Cathedral City, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Fowl, rabbits, guinea pigs
- RE zone only, total combination of three
- Distance from a house
- At least twenty feet
- Pigs, goats, horses, cows
- RE zone only, total combination of three
- Livestock distances
- Sixty feet from property line, forty feet from residence
- Nuisance roosters
- Not allowed in any zone
- Penalty
- Fine up to one thousand dollars, up to six months jail
Summary
In Cathedral City, California, keeping fowl, rabbits or guinea pigs is unlawful everywhere except an RE zone, where the cap is a total of three and every animal sits at least twenty feet from a house. Pigs, goats, horses and similar livestock get a separate RE-zone cap of three.
A. It is unlawful to keep fowl, rabbits, guinea pigs or similar animals in the city except that such animals may be kept in an RE zone not to exceed a total combination of three and providing all of them are kept at least twenty feet from any house built or used for human habitation. Roosters or other fowl which constitute a nuisance by their loud cries, are not allowed in any zone. B. The city planner may prohibit those animals which are permitted by this section if findings are made that the animals create an unsanitary condition or other public nuisance. ... § 9.100.030. Pigs and livestock. A. It is unlawful to keep any pig, hog, sheep, bull, stallion, mare, cow, burro, jack, jenny, mule, goat, kid, horse or similar animal in the city except that such animals may be kept in an RE zone not to exceed a total combination of three and providing all of them are kept at least sixty feet from any property line and forty feet from the residence of the property in which they are kept.
Full Breakdown
The City of Cathedral City, in Riverside County, California, regulates backyard birds and livestock in Chapter 9.100 of Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of its Municipal Code. Section 9.100.020 makes it unlawful to keep fowl, rabbits, guinea pigs or similar animals in the city except in an RE zone, and then only up to a total combination of three animals. Every one of them must be kept at least twenty feet from any house built or used for human habitation. Roosters and other fowl that constitute a nuisance by their loud cries are not allowed in any zone.
Section 9.100.030 covers larger animals. Pigs, hogs, sheep, bulls, stallions, mares, cows, burros, jacks, jennies, mules, goats, kids, horses and similar animals are unlawful in the city except in an RE zone, again capped at a total combination of three. The distances are longer: at least sixty feet from any property line and forty feet from the residence on the property where the animals are kept. Section 10.10.040 in Title 10 (Animals) repeats the three-animal ceiling for livestock and points back to Section 9.100.030.
The city planner holds discretionary power under both sections. If findings show the animals create an unsanitary condition or other public nuisance, the planner can prohibit even the animals the section otherwise permits. A keeper seeks a variation by appealing the planner's decision to the planning commission. Under Section 9.100.060, offspring do not count toward the maximum until they reach weanable or self-sufficient age.
Section 9.100.070 requires an appropriate coop, barn, building or other enclosure approved by the city planner, safe and sanitary and not a nuisance. Section 9.100.080 prohibits slaughtering within the city limits unless it takes place in a bona fide restaurant for food preparation. Miniature pigs follow a different path: Section 10.10.060 sends them to County Code Title 6, which Section 10.05.020 adopts as the city's Animal Control Ordinance, subject to the local amendments in Chapter 10.10.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 9.100.090, any person, firm or corporation violating Chapter 9.100 is guilty of an infraction or misdemeanor. On conviction the penalty is a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both. Keeping a loud rooster, exceeding three animals in a category, or housing animals outside an enclosure approved by the city planner each falls under that chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens in a regular residential yard in Cathedral City?
Are roosters allowed in Cathedral City?
How far must goats or horses be kept from the property line?
Can I slaughter my own animals at home in Cathedral City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cathedral City
How Cathedral City compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Cathedral City to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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