Curfew rules for cats in the City of Whitehorse.

Yes. Whitehorse has a night-time cat curfew, so your cat must be kept inside or in a suitable enclosure between 8pm and 6am (Order No 9). Cats are also banned from Council bushland reserves, like Blackburn Lake Sanctuary and Yarran Dheran, at all times. A fully enclosed cat run on your property is one of the easiest ways to meet the curfew, since your cat can be outside safely without ever leaving your land.

Yes. Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 every cat living in Whitehorse must be registered with Council, and registered pets have to wear their lifetime tag on their collar. Registrations are renewed each year and fall due by 10 April. You can register online or by contacting the Council.

Microchipping is required before you register, and you supply the 15-digit chip number with your application. Desexing is not strictly compulsory to register, but a desexed cat pays a much lower fee ($46, or $15 for eligible concession holders) versus an undesexed cat ($126). Animal Aid in Coldstream offers free microchipping for Whitehorse residents, so it is worth a call to check current details with the Council.

You can keep up to 2 cats at a property without a permit. Council allows one extra cat where its records show the animal is 10 years or older. If you want more than that, you need to apply for an excess animal permit and pay the fee, so check the current amount with the Council.

You do not need an animal permit to build a cat enclosure. A building permit is a separate question and depends on size and placement: Whitehorse says a permit is triggered once a structure has a roof area over 10 sqm, or is taller than 2.4m within 1m of a boundary, or over 3m when further from the boundary. Most modest cat runs sit under those thresholds, but it is always worth confirming with the Council's building team before you start.

Yes, the usual building rules for backyard structures apply. In Whitehorse a building permit kicks in if a structure is 1m or less from a boundary and taller than 2.4m, or more than 1m from the boundary and taller than 3m, or if the roof area is over 10 sqm. We design cat enclosures to sit within those limits where we can, and if your block or an overlay makes it tricky we will flag it and point you to the Council.

A cat found wandering off your property, especially during curfew hours or in a protected reserve, can be seized and impounded by Council. You may then face a fine and impound fees to get your cat back, and an unidentified cat is harder to reunite with its owner. Keeping your cat registered, microchipped and contained in a cat run is the simplest way to avoid all of that.

You can, but get your landlord's or owners corporation's written permission first, since the structure attaches to or sits on the property. Freestanding or window-style cat enclosures work well for rentals and units because they can be built to be removable and leave no lasting damage. Have a chat with us about your space and we will suggest an outdoor cat space that suits your situation.

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 City of Whitehorse. 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 City of Whitehorse 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.