Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.065 limits cats by lot size (up to five on large single-family lots, one on multifamily units). Like dogs, a cat 'at large' is one off the owner's premises and not under physical restraint (Sec. 6.04.010E). More than five cats makes the home a 'cattery' needing a permit.
The City of Merced regulates cats mainly through its lot-size pet limits and its general animal-control rules. Under Section 6.04.065, the number of cats and dogs in a single-family dwelling is capped by parcel size, allowing any combination of dogs and cats not exceeding five each on lots of 6,000 sq ft or more, scaling down to a maximum of one dog and one cat on lots under 3,000 sq ft; multifamily dwellings are limited to one cat and one dog. A home keeping more than five cats over six months of age is a "cattery" under Section 6.04.010H and needs an annual cattery permit and proper zoning per Section 6.04.270. The code's definition of "at large" (Sec. 6.04.010E) specifically applies to cats as well as dogs: a cat is at large when off its owner's premises and not under physical restraint. Cats are not subject to the city's dog-licensing requirement (Sec. 6.04.260 applies to dogs), and there is no separate mandatory cat-license scheme in Chapter 6.04. General prohibited-conduct rules apply to all animals, so an owner may not let a cat create an animal nuisance such as chronic noise or unsanitary conditions (Sec. 6.04.040 and 6.04.280). Proper food, water, shelter, and veterinary care are required for any animal under Section 6.04.100.
Keeping more than the lot-size cat limit without a cattery permit, allowing a cat to become an animal nuisance, or failing to provide proper care violates Chapter 6.04 (Secs. 6.04.065, 6.04.280, 6.04.100) and is enforced by animal control under Chapter 1.12.
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