Shelby County exempts cats from the dog at-large ban (Sec. 4-131), so cats are not required to be leashed. But every cat three months or older must be vaccinated against rabies (Sec. 4-65) and licensed annually (Sec. 4-68), and diseased cats may not be allowed at large.
Cats are treated differently from dogs in the animal Code. The Sec. 4-131(a) at-large prohibition applies to animals 'other than a cat,' so there is no county cat leash requirement; but the same subsection makes it unlawful to allow a diseased cat to be at large. Cats are fully covered by vaccination and licensing rules: Sec. 4-65 requires any cat three months or older to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and Sec. 4-68 requires annual licensing with a tag on its collar. A female cat in heat must be confined so it is inaccessible to males (Sec. 4-131(c)). A cat that bites a person may be impounded for rabies observation under Sec. 4-137.
Keeping an unvaccinated or unlicensed cat violates Secs. 4-65 and 4-68, and letting a diseased cat at large or a cat in heat roam violates Sec. 4-131. Each is fined up to $50 per day; biting cats may be impounded.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Shelby County's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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