Corvallis, OR Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 5.03.050.090.01 of the Corvallis Municipal Code declares domestic cats personal property. Section 5.03.050.090.02 then carves cats out of the general animal-at-large ban in Section 5.03.050.040.05: a cat may roam off its owner's premises without penalty as long as it displays a tag, collar, or other device identifying the owner. Failing to display that identification while the cat is at large is a Class B Infraction. This is a real exception, not a loophole: dogs remain bound by the separate leash law in Section 5.03.050.040.04 and must stay confined or on-leash citywide, while cats face no licensing requirement at all, only the identification rule.

If an officer cannot locate the owner of an identified cat found at large after reasonable diligence, the cat may still be impounded under the general procedure in Section 5.03.050.070: the officer gives written or mailed notice, and the owner has 72 hours, excluding Sundays and City holidays, to claim the animal and pay the impoundment fee set by the City Manager before it is deemed relinquished and may be adopted out. The Corvallis Police Department's Animal Control function enforces this section citywide; Benton County's dog-licensing requirement, which does not extend to cats, is a separate County ordinance.