Clark County, IN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 91.39
- Rule
- Confine female cats in heat
- Fine range
- $25 to $1,000
- License required at release
- Yes, § 91.37(E)
- Feral colony rule
- None separate in county code
Summary
Section 91.39 requires every female dog or cat in heat to be confined in a building or secure enclosure so it cannot contact another animal except for planned breeding, a rule enforced alongside the county's general restraint and licensing requirements for cats under the Control of Dogs and Cats subchapter.
§ 91.39 DOGS/CATS IN HEAT; CONFINEMENT. (A) Every female dog/cat in heat shall be confined in a building or secure enclosure in such manner that such dog/cat cannot come into contact with another dog/cat except for planned breeding. (B) Any person violating this section shall be subject to the fines hereinafter provided.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2019 S-0: Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 31-2014, passed 12-18-2014).
Full Breakdown
39(A) directs that every female dog or cat in heat be confined in a building or secure enclosure in a manner that prevents contact with another dog or cat except for planned breeding, and (B) makes any violation subject to the fines set out for the subchapter. 37(E) proof of rabies vaccination and a current cat license before an impounded cat is released from the animal shelter to its owner. 37(C). The subchapter does not create a separate feral-colony or trap-neuter-return provision; feral cats fall under the same at-large, impoundment, and heat-confinement rules as owned cats.
Violations & Fines
Violating the heat-confinement rule, like other Sections 91.35 through 91.43 violations, exposes the owner under Section 91.99(D) to a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $1,000 upon conviction, in addition to any impoundment and redemption fees the animal shelter charges if the cat is also picked up running at large.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clark County require confining a cat in heat?
Is a cat license required to get an impounded cat back?
Does Clark County have a feral cat colony ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
Compare Clark County to another location·View the Indiana animal ordinances overview
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