Kalamazoo, MI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Unlike the flat three-dog limit in § 7-24, Kalamazoo's cat rule in Article III of Chapter 7 is a conduct-and-condition standard rather than a hard count. A violation requires showing that the number of cats being kept has pushed care below a sanitary and proper level, or that the cats create a nuisance as § 7-3 defines it, which includes habitually disturbing noise, foul odors, unsanitary conditions or chasing people or vehicles, or that the cats constitute a threat or danger to the surrounding environment, including native wildlife, or to neighboring property. The section defines an adult cat as one over six months of age, so kittens are excluded from whatever count or condition assessment applies. Because there is no numeric ceiling, enforcement by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety or the county's animal control officer under § 7-2 turns on documented sanitary conditions or a demonstrated nuisance or environmental threat rather than a simple headcount.