Clovis, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- City cat license
- Not required
- Licenses required for
- Dogs and potbellied pigs only
- At-large exemption
- Spayed/neutered cats only
- Public nuisance threshold
- 3+ at-large incidents/12 months
- Feral cat/colony feeding
- Unlawful (§6.1.519)
- Spay/neuter deadline
- 4 months old (§6.1.515)
Summary
Clovis does not license cats: Municipal Code § 6.1.201 requires tags only for dogs and Vietnamese potbellied pigs. Spayed or neutered cats are also the only animal exempt from the citywide at-large ban under § 6.1.307, though feeding a feral cat or colony remains a separate violation under § 6.1.519.
§ 6.1.201(a): Every person owning, possessing, keeping, harboring or having custody of any dog over four (4) months old, and all Vietnamese potbellied pigs, shall obtain a license for each dog and potbellied pig. § 6.1.307: No owner of any animal, except a cat which has been spayed or neutered, shall cause, permit, or allow any such animal to be at large in the City. A violation of this provision is an infraction. An animal that is at large three (3) or more times within a twelve (12) month period shall be deemed a public nuisance and the owner shall remove the animal from the City's incorporated limits. § 6.1.519: It shall be unlawful for any person within the City to intentionally provide food, water, or other forms of sustenance to a feral cat or feral cat colony.
Full Breakdown
Cats get lighter treatment than dogs under the Clovis animal code. 201(a) never mentions cats, so no cat license, tag, or annual renewal fee exists in the City. 307, then singles cats out for a further break: no owner of any animal, except a cat which has been spayed or neutered, may allow the animal to be at large in the City. A fixed cat may therefore roam without violating the section, while an unaltered cat, or any dog, that gets loose commits an infraction, and three or more at-large incidents within twelve months makes the animal a public nuisance the owner must remove from City limits.
519 makes it unlawful for any person to intentionally provide food, water, or other sustenance to a feral cat or a feral cat colony, so a resident who sets out food for a colony, even with good intentions, is violating the Municipal Code regardless of ownership status. 307.
Violations & Fines
An unspayed or unneutered cat found at large violates § 6.1.307 as an infraction; three or more at-large incidents within twelve months make the animal a public nuisance, and a failure to remove it from City limits becomes a misdemeanor. Separately, feeding a feral cat or colony violates § 6.1.519 no matter whether the cat is altered, and Animal Services enforces it like any other Municipal Code violation under the default misdemeanor/infraction scheme of § 1.2.01.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Clovis?
Can my cat roam outside without violating city law?
Can I feed the feral cats in my neighborhood?
What if animal control finds my cat outside repeatedly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clovis
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