Loudoun County, VA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

13's running-at-large leash requirement is written for dogs, and there's no county-wide cat licensing tax or at-large citation in the general code. The one mandatory cat rule is rabies vaccination. 18(f) requires all dogs and domesticated cats over four months of age to have a current rabies vaccination, and defines "domesticated cat" or "domestic cat" as one that is owned, in the possession of, or regularly fed or sheltered by a county resident, reaching outdoor and colony-fed cats, not just indoor pets. 18 set the consequences if a cat is involved in a rabies exposure: an unvaccinated cat exposed to a suspected-rabid animal can be confined at the Animal Shelter or an approved kennel for up to six months at the owner's expense, with a rabies vaccine administered before release, or euthanized if confinement isn't feasible; a vaccinated cat that bites or is bitten is instead revaccinated and confined on the owner's premises, or an approved site, for 45 days.