The By-Law was endorsed by Council at its meeting on 2 September 2019 (minutes / agenda) and it was then sent to the Legislative Review Committee (LRC) for review and no objections were received.

If you are over the limit of two cats and have a reasonable number of cats at your property you will not be asked to reduce your pet cats to the two allowed in the By-law. An application form for keeping more than two cats will be made available soon.

You will be required to pay the registration fee for each cat at your property even if you are over the two cat limit.

Please call Council on 8391 7200.

It’s important to reunite all pets with their owners. If your cat is microchipped or has ID, we will contact the owner immediately. But if your cat is unknown to us, they will be taken to our impound facility where they will stay for seven days and then rehomed.

Council has engaged a commercial facility that offers a high level of care for all impounded cats. All temporarily impounded cats get looked after, fed and have access to exercise areas.

Only domesticated cats get temporarily impounded waiting for their owners to pick them up. All other cats that are either stray or semi-owned are assessed by vets to see if suitable for rehoming.

Council will advertise pictures of lost cats in the window of the Civic Centre (6 Dutton Road, Mount Barker) and online via Facebook. If after seven days and no one contacts Council, or collects their cat, they can be rehomed at either the Animal Welfare League, the Hahndorf Animal Shelter or the RSPCA.

Only very rarely. Our priority is to reunite all lost pets with their owners, if they don’t have an owner, they will be assessed by a vet for rehoming. If they are diseased, sick and suffering the final option is euthanisation and only then by recommendation of a vet.

Contravention of Council's Cat By-Law has an expiation fee of $182.00.

You can hire one of Council’s cat traps for $10. The traps are only for trapping feral cats. It is the hirer’s responsibility to take the trapped cat to a vet to be assessed and if the cat is to be euthanised then this is done at the cost of the hirer.

If the cat is not feral and is domesticated, please contact Council on 8391 7200.

To hire a cat trap, you will need to complete the Animal Trap Hire Agreement form. The completed form can only be lodged in person at the Council Civic Centre, 6 Dutton Road, Mount Barker. Please note there are limited traps available. Customer Service staff will raise a request and supply you with a Customer Reference Number. A Public Safety Officer will contact you and if a trap is not available will explore options. Once a trap becomes available, it will be issued provided the signed application form has been received and the fee is paid.

The trap must be returned clean and undamaged. If it is damaged or stolen, Council will charge a $150 replacement fee.

No. Feeding semi-owned cats causes a number of issues namely: they prey on our native wildlife, spread disease to domesticated cats and create issues to nearby residents as a result of nuisance behaviour. Although your intention is to help the feeding of semi-owned cats it will only will only worsen the problem. The vast majority of semi-owned cats are suffering from disease, they are not de-sexed and feeding them encourages them to frequent residential areas.

• Council’s cat curfew (8pm to 7am) will reduce the impact that cats have on native nocturnal wildlife. Council’s curfew does not apply during the day so cats will potentially kill other wildlife such as lizards and birds that are active during the day. Keeping your cat confined both day and night is recommended especially if you live near bushland and nature reserves and want to minimise the impact your pet cat has on native wildlife.
• Pet cats that are prevented from roaming live longer. They are protected from being hit by a car, injured in fights, attacks by dogs, snake bite, getting lost/stolen and catching diseases from other cats.
• Contrary to popular belief, domestic cats don’t need to roam. You will enjoy their company more and have less vet bills.
• Council gets many complaints from the community about the nuisance that roaming cats cause (including fights, spraying, digging & defecating in yard/vegetable garden (and spreading disease), disturbing pets, entering houses, preying on wildlife). Your cat’s activities may be impacting on neighbours, their animals and neighbourly relations.

Cats that have been fitted with bells on their collars can still kill wildlife as they can learn to silently stalk their prey. Native birds or small mammals don’t necessarily associate the sound of a bell with danger.

No, TNR does not address the welfare of semi-owned or feral cats which are usually suffering from disease and have short lives. TNR does not address nuisance behaviour issues caused by these cats and the massive impact that these cats have on our native wildlife.

Both feral and domestic cats can impact significantly on Australia's biodiversity, particularly birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.

The combined impact of cats and foxes has led to the extinction of almost 30 native mammals from mainland South Australia, and continues to threaten more.

Mount Barker District Council encourages cat owners to consider keeping your cat confined to your premises at all times to lessen the impact that your cat may be having on our endangered wildlife.

Native species in the Mount Barker region that are impacted by feral and domestic roaming cats include but not exclusive to;

Birds such as:

• Fairy wrens
• Willy wagtails
• Honeyeaters
• Robins
• Cuckoos
• Diamond firetails

Mammals such as:

• Bush rat
• Native water rat
• Ring-tailed possum
• Yellow-footed antechinus
• Pygmy possums
• Southern brown bandicoot

Amphibians and reptiles including:

• Common eastern froglet
• Spotted marsh Frog
• Banjo frog
• Sleepy lizards
• Blue tongued lizards
• Dragon lizards (water dragon lizard)

Confining your pet cat to your premises only, gives Council staff and other authorities the opportunity to identify and remove feral cats from the environment through trapping, further reducing the threats to wildlife and community comfort.

RSPCA South Australia say that keeping cats entertained and enriched inside is easier than you might think.

It is about having a variety of toys, scratching posts and climbing spaces available and regularly playing games with your pet.

Your cat will also like places to hide that can be as simple as a cardboard box.

For more information you can visit websites such as the RSPCA or the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation which has fantastic ideas on how you can enrich the life of your cat.

The Dog and Cat Board has some useful information about keeping your cat indoors and for cat proofing your property.

RSPCA South Australia also has a great article on keeping your kitty happy indoors.