Wauwatosa, WI Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

020, governing this Milwaukee County, Wisconsin city, bans letting any cat run at large or be abandoned on public or private property, and authorizes any person, not only a police or animal control officer, to seize and impound a cat found at large. A cat without a proper license tag attached to its collar is presumptive evidence that the cat is unlicensed, which matters because the same section separately requires a license: the owner of a cat older than five months on January 1, or that turns five months during the license year, must pay the license fee and obtain a license annually, and a new resident who moves into Wauwatosa with a cat has thirty days to license it.

The license is not transferable between animals, must be displayed on the cat's collar for public view, and costs a fee set on the city license fee schedule, with neutered cats paying half the unneutered rate. Late payment draws a penalty set by the city clerk, though the finance director can declare amnesty periods waiving that late fee to encourage compliance. Once an unlicensed cat is impounded, the city must give notice to a known owner within twelve hours, which can be given verbally to a family member sixteen or older; a cat impounded and unclaimed for seven days may be disposed of in the most humane manner, with the city attempting to notify the owner first if possible.