Coon Rapids, MN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Chapter 6-400 governs cats. Section 6-402 requires the owner of every cat kept, harbored, or maintained in the city to affix an identification tag to the cat's collar showing the owner's name and address or phone number. Section 6-403 requires rabies vaccination for any cat residing in the city unless a licensed veterinarian certifies vaccination would endanger the cat's health, in which case the exception certificate must reach the Animal Control Officer within five days and the unvaccinated cat must be confined to the owner's property or a veterinary facility.

An unvaccinated cat found roaming is subject to immediate impoundment, and the owner or claimant pays impound boarding fees and the actual cost of vaccination in addition to being guilty of a misdemeanor. Section 6-404 bans letting a cat run at large, defined in Section 6-401(5) as being off the owner's premises without a leash, cord, or chain of six feet or less or other restraint; a cat confined in a vehicle without a leash is lawful, but the cat must be leashed once removed from the vehicle.

Impounded cats are held per Section 6-405 and may be reclaimed under Section 6-406 by paying boarding fees; unclaimed cats are disposed of per the designated shelter's procedures under Section 6-407. A cat that bites, runs loose, or damages property on three or more occasions in 12 months is a declared public nuisance under Section 6-411 and must be abated by the owner within 14 days of notice from the Chief of Police, with a right to appeal to the City Council within 14 days under Section 6-413.