Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Megan Doherty

Albus Dumblepaw ... Barry Ratslayer: Canberrans' names for their moggie are the cat's whiskers

Kitty, Puss, Fluffy....mmmm. A bit meh?

Canberrans seem to want to reach a little higher when naming the cat in their life.

How about Barry Ratslayer Prince of Darkness? Ginger Sparkle Warrior? Or Albus Dumblepaw?

The ACT government last year passed new laws which mean all cats must be registered and their details updated annually.

Throughout the first year of mandatory cat registration in the ACT, more than15,000 cats were registered, according to City Service.

Some of the more imaginative cat names included Bootstrap Bill, KitKat, Chicken, Dwight, Smeagol, Fluffy Owen, Whispurr, Storm Thunderpaws, Zippy Kitty and Mr Fluffypants.

Canberra cats are too cool for school. Picture by Shutterstock

The longest cat name registered was Lord Steven Charles Edgeworth, Field Marshal of Her Majesty's Armed Forces, Defender of The Faith and Wearer of Little Blue Hats.

Coming in at second place was Queen Luna Beth Kitty Cat, True Leader of the Cat Realm.

Since the laws were passed, all cats aged over eight weeks must be registered in the ACT.

Registration for cats born before July 1, 2022, meanwhile, is no longer free.

If it's your first time registering, there is a one-off fee of $59.70.

The fee is $21.70 for pensioners and benefit recipients.

After this, cat owners need to update the details annually. There is no charge for that.

The government says the annual registration ensures City Services has up-to-date contact details for pet owners, "allowing them to reunite cats with their families quickly if they are lost or somewhere they shouldn't be".

If cats are not registered, the owner can cop a $350 fine.

"While an on-the-spot fine of $350 can apply, the ACT government is taking an educative approach to encourage Canberrans to register their cat so they can be reunited with their owners should they become lost or somewhere they shouldn't be," a government spokesperson said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.