Marion County does not license cats or set an at-large rule for them the way it does for dogs. Cats fall under the zoning 'pet' definition, but keeping four or more cats over four months old for sale, breeding or boarding meets the county's kennel definition.
Unlike dogs, cats are not subject to the county's Dog Control licensing or at-large infractions. The Rural Zone Code (Ch. 17.110.457) and Urban Zone Code (Ch. 16.49.202) define a 'pet' as 'a domestic animal customarily kept, and cared for, by the occupants of a dwelling for personal pleasure, and which are not raised for food, fur, or monetary gain' — which includes cats. Density still matters: keeping four or more cats over four months old for sale, lease, breeding, training, racing or boarding is a 'kennel,' and more than 10 mammals over four months old in the RS or AR zone needs a conditional use permit.
There is no county cat-license or leash requirement. Operating an unpermitted cat kennel or exceeding the 10-mammal limit is a zoning violation handled by Marion County Code Enforcement.
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