Pasadena, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Breeding-cat setback
- 300 ft from neighboring dwelling
- Cat kennel setback
- 1,000 ft outside mfg. district
- Cat kennel defined
- 5+ cats kept on one site
- Cat licensing
- None; dogs only under Ch. 6.16
- Business license
- Not required for cat kennels
Summary
Pasadena doesn't license or leash cats the way it does dogs, but Municipal Code Section 6.24.020 keeps cat breeding and cat kennels away from neighbors: no breeding cat within 300 feet of another home, and no cat kennel, five or more cats under Section 6.04.020(C), within 1,000 feet of a neighboring dwelling outside the manufacturing district.
No person shall keep or maintain or suffer or permit to be kept or maintained upon any premises owned or controlled by him or it any cat, male or female, kept mainly for breeding purposes, within 300 feet of any dwelling house other than that of the owner or person in control of such cat. In any portion of the city, excepting the manufacturing district fixed and established by the zoning plan and code of the city, as it now exists or may hereafter be amended, no person shall establish, keep or maintain, or suffer or permit to be established, kept or maintained, upon premises owned or controlled by him or it, in the city, any cat kennel, any portion of which is situated within 1,000 feet of any dwelling house other than the dwelling house of the owner or person in control of such kennel.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
020(A) bars keeping any cat, male or female, kept mainly for breeding purposes, within 300 feet of any dwelling house other than that of the owner or person in control of such cat. 020(B) goes further for larger operations: outside the city's manufacturing district, no person shall establish, keep or maintain any cat kennel, any portion of which is situated within 1,000 feet of any dwelling house other than the dwelling house of the owner. 020(C) defines a cat kennel as any place where 5 or more feline animals are kept or permitted to remain, so the 1,000-foot buffer only kicks in once a household or business reaches that threshold; below it, only the 300-foot breeding-cat setback applies. 24 does not require a business license for a cat kennel. 16's license-and-tag requirements are written for dogs only. 020.
Violations & Fines
A cat-kennel or breeding-cat setback violation is enforced as a Title 6 nuisance and misdemeanor under Section 6.04.050, carrying up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense against the person maintaining the kennel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasadena require cats to be licensed like dogs?
How many cats can I keep before I need to worry about the kennel rules?
Can I breed cats in my backyard in Pasadena?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle cat rules.