Alameda, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Alameda licenses cats, which many California cities do not. Municipal Code Section 7-3.1 (License Fees) requires every person who owns, harbors, or possesses any dog or cat over four months of age in the City to pay a license fee set by City Council resolution. Spayed or neutered cats and cats owned by residents 62 and older qualify for a 50% reduced fee, and very-low-income owners may have the fee waived. Section 7-3.5 prohibits licensing without a current rabies vaccination, so cats must be vaccinated to be licensed. The city code does not cap the number of cats a household may keep, and it does not require cats to be leashed or kept indoors. However, Section 7-9.5 (Abandonment of Animal) makes it unlawful for any owner or keeper willfully to abandon a dog or cat within the City, and the general cruelty rule in Section 7-9.1 bars beating, torturing, depriving of food or water, or otherwise maltreating any animal. Cat licensing and sheltering are handled by the Alameda Animal Shelter, run by Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) at 1590 Fortmann Way. California state law (Food & Agricultural Code Section 30951) also requires rabies vaccination programs and supports local cat licensing where adopted.