Cincinnati, OH Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- CMC § 606-3
- Duty
- rabies vaccination for every owned/harbored cat
- Vaccination age
- required starting at 3 months old
- Proof requirement
- retain/provide to Board of Health (§606-9)
- First violation
- Class C Civil Offense, $300 initial fine
- Repeat violation (1 yr)
- Class D Civil Offense, $750 initial fine
Summary
Cincinnati has no city cat-licensing or feral-colony ordinance; the governing city cat rule is the mandatory rabies vaccination duty in CMC 606-3. Every owner or harborer of a cat (also dogs and ferrets) must have it vaccinated by a veterinarian once it turns three months old and keep it revaccinated as needed.
It shall be the duty of every person who owns or harbors a dog, cat, or ferret in the city of Cincinnati to have such dog, cat, or ferret inoculated by a veterinarian with a rabies vaccine so that the dog, cat, or ferret is continually protected against rabies by having the dog, cat, or ferret revaccinated as necessary; provided, however, that dog, cat, or ferret shall not be required to be vaccinated before reaching the age of three months. No person shall fail to have such dog or dogs inoculated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 606, Rabies Vaccination and Quarantines, is Cincinnati's cat-specific regulatory chapter: there is no separate municipal cat-licensing scheme, at-large restriction, or feral-colony registration; the operative city obligation runs through §606-3. It requires 'every person who owns or harbors a dog, cat, or ferret' to have the animal inoculated by a veterinarian and revaccinated as necessary, with kittens exempt from the duty until they reach three months old. ' Section 606-11 exempts cats kept at chartered medical or scientific institutions, cats confined at licensed breeding kennels, and cats brought in for a Board of Health-permitted cat show.
A newer provision, §606-13 (added by Ord. No. 0114-2026, effective April 1, 2026), requires an owner whose cat bites a person to report the bite to the Board of Health within 24 hours and to immediately quarantine the cat as ordered; the quarantine period for a biting dog, cat, or ferret runs at least ten days under the definition at §606-1-Q2, and the owner must notify the Board of the quarantine location and any signs of illness.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 606 violations, including failure to vaccinate a cat under §606-3, are Class C Civil Offenses under §1501-7(a)(5): an initial fine of $300.00 per the fine table at §1501-99. A second violation of the same requirement within one year escalates to a Class D Civil Offense, carrying an initial fine of $750.00, per §606-99(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cincinnati require cats to be licensed?
What proof do I need for my cat's vaccination?
What if my cat bites someone?
What's the fine for an unvaccinated cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cincinnati
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