Under the Dog and Cat Management Laws (effective 1 July 2018), cats have to be microchipped by 3 months of age or within 28 days of getting them. You will need to update your cat’s microchip number with DACO if not done by your vet.
To celebrate all that cats can offer us – companionship, affection, entertainment and easy to live with – we wanted to share some tips and tricks to keep your cat safe and happy at home.
Cats are incredibly intelligent and sociable beings – be sure to interact with them daily, keep their toilet spaces clean, learn more about their body language (check out some examples from the RSPCA), and provide toys and enrichment opportunities to keep them busy throughout the day. This can work wonders for their mental health and wellbeing and may help reduce problem behaviours.
While cat parents love the idea of having their feline roam, there are many benefits to having an ‘inside’ cat. These can include:
- Reduced instances of fighting, aggression and risk of poor health including abscesses from cat fights, feline flu, leukaemia or feline aids.
- Reduced risk of car accidents. A study tracking 428 South Australian cats found the ranges of outdoor cats varied from 0.07 to 31.13 hectares, including crossing multiple busy roads. You can find out more by visiting: http://www.discoverycircle.org.au/projects/cat-tracker.
- Reduce risk to South Australia’s native wildlife.
- Longer life span on average.
Inside cats can live very happy and healthy lives. You can meet their needs by:
- Ensuring they have enough litter trays and cleaning them regularly (the general consensus for litter trays and food/water bowls is one per cat plus one – so a household with two cats will have three litter trays spread around the house).
- Access to spaces away from other family members and pets.
- A variety of toys – including boxes, toys they can bat and pounce on, or chew and chase by themselves and toys that dispense food. You can rotate them regularly to keep things ‘new’.
- Have different types of upright and horizontal scratching posts.
- Open a window (with screen) – new smells and sounds can be very enriching.
- Invest in a cat enclosure – secure outdoor enclosures allow your cat to safely explore the yard without risk of injury to themselves or native wildlife.
Find out more about keeping your cat happy and healthy indoors in our Animal Management Kit.
The City of Charles Sturt has a limit of 2 cats per household, but cat owners can apply for a permit to keep more than 2 cats.