Ipswich City CouncilCatsRoaming CatsCats must be confined to the owner's property at all times - cats are not allowed to roam. Should you wish to make a request for a Council Officer to investigate cats roaming from their property, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with the necessary information including location, address, breed and colour (if known) of the roaming cat/s. Please note, sometimes issues of roaming cats can be resolved by speaking to the cat owner first, without the need to involve Council. Council has developed a letterbox drop style of form which you may wish to use to communicate the issue of the nuisance cat to your neighbour.
Simply print out the Council does provide cat traps free-of-charge to residents of Ipswich for the sole purpose of assisting them to impound stray animals that may be roaming onto their private property. Traps are available for a period of 10 working days - fees will apply if the trap is not returned during this time. For details, contact the Ipswich Pound on (07) 3810 6666. It is not responsible of a pet owner to knowingly allow their cat to roam outside their property. When outside of your property, your cat may be stolen, injured, poisoned or killed. It could also injure another person or animal. Roaming cats are a nuisance and it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their cat does not roam. While Council does not offer a collection service for roaming cats, they may be brought to the Ipswich Pound and Animal Management Centre. Cats can be brought to the Pound as long as the cat was found in the Ipswich Council area and the customer lives in the Ipswich Council area. If your cat is located in the Ipswich Pound, you should visit the Pound and speak to the staff. In most cases, the cat owner will be charged fees prior to the release of the cat from the Pound. If the cat owner is unable to visit the Pound and would like their representative to collect the cat on their behalf, a letter of authority or similar authorisation by the cat owner is necessary to release the cat. Cat owners may choose to surrender their animal to the Ipswich Pound as long as the owner lives in the Ipswich City Council area. Charges may apply. How to Prevent Cats RoamingIt is quite easy to train your cat to stay indoors, however you may wish to build an outdoor enclosure for your cat or ensure your fence is appropriate to keep your cat on your property at all times. Cats kept inside generally live much longer than cats allowed to roam outside. Around 80 percent of accidents involving cats occur at night. Confining your cat in the evening will minimise the risk of injury and prevent it from fighting with other cats. Tips to confine your cat:
What Happens to Roaming CatsRoaming cats can be impounded by any member of the public or collected by Animal Management Officers from public property. If your cat roams and is collected by Council or another resident, Council will take all possible steps to contact you. If your cat is missing, contact the Ipswich Pound and Animal Management Centre immediately. Release fees and any outstanding registration will need to be paid prior to the cat being released to you. If a cat is not claimed from the pound after three clear working days, Council will endeavour to re-house the cat with an approved welfare agency, or if the cat is not suitable for re-housing, it may be put to sleep. Nuisance CatsIf you encounter a nuisance cat from a neighbouring property, the first step could be to discuss the issue with your neighbour. Sometimes the issue of nuisance cats can be resolved by speaking to the cat owner first, without the need to involve Council. Once a person is made aware that an issue is causing a nuisance to their neighbours, most of the time, they will take steps to fix the problem. Council strongly encourages the community to discuss these issues with their neighbours. The Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General have developed a Neighbourhood Mediation Kit which provides advice on how to approach your neighbour to discuss a concern and tips on setting up mediation. If neighbourhood disputes can not be resolved you may wish to take advantage of the Governments free Mediation Services. If so please contact the Dispute Resolution Branch on 1800 017 288 (toll free), or by post to:
Dispute Resolution Branch For more information on this service please visit the Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General website. Alternatively should you wish to make a request for a Council Officer to investigate a nuisance cat, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with necessary information including details of the nuisance, location, breed of cat (if known), etc. Injured CatsIf you encounter an injured cat, it is recommended you contact the RSPCA on (07) 3426 9955 or take it to a veterinarian. If the cat is deceased, contact Ipswich Waste on (07) 3810 6666 for collection.
Last Updated 1 Jun 2011 |
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