Clay County, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

' Because cats are written out of that definition, the general at-large prohibition in section 4-22(a) does not reach a cat wandering off its owner's property; Clay County has no countywide requirement that cats be leashed, licensed, or kept confined simply for roaming. The Code does regulate one cat scenario directly: section 4-22(c) makes it unlawful for an owner or keeper to permit a female cat in heat to be on the streets, in any public place, or on private space not belonging to the owner, unless restrained by a leash or similar device four feet or less in length under the owner's direct physical control.

A cat in heat must otherwise be kept securely confined in a building or enclosure with a secure top and bottom on all sides so it cannot breed, and a cat in heat found at large is declared a nuisance and may be impounded. If a cat is impounded, whether for being in heat and at large or for any other lawful reason under the article, section 4-22(d)'s sterilization options and section 4-22(e)'s mandatory rabies vaccination and microchipping before return both apply, and section 4-26(a)(7) allows the division manager to dispose of unweaned litters of kittens under six months old found without a nursing mother.