Apple Valley, MN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Cat rules in Apple Valley run through § 91.04, the rabies control section, rather than a cat license. Under § 91.04(A), every dog, ferret or cat four months of age and older must be vaccinated against rabies and distemper, at the owner's cost. A cat not vaccinated when acquired or brought into the city must be vaccinated within 30 days, unless it is under four months old. After that, § 91.04(C) requires a cat to be revaccinated at not more than 36-month intervals regardless of vaccine type. Section 91.04(D) then requires a metal or durable plastic tag, issued by the attending veterinarian, securely attached to the collar or harness, and worn whenever the cat is out of doors, on or off the owner's premises. The owner can be asked for the veterinarian's current certificate. Cats visiting for less than 30 days are exempt under § 91.04(E).

Enforcement is by impoundment. Under § 91.04(F), a cat found off the owner's premises without a valid tag can be impounded, handled the same way as dogs, and released on payment of impounding fees and per-day feeding and care costs from the appendix to Chapter 35, plus compliance with the vaccination rules. An owner who says the cat was vaccinated can reclaim it with proof of vaccination, all fees, and a valid tag. If a cat bites a person, § 91.04(G) requires a current rabies certificate and a ten-day quarantine at home or another place the city directs.

Other Chapter 91 limits reach cats too. Section 91.06(C) caps a household at three cats over four months of age, inside a combined total of six with dogs and ferrets. A cattery, meaning premises with more than three cats over four months old, needs a Council-granted permit under § 91.05, with the enclosure inside the principal structure. The city licensing section, § 91.15, and the at-large section, § 91.17, are written for dogs.