Bloomington, IN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- General cat license
- Not required citywide
- Colony registration
- Required for anyone feeding a feral colony
- Method
- Trap-neuter-return administered by Animal Care and Control
- Caretaker eligibility
- No animal cruelty convictions allowed
- Fines
- Colony caretakers exempt from Chapter 7.56 penalties
Summary
Bloomington doesn't require a general cat license, but anyone feeding or sheltering a colony of feral cats in the City of Bloomington must register with Animal Care and Control and follow trap-neuter-return practices. A colony caretaker who lets a cat become a public nuisance, or who has an animal cruelty conviction, can be barred from the program.
(b)Any person who provides food, water or shelter to a colony of feral cats shall be registered with the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control Department or its designee. ... (a)The city of Bloomington animal care and control department or its designee, in order to encourage the stabilization and reduction of the feral cat population in the city of Bloomington, may:(1)Trap any feral cat in a humane manner;(2)Have the feral cat surgically sterilized and ear-tipped or tattooed by a licensed veterinarian;(3)Release the feral cat for adoption or other disposition in accordance with the law or to a colony caretaker who will maintain the feral cat as part of a managed colony of feral cats.
Full Breakdown
010 as cats that have lived with little or no human contact and are unsocialized, ear-tipped or tattooed, to register as a colony caretaker with the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control Department or its designee. 36. 020 lets the department or its designee trap feral cats, have them sterilized and ear-tipped or tattooed by a licensed veterinarian, and either release them for adoption or return them to a colony caretaker as part of a managed colony under the city's trap-neuter-return program; an impounded cat bearing an ear-tip or tattoo showing it belongs to a managed colony must be returned to that colony unless illness or injury poses an imminent danger.
030 holds colony caretakers to the standard trap-neuter-return guidelines set by Animal Care and Control, bars anyone convicted of animal cruelty from serving as a caretaker, and prohibits letting a colony cat become a public nuisance. 020(e) exempts them from the fines and penalties chapter that applies to other animal owners.
Violations & Fines
A feral cat colony that becomes a public nuisance, or a caretaker who fails to follow the trap-neuter-return guidelines in Section 7.23.030, can lose the colony's registration with the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control Department. Colony caretakers are specifically exempted from the civil fines in Chapter 7.56 under Section 7.56.020(e), though an unmanaged colony can still be impounded under Section 7.32.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Bloomington?
How does trap-neuter-return work in Bloomington?
Can anyone become a feral cat colony caretaker?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
Compare Bloomington to another location·View the Indiana animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.