Charlotte and Mecklenburg County require all cats four months and older to be vaccinated against rabies and licensed annually; free-roaming cats may be impounded if they create a nuisance or appear unowned.
Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control administers rabies tags and county pet licenses, with discounts for spayed or neutered cats. Cats are not subject to a strict leash law, but owners are liable for damage their cats cause and for nuisance complaints involving repeated trespass, fighting, or yowling. Trap-neuter-return colonies must be registered with Animal Control. State law (NCGS 130A-185) makes rabies vaccination mandatory statewide and authorizes county animal control to impound unvaccinated cats.
Failure to vaccinate or license carries civil penalties starting around 50 dollars; impound and boarding fees apply, and unclaimed cats may be transferred for adoption after the holding period.
See how Charlotte's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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