Baltimore County, MD Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Cats are regulated alongside dogs. Every cat over four months old must be licensed (12-2-201) and vaccinated against rabies (12-5-102). A female cat in oestrus ('heat') may not be outdoors except leashed within a fenced area on the owner's property with the owner, or while being transported for medical care, boarding, or breeding (12-4-102); a female cat in heat running at large is a public nuisance animal (12-3-109). Owning more than three cats makes a person a 'fancier' subject to kennel/cattery licensing. The code recognizes feral-cat caregivers and a Trap-Neuter-Return program (12-1-115), and cruelty rules protect feral cats returned by caregivers (12-3-103).