Battle Creek, MI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 608.17 of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances licenses cats and dogs together, so a cat in the City of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan is covered the same way. The license comes from the City Treasurer or the Treasurer's authorized agent. The application states the breed, sex, age, color and markings, whether the cat is spayed or neutered, whether it has a microchip, and the owner's contact information, and it comes with a rabies vaccination certificate where required. A cat is exempt from the vaccination requirement only with a veterinarian's written medical reason or an annual titre test showing adequate protection.

The license year runs 365 days for a one-year license or 1095 days for a three-year license, or ends sooner when the rabies certificate expires. Fees are not refundable and licenses are not transferable. Applications are due within thirty days of acquiring a licensable animal, and renewals no later than the expiration date. The fee schedule is in Section 802.24, and written proof of neutering or spaying produces a reduced fee. An owner must produce a valid license on request of anyone authorized to enforce the chapter, and if a citation is issued, the court waives fines, costs and assessments once an Animal Control Officer or police officer certifies that a license was obtained before the appearance date.

Under Section 608.18, cats wear collars with their City license tags at all times off the owner's premises. Section 608.11 also applies to cats: an animal outside the owner's premises must be on a leash not longer than eight feet, and a female cat in estrus cannot leave the premises. Section 608.19 caps households at five cats without a kennel license, and a mother cat can keep her kittens for three months. Section 608.15 requires a person who keeps a cat that does not belong to them to surrender it within twenty-four hours, and Section 608.01 says a person who feeds a stray is not its owner.