Buffalo Chapter 49 treats cats as companion animals subject to rabies vaccination, identification, and nuisance rules; owners must keep cats from damaging neighbor property, and the Buffalo Animal Shelter handles trap-neuter-return for community cat colonies.
Chapter 49 requires every cat over four months old to carry a current rabies vaccination certificate consistent with New York Public Health Law Section 2145 and Erie County Health rules. Buffalo does not require a leash for cats but holds owners liable when cats repeatedly damage neighboring gardens, mark structures, or attack songbirds protected under federal law. The Buffalo Animal Shelter coordinates registered trap-neuter-return colonies with approved caretakers who provide ear-tipping, microchipping, and feeding stations. Unaltered free-roaming cats may be impounded; redemption requires sterilization. Hoarding thresholds apply alongside Chapter 49 pet limits.
Impoundment with redemption fees, mandatory sterilization at owner expense, and citations up to two hundred fifty dollars per nuisance incident under Buffalo Chapter 49.
Buffalo, NY
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Buffalo, NY
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See how Buffalo's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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