Maple Grove, MN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Cats are regulated alongside dogs throughout Chapter 6. Section 6-22 makes it unlawful for an owner to allow a cat to be at large, and the code's restraint definition (Sec. 6-1) applies to cats as well as dogs - a cat is "under restraint" when leashed (six feet or less), in a vehicle, or within its owner's property limits. Section 6-22(c) requires female cats to be confined during breeding times so they cannot contact a male except for intended breeding. Section 6-30(d) limits each dwelling unit to two domestic cats, excluding ocelot or margay hybrids (those hybrids count as prohibited wild/exotic animals). Section 6-26 requires all cats to have a veterinarian's certificate confirming current rabies vaccination and to carry identification - a microchip, a veterinarian-issued rabies tag, or a tag or collar with contact information and a telephone number. The city ended its separate cat license requirement effective January 1, 2013, after finding that most animals found at large were unlicensed and were instead returned through ID tags or microchips. In city parks, cats are subject to the same leash and trail/parking-lot-only rules as dogs under Sec. 6-27.