Western Australia cat owners should be aware that Stage 1 of the new state cat laws come into effect in November 2012.
WA cat owners will then have to have their cats sterilised, microchipped and registered by law before November 2013?
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Rangers will use commonsense in seizing domestic felines that have been deemed to have committed an offence under Western Australia’s new cat laws, Local Government Minister John Castrilli says.
The Cat Act 2011 – which passed through the Legislative Assembly in November and requires cats to be sterilised, microchipped and registered – is to take effect on November 1.
The state government on Friday announced $3.24 million in sterilisation subsidies for pensioners and other health-care card-holders.
The funding will also go towards helping local governments implement the act, paying for cat pound facilities, microchip readers, cat traps and ranger training.
Local governments will have the power to deal with irresponsible owners, including cat hoarders, and with wild cats.
But they will also be able to seize and detain cats that have offended by, for example, threatening wildlife or being a nuisance by damaging property.
Mr Castrilli said rangers would use their discretion in instances where, for instance, a neighbour has complained because a cat has used a garden as a latrine.
Information to assist local governments with the implementation of the Cat Act 2011 is frequently added to this page so please continue to check back regularly.
Phase 1 and Phase 2
The table outlines the specific provisions which commence at Phase 1 and Phase 2.
The intention of Phase 1 is to provide local governments with the opportunity to prepare to administer and enforce the full force of the Act from 1 November 2013. Until Phase 2 commences, it is not an offence to have an unregistered, unsterilised or unmicrochipped cat.
| Phase 1 | Phase 2 |
| 1 November 2012 | 1 November 2013 |
| Section 3-4
(terms) |
Sections 5-6
(requirement to register and wear tag) |
| Section 7
(interference with a tag) |
Section 14(1)
(requirement to microchip) |
| Section 8 – 13
(LG registration procedures) |
Section 18(1)
(requirement to sterilise) |
| Section 14(2) – 17
(microchipping: exemptions, managing database) |
Section 22-24
(transfer of ownership) |
| Section 18(2) – 20
(sterilisation: exemptions, identifying as sterilised and certificate) |
Section 26-35
(LG powers to manage cats) |
| Section 25
(Notice of transfer) |
Section 41
(cats as prizes) |
| Sections 36-40
(approval to breed cats) |
Section 49
(powers of authorised person to destroy cat) |
| Sections 42-48
(administration by LG, appointment of authorised person) |
Section 55-60
(search warrants) |
| Section 50-54
(other LG powers) † |
Section 86
(review of the Act) |
| Section 61-85
(infringement notices, objections, reviews, court proceedings, subsidiary legislation, false or misleading information) |