Mono County, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Mono County Animal Services serves both dogs and cats - the county runs shelters in Bridgeport and Whitmore and offers cat adoptions and low-cost spay/neuter - but the regulatory restrictions in Title 9 are largely dog-focused. The leash and 'at large' provisions of Chapter 9.44 apply to dogs by their terms, and the county's licensing requirement under Section 9.12.060 covers dogs over four months old; there is no equivalent mandatory cat-licensing or cat-leashing ordinance shown in the county code. That means owned cats may generally be outdoors in unincorporated areas. However, two general rules still apply to cats. First, Section 9.36.040 makes it unlawful to permit 'any animal' under your control to commit a nuisance in a public place or on another person's property, so a cat that repeatedly damages a neighbor's property could draw a nuisance complaint. Second, California Penal Code Sections 597 and 597.1 require humane care and make neglect a crime, and California law encourages spaying/neutering and identification. Because Mono County is high-desert wildlife habitat with predators such as coyotes, the county and animal welfare groups encourage keeping cats indoors or supervised for the cats' own safety, but this is guidance rather than a mandate. Mammoth Lakes is separately governed and not covered here. Confirm spay/neuter and microchipping resources with Mono County Animal Services.