Newton County, GA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Sec. 8-106 requires every dog or cat in the county to be vaccinated against rabies, and Sec. 8-107 requires all cats over four months old to be vaccinated, with revaccination one year later and boosters every three years under vaccines the state or county accepts for that duration, or annually otherwise. Sec. 8-108 sets the tag procedure: a licensed veterinarian who vaccinates an animal must attach a metal rabies tag to a dog's collar or harness, but the code carves cats out of that display requirement, stating cats shall not be required to wear a collar and a current rabies tag, even though the vet must still furnish a vaccination certificate.

Roaming is separately restricted for cats in heat: Sec. 8-134(6) makes it a nuisance for a cat in heat to roam, and if outdoors the cat must be confined in a secure enclosure, mirroring the dog-in-heat rule in the same subsection. Sec. 8-137(d) reinforces the confinement duty for the animal-control chapter generally, requiring every dog or cat in heat to be kept confined in a building, secure enclosure, veterinary clinic or hospital, or kennel to prevent contact with another dog or cat, except when the owner is intentionally breeding the animal.

A cat found at-large in violation of these confinement duties is subject to impoundment under Sec. 8-137(f), and an owner who lets a nuisance condition continue can face an abatement proceeding under Sec. 8-134.