San Diego does not require leashes for cats but requires rabies vaccination once a cat is over four months old, and any cat off the owner's property may be impounded if found at large under SDMC Chapter 4 Article 4.
San Diego Municipal Code §44.0301 requires every cat in the city over four months old to be currently vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, with the certificate kept available for Animal Services. The city does not require cat licenses citywide and has no leash law for cats, but §44.0306 lets Animal Services impound cats found at large that create nuisance. SDMC §44.0307 prohibits feeding wildlife or stray animals in a way that creates a public nuisance. Trap-neuter-return colonies are recognized when registered with County Animal Services, which contracts with San Diego Humane Society for field response.
Failure to vaccinate against rabies is an infraction with fines escalating on repeat citations. Cats causing nuisance can be impounded with reclaim fees, and indiscriminate feeding that attracts wildlife can be cited as a public nuisance.
San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA
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See how San Diego's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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