Wayne County does not require county-wide cat licensing, but cities like Detroit and Dearborn impose registration. Free-roaming cats fall under nuisance ordinances and trespass statutes.
Unlike dogs, Michigan state law does not mandate cat licensing under the Dog Law of 1919 (MCL 287.261). Wayne County Animal Welfare focuses on dog enforcement, while individual municipalities adopt cat ordinances. Detroit requires cats over four months old to be vaccinated against rabies. Dearborn caps household cats at five. WCAS accepts stray cats but refers feral colonies to TNR (trap-neuter-return) partner organizations. Cat owners letting felines roam may face nuisance complaints from neighbors regarding feces, hunting wildlife, or property damage. Wayne County recommends keeping cats indoors for safety and ecological reasons.
Free-roaming cats damaging neighbor property may trigger civil nuisance suits. Unvaccinated cats biting humans require quarantine; owners face misdemeanor citations and fines up to $500.
Dearborn, MI
Dearborn prohibits feeding deer, geese, raccoons, and other wildlife that creates nuisance conditions, with feeding of songbirds allowed if it does not attra...
Dearborn, MI
Dearborn requires dogs to be leashed on a leash no longer than 6 feet when off the owner's property, with off-leash use allowed only at designated dog parks ...
See how Dearborn's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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