Cats are not licensed on the Big Island and there is no leash requirement, but feral-cat management is a live issue: County Ordinance 25-63 (Bill 51) bans feeding feral animals, including cats, on County property, while allowing sanctioned trap-neuter-return programs.
The County of Hawai'i does not require cat licensing or microchipping and imposes no cat leash rule, though owners remain responsible for their animals under the general animal-cruelty statute (HRS 711-1109). Feral cats are the main regulatory focus: because free-roaming cats prey on native and endangered birds, Ordinance No. 25-63 (Bill 51, adopted 2025) makes it unlawful to feed feral animals, including cats, on County-owned property. The measure carries a $50 fine for a first violation and $500 for subsequent violations but expressly does not prohibit approved trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts. Owned cats should be spayed or neutered and kept from becoming a nuisance.
Feeding feral cats on County property is finable at $50 for a first offense and $500 for each later offense under Ordinance 25-63; cruelty to a cat is prosecuted under HRS 711-1109.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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