Hanford, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Kings County's Chapter 4 (Animals and Fowl) regulates cats mainly through rabies vaccination and mandatory spay/neuter rather than a leash or licensing scheme like dogs. Owners of any cat must have it vaccinated against rabies within 30 days after it reaches four months of age, with revaccination one year after the first shot and at least every three years thereafter, using a state-approved vaccine. The County's mandatory spay/neuter provision (Sec. 4-20) states that no person may own or harbor a dog or cat over the age of four months in violation of the section — meaning unaltered cats generally must be spayed or neutered, with medical exemptions allowed when supported by written veterinary verification. A person is considered to 'harbor' a cat when they feed or shelter it for 30 days or more, which can make caretakers of long-term outdoor cats responsible for these requirements. While dogs must be licensed, the County Code does not impose the same individual cat-license requirement. Owners should still keep cats from becoming a nuisance, since the noisy-animal and at-large provisions apply to animals generally. For low-cost vaccination and spay/neuter resources, and to confirm current requirements, contact Kings County Animal Services.