Cat Laws
Western Australian Cat Law from November 2013
Background
For several decades, Cat Haven lobbied the State Government to implement a law dealing with cat welfare. In 2011, the State Government signalled its willingness to go ahead with a cat bill. Along with other animal welfare organisations, Cat Haven made several submissions to Parliament during the debate of the bill. In December 2011, the Cat Act was finally passed.
What does it mean for me?
The law was implemented in two phases, giving cat owners in WA a long lead time to get their cats ready. The first phase came into effect on 1 November 2012; the second phase, on 1 November 2013. The law requires all domestic cats six months and older to be:- sterilised
- microchipped
- wearing a tag in a public place
- registered with the local council it is kept in
Cat owners found not to be compliant with these requirements may face fines of up to $5000.