Western Australian councils will have new powers to control cats after State Parliament passed amendments allowing local governments to introduce their own containment laws.
The changes to the Cat Act mean councils will be able to require cats to remain on their owners’ properties, restrict access to public areas, impose curfews and require animals to be under effective control when outside.
The amendments were supported by politicians on both sides during debate last Tuesday, although speakers said further measures would be needed to make cat management effective.
Canning seeks views on possible cat curfew
The City of Canning is already asking residents whether it should retain its current arrangements or introduce a night-time or 24-hour cat curfew.
The consultation is being conducted as the council reviews its cat local law and is separate from the State Government’s review of the Cat Act. No decision has been made to introduce a curfew or amend the local law.
Mayor Patrick Hall said the process would allow residents, whether they owned a cat or not, to share their experiences and views before any decision was considered.
“There are a range of perspectives on this issue, and this consultation is about understanding what matters to our community before council considers whether any changes to the city’s local law should be pursued,” he said.
“Importantly, no decision has been made to introduce a cat curfew in Canning or amend the city’s cat local law.”
Murray-Wellington MLA David Bolt told Parliament he supported the changes, drawing on his own experience of losing pet cats that had been allowed to roam.
“I am sure I speak on behalf of many cat owners about the trauma experienced when their cat is no longer around,” he said.
“Rest in peace, Jake and Elwood — I think Jake was taken out by a snake and Elwood was taken out by a car.”
Mr Bolt said the Bill was principally concerned with managing owned domestic cats through local laws and should be viewed as a targeted change to resolve an issue with councils’ lawmaking powers.
“We may see more cats on leashes. I am sure it will be an interesting business for somebody to provide those important products,” he said.
Calls for practical support for cat owners
Warren-Blackwood MLA Bevan Eatts also backed giving councils greater flexibility, but warned that the existence of a new power would not guarantee it worked in practice.
“Local governments should have clear authority to manage cats in a way that reflects the circumstances of their communities,” he said.
Mr Eatts said cats were known to cause significant environmental damage, but argued that mandatory 24-hour containment alone would not solve every problem.
He said owners needed reliable access to desexing and microchipping, practical support and sufficient capacity within local government to enforce the rules.
“In plain language, a containment law tells a responsible owner what they must do with their cat,” he said.
“It does not by itself deal with every cat causing the problem.”
The new powers will allow councils to decide how cat management rules should apply in their own communities, including whether cats can enter public areas and under what conditions.
City of Perth handles stray and abandoned cats
The City of Perth currently generally allows no more than three cats aged over three months to be kept at a residential property without written approval. Applications for additional cats may be considered where they would not create a nuisance or health concern.
The city uses Cat Haven in Shenton Park as a cat management facility for stray and abandoned animals. It paid about $1,500 for Cat Haven’s services in three incidents discussed at a council meeting last month.
One incident involved reports of a large number of cats being left at a property on Mounts Bay Road in May last year. The RSPCA initially removed two cats for assessment, while city rangers captured and transported a further 14 cats to Cat Haven. Two dead cats were also found at the property.
Cat Haven was also used to catch and manage stray cats on Adelaide Terrace and Park Avenue in Crawley. The city has recently responded to a nuisance cat in Wellington Street and helped look for a missing cat in Murray Street.
During the 2025–26 financial year, the City of Perth recorded 43 calls about cats. Thirteen related to stray or abandoned animals, animal welfare concerns, nuisance behaviour, or lost and found cats.
A city spokesperson said the council worked with organisations including the RSPCA and Cat Haven where necessary to assist with the care, assessment or rehoming of cats.
The city encouraged prospective owners to understand the responsibilities and ongoing costs of keeping a cat, provide a suitable environment in which it could be safely contained and cared for, and keep registration and microchip details up to date.
