Cats
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Contact us on 5261 0600, even after hours.
Cat curfew
A new 24-hour cat curfew will start October 2023 across the Surf Coast Shire
All cats within the Surf Coast Shire will need to be confined to their owner’s premises from 30 September 2023, under a 24-hour cat curfew adopted by Council.
The 24-hour curfew will replace the current one, which requires cats in urban-zoned areas to be securely confined to the owner’s premises between 8pm and 6am.
Council adopted the revised cat curfew - formally known as a cat confinement order - at its March Council meeting. The curfew requires all cats within the municipality to be confined at all times to the owner's premises unless the cat is appropriately restrained.
Over the coming months, our rangers will hold information sessions to help transition and guide cat owners in rural and urban areas through the changes, and provide information as to how compliance may be achieved.
Information sessions will be held in Anglesea, Torquay and Winchelsea.
Details of sessions will be communicated to registered cat owners via email in advance of the sessions.
The revised cat curfew will come into effect on 30 September 2023. At this time, the previous cat confinement order of 20 February 2001 is revoked.
Under the curfew, Council officers can seize cats found-at-large in any public area or outside their owner's property at any time.
Owners have eight days to reclaim their cats.
Cat cages are available for use free of charge for a 2 week period. Please contact customer service on 03 52610600 to arrange delivery. Note: The borrower is responsible for the cost of replacement if the cage is lost or stolen whilst in their possession.
Under the Domestic Animal Act, cats-at-large can cost their owners a fee of 1 penalty unit for a first offence and 3 penalty units for further infringements.
Responsible cat ownership factsheets and information can be found here: Cats | Animal Welfare Victoria | Livestock and animals | Agriculture Victoria
Register your cats
All cats should be microchipped and registered and must wear a registration tag. This will help return lost and wandering cats to their owners.
More on pet registration
Keeping your cat safe and happy at home
This guide is from the RSPCA advising cat owners on how to provide for their cat's welfare as well as help protect native wildlife by keeping their cat contained to their home, with safe outdoor access.
RSPCA guide to keeping your cat safe and happy at home(PDF, 1MB)
Roaming cats
Contact us on 5261 0600 to report cats roaming on public land. Council Rangers will deal with cats-at-large on Council reserves, and will refer reports of cats roaming on state-owned land to the responsible authority.