Night curfew rules across the Shire of Towong.

Yes. Towong runs a cat curfew from 9pm to 6am, seven days a week, so your cat has to be kept on your own property between those hours. Outside the curfew the council still expects cats not to wander onto other people's land. A fully enclosed cat run keeps your cat safely on the property day and night, which makes meeting the curfew easy.

Yes. Every cat over three months of age must be registered with the council, and registration renews each year and is due by 10 April. Your cat also needs to be microchipped before it can be registered. You can register at the council offices in Corryong or Tallangatta, or call the council on 1300 365 222.

Microchipping is required before you can register a cat, so in practice every registered cat is chipped. Desexing isn't compulsory, but it's strongly encouraged and desexed cats usually pay a lower registration fee. Towong also runs a subsidised cat desexing and microchip program, with a larger subsidy for concession card holders, so it's worth asking the council about that.

On a property smaller than 10 hectares you can keep up to two cats (and up to two dogs) over 12 weeks of age. If you want more than that, you need to apply to the council for a permit. Larger rural holdings can be treated differently, so check with the council if you're on acreage.

The cat run itself doesn't need an animal permit. A small, freestanding enclosure often won't need a building permit either, but it depends on the size, the height and how close it sits to a boundary. It's worth a quick call to the council's building or planning team before you start, especially as much of the shire sits in bushfire-prone country.

Victoria's general building rules mean a small, low structure set back from the boundary usually stays under the building permit threshold, while a larger or taller one can trip it. Setbacks, overlays and how close you build to the fence all come into play. Rather than guess the exact figures, check the current thresholds with the Shire of Towong, and we'll design the enclosure to sit within them.

The council can act if a cat is wandering, especially during the 9pm to 6am curfew or if it strays onto someone else's property. Residents can borrow a cat cage from the council on a refundable deposit to safely contain a wandering cat, and rangers will then collect it. Impounded cats are taken to the Albury Animal Management Centre, and you can be fined if your cat keeps wandering after a warning, so keeping it contained saves everyone the hassle.

You can, but get the property owner's or body corporate's written permission first, since you're placing a structure on someone else's property. We can build freestanding or removable enclosures that suit rentals and don't damage the building. It's also a tidy way to meet the cat curfew when you don't have a secure yard.

A fully enclosed catio keeps your cat safely on your property, which is exactly what containment rules ask for, while still giving them fresh air and the sounds and smells of outside. We build a range of escape-proof enclosures, from a discreet patio catio to a side run or netting over the whole backyard, so there's an option to suit your home. Build a quote to get started.

Yes, we build custom catios right across greater Melbourne, including the Shire of Towong. If you're not sure you're in range, get in touch and we'll let you know.

Always confirm the current rules with the council directly via the Shire of Towong website (opens in a new tab). The guide above is research we've collated to help you get started, not legal advice, see the note at the foot of this page.