Madison, WI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

31 of the Madison General Ordinances requires the owner of every cat older than five months, or that turns five months during the license year, to obtain an annual cat license, running January 1 through December 31. Effective January 1, 2026, the cat license fee is set equal to the City's dog license tax for altered and unaltered dogs under Sec. 50(2), with a lower fee for neutered or spayed cats than for unaltered ones, and half the fee if the cat turns five months old after July 1.

The City Treasurer or an authorized veterinarian issues a numbered license and matching metal tag, which the owner must keep attached to the cat's collar or harness at all times; a cat found without its tag is presumptively unlicensed, and Madison police officers may seize, impound, or restrain it, including entering the owner's premises to do so. Owners who miss the April 1 renewal deadline, or the 30-day window after acquiring or licensing age, owe a $5 late fee on top of the license fee.

Separately, Sec. 32 makes it unlawful for an owner to let a dog or cat run at large in the city, defined as being off the owner's premises and not on a leash of six feet or less under someone's control, and any cat found off its owner's premises unaccompanied is treated as a private nuisance that may be seized, restrained, impounded, and disposed of under Sec. 33. Violating the license requirement under Sec. 31 draws its own separate forfeiture.