Cowlitz County, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

130 applies to adult dogs kept within a designated dog control zone; cats are addressed only in subsection E, which states registration is optional and that any person may register a cat and receive registration certificates and tags for cats in the unincorporated areas of Cowlitz County, effective for three years or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first. There is no mandatory cat licensing, no cat-specific leash requirement, and no county cat-at-large ordinance distinct from the general nuisance and mistreatment provisions that apply to "domestic animals" generally.

070, which requires the finder to notify the Animal Control Authority and describe the animal within 24 hours; if unclaimed for 30 days, the finder may become the owner, subject to redemption rights the original owner retains for up to 90 days. 060, covering neglect, abandonment and cruelty, apply to cats as domestic animals along with dogs and other pets.