Cat Resources

Did you know that Cats play at home and need places to hide to feel safe? Home is the best place to protect them! Find out how to make your Cat happy with City of Darwin's Animal Education Team. Let's make your pet an exemplary community member!

Cats are intelligent and clean companion animals. They give affection, comfort and companionship to their owners. Like all pets, cats need responsible ownership and care. If a friendly feline has decided you shall be its keeper, read on for our tips for keeping your new master safe, secure, and entitled.

Council strives to ensure that cats, their owners and neighbours live together in safety and harmony in the Darwin community. It all comes down to one thing – responsible pet ownership.

Great Pets Start With You brochure

Great Pets Start With You service provider listing

Home Is The Purrfect Place For Your Cat!

We encourage Darwin pet owners to adhere to five principles of pet ownership:

Register and microchip your pets
Desex your pets
Provide training, socialisation and care for your pets
Do not allow your pet to become a threat or nuisance in the community.
Prepare your pets for Emergencies

Desex your Cat

Responsible pet owners should ensure that their pets are desexed. Not only does desexing surgery prevent feral cat overpopulation, it also makes for happier and healthier pets. Desexed pets enjoy better health, and owners notice their pets have improved actions and a reduction in nuisance behaviours such as aggression, spraying and wandering.

Provide training, socialisation and care for your cats

Basic obedience training is the first step to a well-socialised pet. A responsible cat owner ensures that their cat does not roam around, threaten or chase other animals, or people.

All cats require daily care, fresh water, feeding and exercise. Regular grooming, yearly check-ups and vaccination schedules are important responsibilities that maintain the health of your pets.

Indoor cats are happy pets. Keep your animals contained at home.

Most states and Territories across Australia now have cat containment laws in place. And for a good reason! Did you know indoor cats can live up to four times longer than those allowed to roam freely?

Keeping your cat indoors will also help protect our precious native wildlife.

One of the best ways to ensure your cat's safety is by keeping them contained indoors. It keeps them away from potential dangers such as cars, diseases, fights with other cats and even people who might try to harm them.

Did you know the average outdoor domestic cat roams an area of 2 hectares from its home? Some cats may roam more than 4km! That's a lot of room to get into trouble!

Prevent your cat from roaming by keeping it contained on your property, and don't let your animal disrupt neighbours. Some cats are adventurous and will enjoy outdoors activities, in such cases have your cat on a lead or in a suitable container.