Stray and Feral Cats
Council's Rangers remove between 500 to 900 stray cats per year from within our municipality. Around 75 per cent of these cats are feral or not owned.
One un-desexed, stray, female cat can produce as many as 60 offspring in 12 months. In spring, as the daylight hours increase, the breeding season begins, resulting in an increase in cats fighting over territory, food and mating. This can result in injuries and disease transmission not only to other unowned cats but also to resident's pet cats. It also results in hundreds of unwanted litters of kittens being born under houses, around factories, in outbuildings, in drains and bushes.
Hiring a Cat Trap - Refundable Deposit Only
Council hires cat traps to residents of the City of Greater Dandenong only.
There is no fee for the hire of the trap, only a refundable deposit is required.
These allow stray and ferals cats to be caught humanely.
* Please note that you can only trap a cat on your own property, or someone else's property with their consent.
The cat traps cannot be used for trapping possums. Possums are a protected species under the Wildlife Legislation and can only be caught by licensed operators. Council officers have no authority to remove wildlife.
Hiring Conditions - Refundable deposit only required
- Refundable deposit must be paid, see cost below.
- No fee is charged for this.
- The deposit is fully refundable when the trap is returned in good and clean condition.
- Maximum hire period is 7 days.
- The trap hire is only available for hire to residents within the City of Greater Dandenong
- A cat trap can be hired from and returned to Springvale Community Hub Customer Service Centre, between Monday - Fridays (weekdays) only.
- Please contact Customer Service first to check availability of traps.
- Customers are given a facts sheet on how the trap works when they collect a trap from Customer Service.
Collection of the Cat
To arrange collection of the cat, please follow these steps:
- Only set the trap in the evening/night. Collection is once per day. If no cat is caught overnight, close trap during the day.
- Add an empty container to fill with water from the outside once a cat is caught.
- Once you have caught the cat, contact Customer Service on 8571 1000 between 8.30am - 12pm for collection.
- No collections will be made after 12pm.
- Cages must be covered with a towel or cloth to minimise the stress and prevent injury to the cat.
- You are responsible for the welfare of the cat whilst it is contained within the trap on your property. Sufficient water and protection from extremes of weather and predators while in the trap, and that the cat is not left in any circumstances which could lead to cruelty (as defined under the Prevention of Cruelty of Animal Act 1986).
- A Ranger will collect the cat and transfer it to another cage
- If you are not going to be home when the cat is to be collected, leave the trap in a quiet shaded area, but accessible to the Ranger
- You can then return the trap to Council or set it up again.
A cat trap must be returned to: Springvale Community Hub Customer Service Centre
