Walworth County, WI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Sections 6-99 and 6-100 of the county code give department officers authority to order a cat quarantined whenever the officer believes the animal bit a person, is infected with rabies, or has been in contact with a rabid animal, applying wherever a cat is kept in unincorporated Walworth County. An officer delivers the cat to an isolation facility within 24 hours of the order, unless the cat is already currently vaccinated against rabies, in which case the officer can let the owner quarantine it at home instead.

If the cat cannot be captured, the officer can kill it, and killing a cat under this chapter is otherwise permitted only as a last resort or with the owner's agreement, carried out humanely and in a way that avoids damaging the animal's head so the head can still be tested. Quarantine length depends on the reason for the order: a cat suspected of biting a person is isolated under a veterinarian's supervision for at least ten days, with exams on the first day, the last day and one day in between.

A cat exposed to a rabid animal but not currently vaccinated must be leashed or confined for 180 days and vaccinated between 155 and 165 days after exposure; if the cat is already vaccinated, confinement drops to 60 days and the cat is revaccinated as soon as possible. If a veterinarian finds the cat is showing signs of rabies during that observation period, the officer or veterinarian must notify the owner and then kill the animal humanely.