Alhambra, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Cat regulation in Alhambra is a notable departure from the underlying Los Angeles County code. Alhambra adopts County Code Title 10 by reference (Municipal Code Chapter 7.04), but Section 7.04.030 amends the adopted code to exempt cats from the county's cat-licensing requirements and enforcement, while keeping other provisions intact. The city's own pages confirm this: domestic cats are 'subject to voluntary licensing,' meaning you may license your cat but are not required to. The county's residential cat limit still governs: County Code 10.20.038(B) makes it unlawful to keep more than five cats at any residence without an animal facility license, and each cat must be 'kept primarily indoors.' Alhambra also requires spay/neuter for cats; consistent with its dog amendment, the city applies a six-month-of-age trigger (Section 7.04.030, amending the county mandatory spay/neuter program in County Code 10.20.350), and an owner of an unaltered cat must either alter it or obtain an unaltered-cat license. There is no cat leash law, but cats are still subject to the general animal-care and nuisance provisions of County Code Chapter 10.40, and a cat allowed to run loose, become a nuisance, or be neglected can lead to enforcement. Because cats must be kept primarily indoors under the county limit and there is no county feeding mandate for free-roaming cats, responsible owners should keep cats contained and altered.