To reduce the number of feral and stray cats in urban areas, council offers a cat trapping service.
A limited number of traps are available for hire from ranger services.
Trap hire is free, however a $100 refundable deposit must be paid. This payment must be made at a council office.
How to hire a trap
To hire a trap, call ranger services on 1300 242 686 to make a booking.
The trap can be collected from the ranger’s main office located at 68 Borilla street, Emerald.
Arrangements can be made to bring traps to other locations. Please speak to the rangers when making the booking.
Traps may be hired for a one-week period from Monday to Friday, and must be returned by 5.00pm on the due date.
How to set the trap
Ranger services will provide instructions on how to set the trap. Traps must be set in a shaded area and supplied with water.
Collection of a trapped cat
Collection of trapped cats can be organised during business hours, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, trapped cats can be brought to the ranger services main office.
All cats will be treated humanely and exposed to minimal stress, but trapped cats can be dangerous and should be handled by rangers only.
What happens to a trapped cat
If deemed safe to handle, a trapped cat will be advertised here.
If an owner can be identified, the cat will be held in the pound for five days.
If an owner can’t be identified, it will be held in the pound for three days.
After this period, it will be assessed for rehoming or euthanised.
Important
Council will not pick up a trapped cat after hours, on weekends or on public holidays.
Traps are not to be used for trapping anything else but cats. Anyone with concerns about managing other wildlife should contact ranger services for advice.
Returning a damaged trap or failure to return the trap will forfeit the $100 deposit.
Cat owners’ responsibilities
To avoid cats being trapped, cat owners should firstly ensure their cats are contained on their property.
Cats should also be identifiable with a microchip.