If your neighbour’s cat is becoming a nuisance, we suggest printing out the letter below and giving to your neighbour as a first point of contact. The letter also provides some simple tips for your neighbour to reduce incidents of nuisance.
Whilst there are no laws requiring cats to be confined within their property, cat owners are encouraged to do so.
Council acknowledges that cats can cause a nuisance to residents by doing things such as fighting, harassing or attacking other animals. These issues can be annoying and can interfere with your enjoyment of your property.
If your neighbour’s cat is causing you a nuisance you may choose to approach your neighbour about the issue.
It is important to remember that in many cases, even though the nuisance may have been occurring for a while, the owner of the cat may not be aware of the issue.
With this in mind, Council encourages you to seek an amicable resolution.
Council also has powers under the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016 to investigate a nuisance being caused by a pet cat.
The definition of a nuisance is set out in the Act, and is defined as, any adverse effect on an amenity value of an area that is caused by an animal that unreasonably interferes with, or is likely to interfere unreasonably with, the enjoyment of the area by persons occupying a place within, or lawfully resorting to the area.
If you are unable to resolve the issue with your neighbour please contact the Council for advice.
If you wish, Council can investigate the issues being experienced to see if they are at a level that would constitute a breach of the Act.
When Council investigates a report of a pet cat causing a nuisance, the case will be allocated to a General Inspector. The General Inspector will provide you with a Cat Nuisance Diary and will require you to provide evidence documenting the type and extent of the nuisance, including how this is unreasonably interfering with your enjoyment of the area.
Council acknowledges that investigations into nuisance cats can be quite time consuming for all involved. However, the cat owner has the right to appeal any formal action taken by Council to the South Australian Civil Administrative Tribunal (SACAT). Therefore Council must ensure that there is sufficient evidence to justify any action taken should an appeal be lodged with SACAT.
Should you require any further information please don’t hesitate to contact Council’s Customer Experience Centre on 8372 5111.