Sammamish, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Sammamish does not have a separate cat ordinance; cats are regulated through the King County animal code it adopts by reference in SMC 11.05, enforced by Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC). Under KCC 11.04.030, any owner of a pet eight weeks or older who is in the jurisdiction more than 30 days must license and register the pet, and 'pet' is defined to include any non-feral cat, so cats require a King County pet license just like dogs. License fees differ for altered versus unaltered animals, with reduced rates for juveniles, seniors, and people with disabilities. Keeping four or more non-juvenile cats triggers the hobby cattery license discussed under pet limits. The code's mandatory-alteration provision (KCC 11.04.400) generally requires non-juvenile pets, including cats, to be spayed or neutered unless the owner holds an unaltered-pet license. The code also addresses feral cats: feral cats are excluded from the abandonment prohibition, and altered, ear-tipped feral cats receive special handling after impoundment. There is no general cat-at-large or leash requirement for cats comparable to the dog rules, but cruelty, neglect, and nuisance standards in the adopted code apply to cats.