Cat Management
Cats are much loved and valued pets for many people and Council encourage all cat owners to be responsible cat owners.
It has been estimated, however, that cats kill more than 75 million native animals a year. They can also carry diseases which affect sheep, other animals and humans, such as toxoplasmosis which can cause miscarriage and birth defects.
As we live in an area abundant in native wildlife, some of which are threatened, and where agriculture is an important industry, we encourage all cat owners to be responsible. Three things to do are microchip and desex your cat and keep it safe at home and not roaming.
The TassieCat website is a great source of information for cat owners and others on keeping our cats, communities and wildlife safe. The TassieCat Facebook page is worth a look too.
For information on cat management in Tasmania, including controlling cats under the Cat Management Act, visit here.
The introduction of the Cat Management Act 2009 initiated new efforts to tackle cat problems in Tasmania. In 2016, the Tasmanian Government released its Cat Management Plan and in 2019 it launched the Tasmanian Cat Management Project "TassieCat".
Use the TassieCat website to find out more about how and look out for changes to cat management in Tasmania and opportunities for responsible cat management in the future.
The Northern Tasmania Regional Cat Management Strategy 2020 - 2030 was officially endorsed in June 2021 by participating stakeholders with Dorset Council endorsing the Strategy at the 19 July 2021 Council Meeting.
Council has adopted a Cat Management Policy which can be found here
Just Cats Tasmania - Cat Management Facility (Mowbray and Longford)
P 03 6388 9202
RSPCA (Launceston)
P 03 6709 8100
RSPCA Australia Guide to Keeping Your Cat Safe and Happy at Home
RSPCA Cats Hero Numbers Revised
Trapping Cats
If you are concerned about stray and roaming cats near you, the Cat Management Act 2009 includes rules for trapping cats (seizing, detaining, destroying and releasing). Always treat animals humanely and respect their welfare (the Animal Welfare Act 1993 applies).
Under the Cat Management Act 2009, a person is permitted to trap a cat on their private property, provided the trap is checked at least once within every 24-hour period after the trap is first set.
Within 24 hours of a cat being trapped, the cat must either be:
- returned to its owner; or
- taken to a cat management facility
Before setting a trap, a person should first contact a cat management facility to understand the facility's processes for accepting a cat, operating hours, and any associated fees. You should not take a cat to a cat management facility without contacting the facility first.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 1993, a person who sets a trap is responsible for the care and welfare of any animal that is caught in the trap and has a duty to take all reasonable measures to protect the welfare of the animal.
Please read the TassieCat Guideline for the rules and processes related to trapping a cat in urban and peri-urban areas. This Guideline also has information that will help you and your neighbourhood if you are concerned about stray or roaming cat problems. Council does not have any facilities for the surrender and sheltering of cats.
For more information see Controlling Stray and Feral Cats.
Please note: all cat management activities must be conducted in accordance with the Cat Management Act 2009 and the Animal Welfare Act 1993. Penalties apply for inhumane activities and other breaches of these Acts.
Managers of Crown Land and formal nature conservation reserves (Prohibited Areas for cats) may trap, seize or humanely destroy a cat found on those areas. Council can also declare Council land as Cat Prohibited Areas and declare Cat Management Areas elsewhere, to support actions to reduce cat populations and to encourage responsible cat ownership.
For more information on feral cat management see the Biosecurity Tasmanian feral cats website.