Cats » Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale

Find out about cats; including registration fees and application, breeding fees and application, responsible cat ownership, the Cat Act of 2011 and what to do if you have found a stray cat or kittens.

All cats six months or older need to be microchipped and registered with us. It's important that your cat wears a collar displaying their identification and registration tags, so that they can make it home to you safely if they're lost.

Cat registration fees

Item	Duration	Cost
Sterilised Cat	1 year	$20
Sterilised Cat	3 years	$42.50
Sterilised Cat	Lifetime	$100
Approval to Breed Cats	Year	$100

Maximum number of cats

While the Cat Act 2011 does not limit the number of cats that can be owned, clause 3.2 of the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale Local Law Relating to Cats 2023 the number of cats is two (2) per property.

The Local law limiting cat numbers does not apply to cats owned before the introduction of The Cat Act 2011. However, an owner will not be able to replace a cat if it is sold, given away or dies, until they are down to the required number of two (2) cats per property.

To apply for a permit to keep more than two cats but no more than six please submit an application form. This form can be found below.

There is a $90 non-refundable application fee.

Cat breeders and catteries

Under the Cat Act residents who wish to breed their cat must apply to their local government to be an approved breeder. You can apply to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale to grant an approval, or for renewal, to breed cats. The applicant must be over 18 years of age, have the facilities to breed cats in a safe and ethical way, and be a current member of one of the following organisations and associations:

Cat Owners Association of WA
Feline Control Council of WA – Cats WA
Australian National Cats
Cats United WA Incorporated

When selling or giving away a cat, legislation states that it must be microchipped and sterilised prior to the transfer of ownership. If the cat is too young to be sterilised, you must provide a prepaid sterilisation voucher to the new owner

Eligibility Requirements

A person who has 1-3 breeding cats can make an application on the prescribed form and pay applicable application fees.

Annual Fees for Cat Breeders	Annual Fee
Approval to Breed (1-4 cats)	$100
Approval to Breed (5-10 cats)	$250
Approval to Breed (11 or more cats)	$500

If approved, a Cat Breeder Certificate is issued and is valid for 12 months from date of approval. Annual renewal and inspections are required.

Small Scale Commercial

Where four (4) and no more than six (6) cats are to be kept for breeding or other commercial purposes, then this constitutes a "Home Business" according to the land use definitions of LPS3.

Development approval from the Shire’s Planning Team may be required in this case. Information on Home Business applications can be found here: Home Business » Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale (sjshire.wa.gov.au)

Large Scale Keeping of Animals

In any instance where more than six (6) cats are proposed to be kept, regardless if they are intended to be breeding animals, this will constitute an "Animal Establishment" according to the land use definitions of LPS3.

The Animal Establishment land use is only able to be considered for approval in properties zoned Rural or Rural Smallholding. Development approval from the Shire’s Planning Team is required

Cat application forms

Cat Breeder Application Form

Animal Registration Form

3-6 Cat Application Form

Transfer animal ownership form

Transfer Animal Ownership Form

Responsible cat ownership

Contain your cat on your own property
Ensure your cat is easily identifiable with a collar, name tag with owner phone number and a registration tag
Microchip and sterilise your cat
Keep your cat inside at night time

Birdlife Australia-"Cats Wildlife"-How you can protect both

For more information about the keeping of cats, click here

What is the Cat Act 2011?

The Cat Act 2011 requires that all cats over the age of six months be sterilised, microchipped and registered with their relevant local government.

Note: Requests for exemption from sterilisation and/or microchipping of your cat will only be considered if supported by an exemption certificate from your local veterinarian and only if detrimental to the cat's health.

The main purpose of the Cat Act 2011 is to:

Encourage responsible cat ownership;
Provide better control and management of stray and unwanted cats;
Reduce large numbers euthanised each year;
Ensure your cat, by registration and microchipping, can be returned to you should it stray.

Stray or unwanted cats

The Shire Rangers are not actively involved in trapping stray or unowned cats, however Rangers will collect a cat from a resident if the cat has been captured and is still in the trap. All impounded cats are thoroughly checked for a registration tag and scanned for microchipping details. Where an owner can be readily identified, Ranger Services will contact the owner to advise how and where to collect them. All domesticated cats are kept for a period of three (3) days, then assessed for suitable re-homing.

Found a cat or kittens?

For information on what do if you find a cat or kittens please view the Cat Haven's guide below.

Cat Haven-Found a cat or kittens guides

Contact our Rangers

Should further information be required please speak with a member of the Emergency Service and Community Safety Team by contacting 9526 1111