Cat curfew for Glen Eira?

We're exploring ways to make our area safer, more liveable and more biodiverse. As part of this, we’re exploring the idea of introducing a cat curfew — and we want to hear what you think.

This is your opportunity to help shape our future approach to cat management in Glen Eira. Whether you’re a cat owner or someone passionate about wildlife protection — Have your say by Sunday 29 June 2025.

What are the options?

We’re still exploring this idea and would like your feedback. We’re asking your input on three possible approaches:

  • 24-hour cat curfew 🕰️

    Cats must stay on their owner's property at all times.

  • Night-time curfew 🌛

    Cats must stay on their owner’s property from sunset to sunrise.

  • No curfew 🐈

    Continue with the current approach, allowing cats to roam freely.

Why are we talking about this now?

In Glen Eira, we love our pets. In fact, more than 5,000 people in Glen Eira have registered cats. The vast majority of these cats are in loving, responsible homes and well cared for. Below are some of the reasons we're now considering a cat curfew.

  • Following the lead from other councils

    We’re exploring cat curfews because because they have been shown in other parts of Victoria, Australia and the world to keep cats and other animals safe, while also making neighbourhoods feel safer and more liveable. In our neighbouring councils like Port Philip and Bayside, cat curfews are already in place.

  • Keeping cats safe

    Cat curfews keep cats safe from traffic accidents, fights or unwelcome encounters with other animals, or exposure to harmful diseases, especially overnight. This means curfews have been shown to lead to longer, healthier lives for cats.

  • More liveable communities

    We also think a cat curfew could help create more liveable communities, which we know is a priority for Glen Eira residents. When left to roam outside, especially overnight, cats have been found to dig up gardens, create nighttime noise, and in some cases even impact or fight local wildlife. In 2023, more than 80 cats were impounded in Glen Eira. Cat curfews have been found to help protect native birds and small animals, helping to preserve biodiversity.

Have your say

Community engagement is open until Sunday 29 June 2025.

Have your say by:

  • 📝Completing the survey below — The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.
  • 📞Calling to speak to a member of the community engagement team on (03) 9524 3333.
  • 📩Emailing your feedback to engagement@gleneira.vic.gov.au.

You can also request a hard copy of the survey form to be posted to you.  To request this, contact us at (03) 9524 3333 or email us at engagement@gleneira.vic.gov.au.

What happens next?

We’ll use what we hear from the community to help guide our decision-making, and then report back on what we decide and how your feedback helped us.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to promote responsible pet ownership and work with our community to support animal welfare, liveability, and local biodiversity.

Privacy collection notice

Glen Eira City Council is committed to protecting the personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic). The privacy collection notice explains the purpose for which information is collected, and how we will use and handle the information. You can view the privacy collection notice for this project here: Privacy Collection Notice.