Amador County, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Cats receive special treatment under Amador County Code Title 8. The 'at large' definition in Section 8.04.070 applies to 'an animal (except a domestic cat),' and the prohibited-conduct rules in Section 8.08.030 likewise bind owners of 'any animal, wild or domestic, except the domestic cat.' That means free-roaming cats are not 'running at large' under the ordinance the way dogs are, and there is no county cat-leash requirement. Amador County's licensing chapter (Chapter 8.24) is titled and written for dogs; we found no cat-licensing fee requirement. The one clear mandate for cats is rabies vaccination: Section 8.20.040 requires that 'every dog or cat over four months of age shall have a medically current vaccination with an antirabies vaccine,' administered by a veterinarian or county-recognized clinic, and new cat owners have ten days to comply (with a narrow veterinary medical-exemption process). After vaccinating, the veterinarian must issue a certificate (8.20.050). The County also runs a feral cat program: feral cat traps may be rented from Amador County Animal Control or the Feed Barn for a small fee, and spay/neuter of feral cats is free to county residents, with A-PAL Humane Society paying veterinary costs. The County describes Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) as its preferred approach to managing feral cat populations.