Responsibilities
Having a cat is a wonderful experience, but pet owners do have responsibilites to both their pet and the community they live in. In 1996, the Alice Springs Town Council introduced voluntary cat registration, in addition to By-Laws to deal with nuisance cats.

Under the By-Laws:
• cats may be registered and identified by microchip, but only if they are desexed (the owners of registered cats will be notified if their cats is impounded);
• on-the-spot fines may be issued to owners of nuisance cat (a cat is a nuisance if it “behaves repeatedly in a manner contrary to the general interest of the community or of an individual”);
• nuisance cats may be trapped and impounded;
• unregistered or unclaimed cats may be sold or euthanased after 48 hours at the animal pound;
• keeping three or more cats without a license is an offence;
• unlicensed breeding of cats is an offence; and
• unplanned litters may be dropped off at the ound without penalty.

Cat registration
Cat registration is not compulsory, but means a cat can be registered for life with a microchip. Cat registration is for de-sexed cats only unless the owner is a registered breeder. An application form needs to be completed at the Council Civic Centre, and a there is a fee payable.

The Council’s registration fee pays for the microchip and the vet’s fee. You should get your cat microchipped within 14 days of registering it. Registration is not complete without a microchip. The cashier will give you two copies of the application form and you can make an appointment with a vet of your choice.
Take your cat and both copies of the application form to the vet who will implant your cat with a microchip at no further cost.

Note that ‘lifetime registration’ only applies while you reside in Alice Springs - it does not transfer to other Councils, should you move away from Alice Springs.
The microchip, which is around the size of a grain of rice, is implanted in the scruff of the animal’s neck with a special tool. The procedure is no more painful than an injection. A microchip can prove true ownership of a stolen cat.

If you take your cat away on holidays and it gets lost, there are two steps you should take:
1. check the local Council’s pound, RSPCA and animal shelters closest to the point where your cat went missing. 2. if they do not have your cat, call Council on (08) 8950 0500 and let us know where we can contact you.
To keep the cat registration database accurate, you should tell the Council:
• if you move from your current address;
• if you give your cat away to the RSPCA or someone else;
• if you sell your cat;
• if your cat is lost;
• if you get your cat desexed;
• if your cat is going to be looked after by someone else at their home or kennel for an extended period; and
• if your cat dies.

Keeping three or more cats
It is an offence to keep three or more cats, or to allow a cat to breed, without a cat breeder's license. The conditions for the issue of a multiple cat license are as follows:
• keeping three or more cats shall not be contrary to the general interest of the neighbouring community;
• the cats shall be housed in a manner that prevents them from wandering away from the owner’s premises; and
• the area where cats are to be housed shall be of sufficient size for the number of cats to be kept.

Cat breeding
It is an offence to allow a cat to breed unless you hold a cat breeder’s license. The conditions for the issue of a cat breeder’s license are the same as the dot points listed above.

The facilities should also be adequate for the breeding of cats including facilities for the disposal of waste and the provision of shade, water and exercise and the license holder shall be registered as a cat breeder with a body recognised by the Council.

Should I de-sex my cat?
De-sexing your cat creates a number of benefits for you as an owner, your neighbourhood and the environment generally and demonstrates responsible cat ownership. De-sexed cats generally make better pets. They are less likely to spray, fight, wander and get into mischief. This helps them live longer and be less of a threat to native fauna.

Is my cat a nuisance?
Uncontrolled cats can become a serious problem. Some regular complaints received by Council include:
• trespassing;
• fighting with other cats;
• digging, defecating, urinating on neighbours’
buildings and cars; and
• stalking and preying on native fauna.

You can prevent your cat becoming a nuisance to the neighbours by providing it with an enclosure in your yard. Confinement is not cruel if adequate food, shelter and water are provided. Cats will enjoy their enclosure if scratching, climbing, exercise and sunbathing areas are accessible to them.

The outdoor enclosure can be connected to the house via a cat flap so the cat has the freedom to come and go as it pleases. You need to be aware of the health risks you take if you permit your cat to wander. Cats can spread diseases to other cats as well as to people. Toxoplasmosis is a serious disease that is spread through contact with cat faeces or saliva. It can kill both unborn and young children. This means children are put at risk when licked by a cat or when straying cats use sandpits as a toilet.

Feline AIDS is another disease that wandering cats may pick up and communicate, and from which they can die. Cats that are prevented from wandering are at less risk of catching or communicating these diseases. Fewer interactions with other cats means less spread of disease. Of course, wandering cats can also be killed or injured on the roads or by other animals.

Feral cats
Alice Springs has a large feral cat problem. Approximately 50% of cat matters dealt with by Council are related to feral cats. The RSPCA receives cats, including ferals, that are handed in by the public and other agencies.

To assist with this feral cat problem, Council lends out cat traps. Council Officers will deliver a cat trap to residential houses anywhere in the Alice Springs municipality (including rural residential areas). The resident sets the trap on their property with instructions provided by Council. When a cat is caught, Council Officers collect the trap and impound the cat.

Council has a limited supply of traps and requests that residents keep traps for a maximum of one week, unless multiple cats are being trapped. There is no charge for the use of Council cat traps or their collection.