Kill Devil Hills, NC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Cats 4+ months old
- Vaccine schedule
- 2 doses, then booster every 3 yrs
- Proof required
- Metal tag on collar
- Bite quarantine
- 10 days, §94.19
- No cat leash law
- Chapter 94 doesn't restrain cats
Summary
In the Town of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, every cat over four months old must carry a current rabies inoculation, proven by a metal tag securely fastened to its collar, under § 94.11 of the town code; a cat found in town without that tag is in violation even if it has actually been vaccinated.
(A) Required. ... It shall be unlawful for an owner to fail to provide current inoculation against rabies (hydrophobia) for any dog or cat four months of age or older. A rabies inoculation shall be deemed current for a cat or a dog if two inoculations have been given one year apart and booster doses of rabies vaccine administered every three years thereafter. Such rabies inoculation must be performed by a licensed veterinarian or by the animal control officer certified to administer the rabies inoculation. ... (C) Inoculation tag. The metal rabies inoculation tag shall be securely fastened to the dog or cat's choke chain, collar or harness, and it shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat to allow such animal to be within the town without the inoculation tag.
Full Breakdown
11, Rabies Inoculation, applies equally to dogs and cats: subsection (A) makes it unlawful for an owner to fail to provide current rabies inoculation for any cat four months of age or older, and defines a current inoculation as two doses given a year apart followed by booster doses every three years, administered by a licensed veterinarian or a certified animal control officer. Subsection (B) requires whoever administers the vaccine to issue a numbered metal tag showing the year of inoculation, and subsection (C) requires that tag to be securely fastened to the cat's collar, choke chain or harness, making it unlawful for an owner to let the cat be in town without the tag visibly attached.
18 also names cats directly, letting the mayor proclaim a muzzling order for dogs and cats alike during a rabies threat, with unmuzzled cats subject to seizure and impoundment during the proclamation. 19, either at a veterinary hospital, boarding kennel, or the town or county animal shelter, unless the owner has an adequately fenced, currently vaccinated setup at home that an animal control officer approves. Kill Devil Hills does not otherwise license or restrict cats at large the way it does dogs; there is no separate cat leash or licensing-tax section in the code.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep a cat's rabies vaccination current, or letting a cat go without its inoculation tag, violates § 94.11 and is enforced under the town's general penalty, § 10.99, as a Class 3 misdemeanor with a fine up to $50 or up to 30 days' imprisonment, on top of the escalating $50-to-$500-per-day civil penalty for a violation that continues after written notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cats need a rabies tag in Kill Devil Hills?
Is there a leash law for cats?
What happens if my cat bites someone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kill Devil Hills
Compare Kill Devil Hills to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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