Owning a cat

If you own a cat in Nillumbik, you will need to meet a number of state and local government requirements.

These requirements help:

• keep your cat safe
• prevent your cat from being a nuisance to the community
• protect local wildlife.

Register your cat

Every cat that is three months of age or older must be registered with Nillumbik Shire Council. This is a legal requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. If you do not register your cat, you may get a fine.

Before registering, your cat also needs to be microchipped and desexed. Talk to your vet or visit Animal Welfare Victoria for more information about: 

• microchipping your cat
• the benefits of desexing your cat.

Register your cat

Get a permit for multiple cats

If you want to keep more than two cats (three months of age or older) at your property you will first need to apply to Council for a permit.

Apply for a permit for multiple cats.

Confine your cat

At the Council meeting held in September 2025, Council introduced a new order requiring cats to be confined to the owner's property at all times. Cats can leave the property if they're in a cat carrier, or other type of constraint such as a leash.

Council will provide information and support for owners to help them during a two-year transition period. The transition period provides owners with the necessary time to implement any changes required to safely ensure their cats remain confined to their property.

More information

Learn about how Nillumbik manages cats and other domestic animals in our Domestic Animal Management Plan 2025-2029(PDF, 5MB).