Appleton, WI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Any resident owning, keeping or harboring a dog or cat over five months old must obtain a City license within 30 days of acquiring the animal, per §3-66. The written application, filed with the licensing authority, must include the owner's name and address, a description of the animal, and a current rabies certificate from a licensed veterinarian (§3-67). The license year runs from January 1 through December 31 (§3-71); an animal that reaches five months of age after July 1 of the licensing year only owes fifty percent of the fee.

Fees are $11 for an animal not rendered sterile and $6 for one that has been spayed or neutered (§3-69), with veterinarian proof of the procedure required for the discount. Owners who miss the April 1 deadline, or who wait more than 30 days after acquiring a licensable cat, owe a $5 late fee collected by the Director of Finance (§3-72). Once licensed, a durable numbered tag is issued, and the license and rabies tags must be worn at all times the cat is off the owner's premises, except for show cats actively in competition (§3-76).

Using a license tag on any cat other than the one it was issued for is unlawful (§3-77). The Safety and Licensing Committee, with Common Council approval, may revoke a license for noncompliance with the chapter, and a revoked owner has 10 days to humanely dispose of the animal and produce a shelter or veterinary receipt as proof (§3-78). Enforcement falls to the Police and Health Departments under §3-2.