Lee County, NC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Unincorporated Lee County has no cat-specific licensing scheme; cats are folded into the general 'animal' and 'domestic animal' definitions at Sec. 4-33 and are subject to the same at-large, nuisance, and abuse prohibitions that apply to dogs. Sec. 4-41(a)(1) makes it unlawful for any animal, including a cat, to be at large on someone else's property without consent, and Sec. 4-41(a)(3) adds a cat-specific rule: a female cat cannot be at large during her estrus period, and the owner must restrain her so she cannot contact a male of her species, though the subsection does not bar intentional breeding on the owner's own property.

A cat impounded for running at large is treated the same as a dog under Sec. 4-41(d)-(f): the owner must agree to microchipping within 30 days to reclaim the cat, and a second or later at-large impoundment requires alteration within 30 days unless the owner reported the cat missing within three business days. Cats adopted from the county shelter fall under Sec. 4-124(b), which requires every unaltered dog and cat adopted from animal services to be altered, and every animal, cat included, to be microchipped within 30 days of adoption and vaccinated for rabies by 16 weeks of age.

Anyone who keeps 30 or more dogs and/or cats combined must hold an annual permit under Sec. 4-191(c), renewed yearly per Appendix B. Fees in Appendix A set a $10.00 rabies vaccination and a $20.00 processing fee per animal handled through the shelter.