Escambia County, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 10-26 governs feeding cats and dogs outdoors generally, apart from managed community cat colonies. Feeding must happen primarily in daylight; any food set out after dark can stay only 30 minutes before it must be removed, to limit contact with wildlife and rabies exposure. Food must sit in a sanitary container sized for the animal, in daily-portion amounts only, never dumped on the ground or left in open packages, and feeding may only occur on the feeder's own property or with the property owner's consent; it is barred on public property, public roads, parks, and common areas of multifamily housing without consent.

Section 10-27 then creates a separate, more permissive track for community cat colonies: caregivers may feed and shelter outdoor colony cats on their own property or with the property owner's or manager's permission, provided the caregiver supplies food, potable water and medical care on a regular basis, feeds at least once daily in a quantity matched to the colony size, keeps water clean and thawed in freezing weather, and ensures colony cats are sterilized, ear-tipped and rabies-vaccinated at least once. Section 10-27(c) excludes Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key from the colony-management provisions.

Section 10-28 lets DAW itself fund or run trap-neuter-return programs for community cats, including returning a healthy cat to its original pickup point rather than impounding it. There is no county cat-licensing requirement paralleling the dog license system, and no leash law applies to cats.