All 19 municipalities in Milwaukee County require dogs and cats to be licensed annually, and Wisconsin law requires cats over five months old to be current on rabies vaccination. MADACC issues pet licenses and rabies tags countywide; proof of rabies immunization is required to license a cat.
Cat regulation in Milwaukee County combines Wisconsin state law with municipal licensing through MADACC. All 19 municipalities require dogs and cats to be licensed annually; licenses expire December 31, with late fees after April 1, and proof of current rabies immunization is required to license. Wis. Stat. 95.21 requires a cat to be vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian by five months of age and revaccinated within one year; a cat that bites a person is quarantined at least 10 days under veterinary supervision. MADACC sells cat licenses and rabies tags, replaces lost tags, and runs low-cost vaccine clinics. Some municipalities also apply confinement or nuisance rules to free-roaming cats through their animal codes.
Owners of unlicensed cats may be ticketed, with late fees after April 1. A biting cat must be quarantined at least 10 days under Wis. Stat. 95.21; MADACC will not release an impounded cat until current on rabies and licensing.
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