food and water bowls, bedding, toilet trays and enclosures.

Health Care

Cats require ongoing preventative health care. Vaccination against Feline Enteritis, Feline Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus should be carried out annually. Furthermore, regular flea control and worming against gastrointestinal worms (in accordance with the age of the cat) should be carried out to protect both the cat and humans with which it comes into contact. Cats should be observed daily for signs of ill health, and if noted, veterinary advice should be sought.

Transport

Cats should always be transported in a manner which does not cause injury, escape or undue stress. Containers must meet appropriate standards in terms of size, safety, ventilation, protection from weather and temperature extremes. Water and food must be provided for longer journeys.

Disposal of Unwanted Cats

It is recognised that there will be times when a person will be unable to keep or care for their cat(s) any longer. These owners may make arrangements to pass their cats on to a new owner. Where a suitable home can not be found for a kitten or cat (through private arrangements), it should be taken to an organisation such as the RSPCA who will care for the animal until an owner is found, or arrange for the animal to be put down. Persons wishing to dispose of unowned stray cats/kittens on their property should also take them to the RSPCA.

Unwanted cats and kittens must not be dumped or otherwise abandoned under any circumstances.

Handling A Cat Nuisance In Your Neighbourhood

If a cat in your neighbourhood is creating an unreasonable nuisance for you, there are several ways to approach the matter.

Discouraging cats from your property.

If you are inconvenienced by cats entering your property you could try a number of means to discourage them:

a low pressure squirt with a hose or water pistol;
products are available from nurseries and pet shops to deter cats;
naphthalene flakes sprinkled around the garden; and
ensure that your pets food is not left outside to entice cats.

The Animal Welfare Act 1992 prohibits you from doing anything that causes unnecessary pain, injury or distress to an animal.

Do you know who owns the cat?

An approach to the owner with an explanation of your problem will often yield a positive response with a minimum of aggravation.
This is the preferred and often the most effective way of handling a nuisance cat problem.

If the problem is serious and continuing and the owner in unable or unwilling to respond satisfactorily to your concerns, it may be appropriate to use the animal nuisance provisions of the Domestic Animals Act 2000. A legal process can be initiated if prescribed nuisance criteria are satisfied.

If you do not know who owns the cat

If a problem cat’s owner is not known and cannot be determined, then some action may need to be initiated if the problem is serious and continues.

This could involve trapping the cat in a humane manner. If the owner can then be identified (say the animal is wearing a collar and tag) then you must return the cat to its owner and explain your concerns. If an owner still cannot be identified the cat should be delivered immediately to an animal shelter or animal welfare agency.

A cautionary note about trapping

Remember, trapping should only be undertaken on your premises, or with the permission of the property owner, and it must be conducted in a humane way.

Severe penalties apply for breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 1992.

It is recommended that you contact the RSPCA for advice on the correct procedure for trapping, and for hire of a suitable trap. Unless you are experienced in handling strange or nervous animals, it is recommended that you engage the services of an expert animal handler.

Need More Information?

There are many sources of information and help for cat owners and aspiring cat owners. The following list is a useful guide.

RSPCA (ACT);
Pet Shops;
Vets; and
Cat Breeding Societies.