Santa Rosa, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Parks/playgrounds
- Cats prohibited outright; impoundment for violation
- Licensing
- Voluntary registration only, no mandatory license
- Registration term
- Lifetime tag and certificate, no annual renewal
- Fee discount
- 50% off for spayed/neutered cats, seniors 62+
- Governing chapter
- Santa Rosa City Code Chapter 7-20
Summary
Santa Rosa bans cats from public parks and playgrounds outright under § 7-20.010, with impoundment for violators. Unlike dogs, cats are not required to be licensed: § 7-20.030 makes cat registration voluntary, and a registered cat's tag and certificate last for the cat's lifetime, with fees cut in half for spayed/neutered cats and for owners over 62.
No person owning or otherwise having a cat in his care, charge, control, custody or possession shall cause, permit or allow such cat to be in or upon any public park or playground. The Poundmaster may seize and impound every cat found in violation of this section and such impoundment shall be pursuant to Chapter 7-16.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 7-20 treats cats very differently from dogs under Santa Rosa's animal code. 010 makes it unlawful for an owner or custodian to allow a cat into any public park or playground, with no leash exception; the Poundmaster may seize and impound any cat found there under the Chapter 7-16 impoundment procedures. 100, and no mandatory cat licensing requirement. 030 lets any owner of a cat over four months old voluntarily register it. 060). 080). 090 discounts the registration fee by 50 percent for spayed or neutered cats and by another 50 percent for owners over 62 who show identification.
020 requires the owner to have it spayed or neutered at the pound, or post a deposit and use their own veterinarian within two weeks, unless a medical condition or incapacity to breed excuses it.
Violations & Fines
A cat found in a public park or playground may be seized and impounded under § 7-20.010, triggering the redemption and boarding fees set by City Council resolution. An impounded, unaltered cat must be spayed or neutered before release under § 7-20.020, either at the pound's cost or through the owner's own veterinarian within two weeks of paying a refundable deposit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Santa Rosa?
Can I bring my cat to a Santa Rosa park?
What happens if my unaltered cat gets impounded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Rosa
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle cat rules.