Fort Wayne, IN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration required
- cats over 5 months old
- Unaltered cat annual fee
- $100
- Altered cat annual fee
- $5
- Lifetime microchip registration
- $30
- Community cat providers
- exempt from individual registration
Summary
Fort Wayne requires owners to register any cat over five months old with the city, but registered community cat providers who manage free-roaming colonies are exempt from that individual registration requirement.
An owner or harborer of a dog or cat over the age of five months shall obtain a current pet registration for the animal(s) as provided in this section.
(1) Animal welfare organizations, municipal animal control facilities, governmental agencies, and community cat providers shall be exempt from this requirement.
(B) A durable tag stamped with registration number and year of issuance will be issued to a pet registration holder for each pet registration granted. Dogs and cats shall wear their stamped tags affixed to their collars at all times, except when participating in an organized show, obedience demonstration, training event, under the care of a licensed veterinarian, while being housed at the Department, animal welfare organization or at a permitted kennel, grooming establishment and/or day care.
(1) The Department shall maintain records of the identifying current pet registration for each animal(s) properly registered by the Department.
(C) A person who owns a surgically sterilized dog or cat may, as an alternative to an annual pet registration, obtain a lifetime pet registration for the dog or cat with a microchip implant. This lifetime pet registration shall continue as long the person is the registered owner.
(1) Each lifetime pet registration holder will be issued a durable stainless steel tag with a registration number for each pet registration granted. Dogs and cats shall wear their tags, affixed to their collars, at all
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-60: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. G-19-26, passed 7-14-26, and Res. 83-19, passed 12-17-19 State legislation current through Legislative Service, 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
Fort Wayne Code of Ordinances § 91.050(A) requires anyone who owns or harbors a cat over five months old to obtain a current pet registration from Animal Care & Control and keep the tag on the cat's collar. Unaltered cats cost $100 a year, altered cats cost $5, and owners can instead get a $30 lifetime registration if the cat is sterilized and microchipped. Community cat providers are exempt from registering individual cats, but under § 91.041(D) they must arrange sterilization, ear-tipping, rabies vaccination, and microchipping through the Department for every cat in their care. Feeding a free-roaming cat for more than 30 days without documenting compliance with those provider requirements is itself a separate violation under § 91.041(E).
Violations & Fines
Failing to register an eligible cat or keep its tag current violates § 91.050; feeding free-roaming cats past 30 days without documented community cat provider compliance violates § 91.041(E) and can draw Department enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register my cat in Fort Wayne?
What counts as a community cat provider?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Wayne
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