Overview
- The Cat Local Law, active since October 25, prohibits cats from 64 reserves and parks including Tompkins Park, Goolugatup Heathcote Reserve, Alfred Cove Nature Reserve and Centennial Park.
- Owners face a $300 fine if a cat is found in a prohibited area, with impounded animals taken to the City of South Perth facility until new Melville enclosures are built.
- Registered cats compliant with the Cat Act 2011 are returned to owners at their expense, while stray or unregistered cats are rehomed, with the same impound rules applying to dogs.
- Households are capped at two cats by default, with applications available to keep more, exemptions for foster or temporary stays, and grandfathering for addresses with prior multi-cat registrations.
- Consultation data recorded 45.7% opposition among 87 submissions, some seeking tougher curfews or mandatory containment that the council says it cannot impose under current state law.