New Orleans requires cats, like dogs, to be confined and vaccinated under City Code Ch. 18. The City recognizes "community cats" — sterilized, vaccinated, ear-tipped free-roaming cats — which are exempt from licensing, feeding bans, and registration so long as they do not become a nuisance.
City Code Sec. 18-14 requires cats and dogs to be confined, and all cats must be vaccinated against rabies. New Orleans has a formal community-cat (TNR) framework: a "community cat" is a feral or free-roaming cat without visible identification that has been sterilized, vaccinated, and ear-tipped. Community cats are exempt from licensing, feeding bans, and registration requirements, and may be allowed outdoors so long as they do not prove a nuisance to neighbors. The LA/SPCA runs the trap-neuter-return program. Owned pet cats should still be kept confined and current on vaccinations.
Unvaccinated cats violate rabies rules and Ch. 18. Community cats that become a documented nuisance lose their exemption and may be trapped; caretakers may be directed to abate the problem.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
orleans-parish-la
New Orleans has no ordinance banning home composting, so residents may compost yard and food scraps. Composting must not create odor, rodent, or nuisance con...
orleans-parish-la
New Orleans has no ordinance banning artificial turf in yards, but it counts as an impervious surface. Because CZO Article 23 protects permeable ground and r...
orleans-parish-la
New Orleans does not require homeowners to use native plants, but CZO Article 23 governs required landscaping for development and favors trees and green infr...
orleans-parish-la
Louisiana does not ban rainwater harvesting, so New Orleans residents may collect rain in barrels and cisterns. For larger projects, the CZO actually require...
orleans-parish-la
New Orleans does not impose routine day-of-week or odd/even lawn-watering restrictions. The Sewerage & Water Board supplies water and may issue temporary con...
orleans-parish-la
New Orleans requires owners to keep weeds and grass under 10 inches on their lot and the adjoining curb strip. Overgrown, blighted lots are enforced through ...
See how Orleans Parish's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.