Putnam County, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Putnam County treats cats differently from dogs on the at-large question: Section 6-29(a) excludes cats from the general ban on letting an animal run loose, so a healthy, unconfined cat is not itself violating the leash/restraint rule, though it remains unlawful for an owner or keeper to let a diseased cat run at large. Rabies control is a separate requirement that does apply fully to cats. Section 6-35(a) requires every owner of a cat, along with dogs and ferrets, over four months old to have it vaccinated against rabies at the owner's expense by a licensed veterinarian, with re-vaccination every 12 months unless the vaccine used has a different labeled duration.

The veterinarian issues a collar tag at the time of vaccination, and the cat must wear that license tag, renewed at each rabies vaccination, under subsection (a)(4). Veterinarians remit the county's license fee, set by the board of county commissioners, at least monthly to the planning and development services office or the contracted animal control operator, under subsection (a)(8). A cat that has not been vaccinated is not automatically penalized while roaming freely because of the at-large exemption, but Section 6-36(g) bars release of an unvaccinated cat from the shelter if it is ever impounded, and a sick or rabies-suspect cat can still be quarantined or impounded under the general animal control powers in Sections 6-21 and 6-36.