Arvada, CO Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

" The phrase "excepting cats" does the work here: while dogs, livestock and other animals must be confined or leashed off their owner's property, a free-roaming cat does not by itself violate this section. That does not mean cats are unregulated in Arvada. Section 14-43(b) still requires every cat to wear an identification tag or carry a surgically implanted microchip listing the owner's name, address, and phone number. Section 14-53 can reach a cat under the chapter's nuisance-animal provision if it creates a disturbance through noise or odors, and under Section 14-55, if a roaming cat comes onto someone else's property and damages plants, a lawn, a fence, or another animal, the property owner may humanely restrain the cat and must notify animal management or the owner.

Arvada does not operate a cat-licensing program; only dogs over four months old must be licensed with the Foothills Animal Shelter under Section 14-42. Chapter 14 does not contain a separate ordinance addressing managed feral cat colonies.