Greenville, NC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Under Sec. 12-2-33(A), anyone doing Trap-Neuter-Return work must first receive training from the Division of Animal Protective Services, then meet listed requirements for every feral cat trapped. Cats must be caught with humane techniques, and personally owned traps are allowed. A veterinarian must confirm each cat is healthy and free of communicable disease at the time of spay or neuter surgery, and every cat must be spayed or neutered and vaccinated during that surgery with at least one dose against rabies and feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia, plus any other vaccine the vet recommends.

Cats must then be ear-tipped to show they've received the vaccinations. Any cat bite must be reported to the Division within 24 hours, with the caregiver helping capture the cat and surrendering it for a rabies quarantine. Feeding a registered colony is limited to a strict 30-minute window logged on the Division's TNR tracking form, and all bowls and uneaten food must be removed once feeding ends. Every cat entering the program must be logged on that form, co-signed by the treating veterinarian, and the caregiver, who is treated as the cat's legal owner, bears all costs; a nuisance cat or colony must be removed, with noncompliance costing the individual or group its TNR participation privileges immediately.