Moreno Valley, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing status
- Optional, not mandatory (§10.02.030)
- At-large law
- Cats expressly exempt (§10.02.080)
- Cattery threshold
- 5+ cats age 4 months triggers license
- Feral cat impound
- Destroyed after 3 business days
- Spay/neuter
- Mandatory regardless of license (§10.02.100)
- Microchip
- Mandatory over age 4 months (§10.02.105)
Summary
Moreno Valley makes cat licensing optional, not mandatory: Section 10.02.030 lets an owner obtain a license, including a microchip, for a council-set fee upon proof of rabies vaccination, unlike the mandatory dog license required under Section 10.02.020. Cats are also the only animal exempt from the city's at-large/leash law.
§ 10.02.030. Optional licensing of cats. An owner of a cat may be issued a license, including microchip, for such cat upon presentation to the chief animal control officer of a certificate of vaccination signed by a veterinarian certifying that such a cat has been vaccinated, and upon payment of a license fee of such amount as may be established from time to time by resolution of the city council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4887234; v10 updated 2026-04-07).
Full Breakdown
020's mandatory dog license. Because licensing is optional, Moreno Valley's animal-control provisions carve cats out of other rules too. 040, with at least an annual inspection. 105 for any cat over four months kept in the city 30 days or longer.
Violations & Fines
Running an unlicensed cattery (five or more cats) without the required kennel license and conditional use permit is enforceable through denial, suspension or revocation proceedings under Section 10.02.050, with a 10-working-day window to appeal to the city clerk. Failing to spay/neuter or microchip a cat is enforced only when the owner is concurrently cited for another violation, such as a nuisance or at-large complaint, under Section 10.02.100(G).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Moreno Valley?
Can my cat legally roam outside in Moreno Valley?
How many cats can I keep before I need a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Moreno Valley
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