It's far from purr-fect, but seeing thousands of people get licences for their pet cats is a promising start, says the city's bylaw boss Bill Bruce.

About 3,000 licences have been ordered, although not mandatory until January.

"I knew people were accepting it, but didn't know it would be this good," Bruce said yesterday.

He said a few cats have already been reunited with their owners thanks to the licences.

A licence will cost $10 a year for a fixed cat, but are free until January.