Cat containment will be extended across the ACT for cats born from 1 July 2022. Containment means keeping your cat on your premises 24 hours a day. This can include your house or apartment, an enclosed area in a backyard or courtyard, or a cat crate.

Cats born before 1 July 2022 will still be allowed to roam, unless they live in one of the 17 currently declared cat containment suburbs.

There are lots of innovative cat containment solutions which still give pet cats an opportunity to experience the outdoors, like backyard cat runs and balcony netting that keeps cats and wildlife separate.

Cats can happily live indoors especially when they have been trained to be an indoor cat from a young age.

We recognise that the adjustment to full containment for cats who have previously not been contained would be stressful for cats and owners alike. As such, cats born before 1 July 2022 do not have to be contained for the terms of their natural life, unless they live in one of Canberra’s declared cat containment suburbs. There are currently 17 declared cat containment suburbs in Canberra.

Keeping cats contained avoids risks and improves their welfare and safety. Contained cats live longer and are less likely to suffer diseases or sustain injuries through fighting with other cats or dogs, being hit by cars or other misadventure.

Pet cats who roam live shorter lives on average and have higher rates of disease than those that are contained to the home. They also cause significant harm to native wildlife like Canberra’s great bird population.

These changes start an important transition towards a new model of pet ownership that will see cats living healthier and safer lives, and will protect native wildlife.

Following the introduction of compulsory cat containment for new cats born from 1 July 2022, the ACT Government will be taking an educative approach to compliance. Domestic Animal Services will work with pet owners and the community to ensure everyone understands their obligations and can take the right steps to keep cats contained if they are required to be.

This will include providing advice and warnings to any cats which are found roaming by DAS rangers and returned to their owners. Penalties will be introduced as part of the forthcoming legislation and are anticipated to reflect current fines for breaches of animal management laws. The maximum penalty for a breach of cat containment is 10 penalty units or $300.

Domestic Animal Services (DAS) is responsible for administration and regulation of the Domestic Animals Act 2000 including cat containment compliance and enforcement. If you observe a roaming cat in a cat containment area you can contact DAS for advice by email or on 13 22 81. Please be aware that DAS responds to a number of domestic animal matters and respond to matters in order of priority (i.e. aggressive dogs and dog attacks being more urgent). As such, a DAS ranger may not be able to respond immediately to your concerns regarding a roaming cat.

Cats are notoriously difficult to catch and rangers often attend call outs where the animal has since left the area and cannot be located. To assist, you may be able to provide the details of the owner or a description of the cat. Alternatively, if you feel comfortable doing so you may wish to raise the issue with the owner of the cat.

There are a number of ways cats can be kept to their owner's premises and still be able to explore. Cats can be kept indoors or go outdoors in a purpose built enclosure which allows them to explore the outdoors without the risk of roaming.

Legislative changes will also be made to allow cats to be walked on a lead under the definition of containment.

Further information on ways to contain your cat are also available on the RSPCA website and Conservation Council website.