CAT owners in the city of Joondalup will have to sterilise and register their pets, plus prevent them from straying, under a law passed by the city council last night.
Owners will have to pay $10 each year to register their pets with the city and ensure their cat wears a registration tag at all times.
The law, which passed seven votes to five, also requires cat owners to ensure their pets do not enter “prohibited areas”, including some city parks and private property.
The maximum penalty for the owner of a cat found in a prohibited area is $1000.
Cat owners can also be fined $500 if their cat is found on private property and the owner makes a complaint to the city.
City officers will be able to issue on-the-spot infringement notices for up to 10 per cent of the maximum fines.
Cr Geoff Amphlett said the cat law would help protect cats, cat owners and the wider community.
“The issue of cat management must be dealt with by local government,” he said.
Cr Brian Corr said he believed public education would be more effective than adopting the cat law.
“I have a problem with 10-year-old cats being sterilised,” he said.
Cat Haven operations manager Roz Robinson described the law as a “visionary leap” and called on other councils to adopt similar laws.
“There is a cat problem out there. We have to euthanise around 7000 cats per year, so we’re delighted the City of Joondalup has taken this issue up,” she said.