Proposed Cats Local Law 2025

The City of Stirling has made a number of Local Laws which regulate and manage activities throughout the City. These Local Laws are enforceable through the courts.

For more information, visit our Policies and Local Laws page.

The City will consider all the submissions from the community and present a report back to Council.

Council will then consider the report at a meeting and determine in the proposed Cat Local Law 2025 should be adopted.

The inclusion of additional Cat Prohibited Areas and the permit requirements within Fauna Protection Buffer Zones aims to encourage responsible cat ownership, and thus a reduction in predation of native animals by roaming pet cats in bushland conservation areas. The City has confirmed the presence of roaming pet cats in several bushland conservation reserves through a trail camera assessment, highlighting the prevalence of roaming cats in our bushlands. Roaming pet cats are recognised as a major threat to biodiversity within urban areas in Australia. Within the City of Stirling, they are estimated to be killing more than 360,000 native animals per year.

The City of Stirling has drafted the proposed new City of Stirling Cats Local Law 2025 to provide the City of Stirling with sufficient measures, in accordance with the Cat Act 2011 (WA) to control the keeping of cats and protect native fauna and flora across the City.  

Key changes include:

• Cat limits: Households may keep up to two cats without a permit. A permit is required to keep three or more cats or to operate a cattery.
• Permit areas: Properties located within 200 metres of a Cat Prohibited Area - now expanded from 11 to 43 reserves - must also obtain a permit to keep cats. These areas, known as Fauna Protection Buffer Zones, are designed to safeguard local biodiversity.