Petaluma, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Petaluma's cat rules split across two chapters of Title 9. 130(F), targets unconfined, unaltered cats: any cat over four months old that is unconfined "in or upon any public street, road, alley or other public or private place, including the exterior yards of the animal owner's property" violates the section unless it has been spayed or neutered. An animal control officer may seize and impound a cat found in violation and require the owner either to have it altered or to produce a veterinarian's signed sterilization certificate listing the vet's name, clinic, address, phone, license number, and the cat's name, age, breed and description.

An owner who is cited or whose cat is impounded gets written notice and seven calendar days to request a hearing before the sterilization requirement becomes final. 14's permit system. 110 declares feral cats, and feeding or maintaining them, a public nuisance citywide unless done by a feral cat care organization registered with Petaluma animal services as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that files a written management plan, carries liability insurance naming the city as additional insured, tracks and reports colony data annually, sterilizes and vaccinates colony cats within one month of intake, ear-tips altered cats, and works to remove adoptable kittens. Feeding feral cats is flatly prohibited, regardless of registration, inside the Petaluma Wetlands, inside any city park, or anywhere without the landowner's written permission.