Night-time cat rules for the Shire of Colac Otway.

Yes. Under the council's Cat Confinement Order a cat must be kept within the boundaries of your property between 6pm and 6am, which the order sets as the hours of sunset and sunrise. You can meet this by keeping your cat indoors overnight or in an escape-proof outdoor structure, and a fully enclosed cat run keeps it safely on the property at any hour. The council has also consulted on moving to round-the-clock containment, so it's worth checking its Cat Confinement Order page for the current rule.

Yes. Under Victorian law every cat must be microchipped and registered with the council by the time it is three months old, and the registered owner needs to be 18 or over. Registration is renewed each year by 10 April, and the council posts a reminder before it falls due. Cat fees for 2025-26 were $132 for a microchipped cat or $25 if it is also desexed, with concession rates for pension card holders.

Microchipping is required before you can register, so every registered cat has to be chipped. Desexing isn't compulsory, but the council charges a much lower registration fee for desexed cats ($25 versus $132 for 2025-26), so it pays off quickly. Bring the desexing certificate from your vet when you register, and if you desex a young cat you may also be able to claim a refund on an earlier registration.

Under the council's General Local Law, you can keep up to 3 cats on a property of 0.25ha or less, 4 cats on 0.25 to 1ha, and 5 cats on land above 1ha without a permit. To keep more than that you need to apply to the council for a permit to keep more than the prescribed number of animals. That permit runs for three years, and an authorised officer inspects the property before it is approved.

The council doesn't require an animal permit for the cat run itself. A building permit is a separate question and usually comes down to the structure's size, height and where it sits on the block. As a rough guide in Victoria a small outbuilding under about 10 square metres and 3 metres high often doesn't need a building permit, but that isn't guaranteed, so check with the council's building team before you start.

There is no cat-specific height or setback rule, but the same building and planning rules that apply to any structure on your block can come into play, especially for anything large or close to a boundary. Parts of the shire also sit under overlays such as bushfire, heritage or environmental significance through the Otways and along the coast, which can add requirements. The safest move is to run your plans past the council's building and planning team first. A smaller enclosure tucked against the house is usually the easiest to keep within the rules.

A cat found off your property between 6pm and 6am is breaching the Cat Confinement Order, and penalties can apply. A wandering cat may also be picked up and impounded, with impound fees of up to $70 plus daily boarding costs to get it back. A registered, microchipped cat is much easier for the council to return to you, and keeping it in a secure enclosure avoids the problem altogether.

You can, but if you rent you'll need your landlord or property manager's permission first, and a freestanding or easily removable enclosure is usually the simplest to get signed off. In a unit or apartment with owners corporation rules, check what's allowed before building anything fixed. Either way a cat enclosure is a great way to meet the overnight confinement rule without a permanent build, and we can design one to suit a balcony, courtyard or small 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 Colac Otway. 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 Colac Otway 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.