Nuisance cats

Throughout history, cats have charmed their way into our lives with their independence and unique personalities. The City of Armadale values all pets and encourages responsible pet ownership. However, we understand that cats can sometimes become a nuisance by roaming, attacking wildlife, or causing disturbances.

We provide the following guidance for residents to safely deter nuisance cats from their properties. Please remember, any action intended to harm a cat is unacceptable and illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2002.

Cat owners need to ensure their cats do not create a nuisance to the community. Under the City of Armadale Cat Local Law it is an offence for a cat to cause a nuisance. A cat is considered a nuisance if it unreasonably interferes with the use and enjoyment of a person within their land, causes material damage to land or property or their behaviour is harmful or annoying giving rise to legal liability.

As a first step and if you know who owns the cat, the City recommends that you approach and discuss your concerns with the cat’s owner. Often the owner may not be aware of their cat being a nuisance and will make an effort to rectify the problem once this has been raised with them.

Cats are creatures of habit and will often return to the same area regularly for sunning, defecating or urinating. If this is a problem in your garden, then it is important to break this habit. There are a number of deterrents that you can try.

Cats dislike the following smells

• Citrus fragrance - scatter orange or lemon peels or spray with citrus
• Coffee grounds
• Oil of lavender
• Vinegar – spray on areas where they roam
• Garlic
• Cinnamon
• Lemongrass
• Citronella

Plants as deterrents

• Curry plant (Helichrysum augustfolium)
• Geranium (Pelargonium)
• Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus)
• Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia)
• Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegrium)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Scaredy cat plant (Plectranthus caninus)

Other deterrent measures

• Making a loud noise to startle the cat is a useful deterrent. However, it may return later when you are not around.
• Squirting the cat with a hose is a good deterrent, and a cat that has been ‘caught’ several times may be reluctant to return. This does not harm the cat and the best results are achieved from squirts to the body, not the face.
• Commercial cat repellent sprays and gels are available from hardware stores, plant nurseries or vets.
• Electronic deterrents are also available which emit a high pitched sound to deter animals such as cats, dogs and possums.

If the nuisance persists despite your efforts, the nuisance can be reported to the Rangers to investigate. For an investigation to commence please provide detailed information such as dates, times, and descriptions of the incidents, along with any actions you have taken. Ranger Services can be contacted on 9394 5000 or email info@armadale.wa.gov.au