Palatine, IL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Palatine Village Code § 6-1 defines a feral cat as one born in the wild or the offspring of an unowned or feral cat and not socialized, a formerly owned cat abandoned and no longer socialized, or a cat living on a farm. A feral cat caretaker is anyone other than an owner who feeds, waters, shelters or otherwise cares for a feral cat, and a feral cat colony is a group of cats that congregate together, with any non-feral cats in that group treated as part of the colony.

A feral cat colony caretaker is a feral cat caretaker approved by a sponsor to care for a colony. The code defines a TNR program as one where feral and stray cats are trapped, neutered or spayed, microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before being returned to where they congregate, in accordance with the county ordinance, tying Palatine's colony-management framework to Cook County's TNR structure rather than creating a separate village permit. Separately, Sec. 6-71 requires all cats (and dogs) harbored, kept or maintained in the village to be registered with the village, with registration valid for ten years once issued; cats kept at a duly licensed pet shop, pound, shelter or hospital need not be separately registered while there.

Sec. 6-73 requires cats four months and older to carry a current rabies vaccination, one-year or three-year depending on vaccine type, and Sec. 6-72 registration forms must disclose the cat's microchip and rabies numbers.