Sterling Heights, MI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Under City Code § 8-27, no one in Sterling Heights may possess or have custody of a cat unless the cat is under control or confined to the owner's own premises at all times. Chapter 8's definitions in § 8-3 define AT LARGE as an animal off the owner's premises and not held on a leash or lead (a tether no more than six feet long under the LEASH definition) or confined inside a vehicle; PREMISES means the private property, including grounds, buildings, and appurtenances, where the animal is kept.

OWNER is written broadly: anyone who feeds, shelters, or otherwise entices a cat onto their property, or who allows it to remain on their premises for three consecutive days or more, is treated as the owner and is liable for it, and a minor's parent or guardian is deemed the owner under § 8-33. Separately, § 8-32(B) requires every cat owner in the city to produce a certificate of rabies vaccination for the cat on request from a law enforcement officer, and § 8-32(A) lets police, animal control, or health officials request to see any dog or cat in a person's possession at a reasonable time.

Police and animal control officers enforce Chapter 8 under § 8-61 and may issue a citation on probable cause, and § 8-62 authorizes entry onto premises to investigate a complaint when an immediate response is needed for an animal's or person's safety, or when a delay to obtain a warrant would let a mobile animal escape.