Cat Laws

A cat has been domesticated for thousands of years. Being present since the 1600s in the United States, it has been used for pest control and/or a pet. In fact, it is chosen as a pet more than a dog. With such a large population, there are few laws that regulate a cat.

Historically, it has been protected by many societies. The Egyptians of ancient times regarded it as sacred. Killing it meant punishment by death. In the 10th century in Wales, the law assigned a monetary value to it. In the Middle Ages, it was associated with witchcraft and some owners were considered witches and burned at the stake with it. Today it is considered property but its monetary value is undetermined.

In the past, stealing a cat was not considered breaking the law because it had very little commercial value. Besides the laws against animal cruelty, laws pertaining to a cat deal with health and licensing. Only three states, California, Maine and Rhode Island, have specific codes related to a cat.

Since it does not pose a physical threat to humans, laws have not been enacted to protect a human from being attacked by it. With the popularity of the animal, over population has occurred resulting in the presence of a stray or feral cat. More states are now looking to pass laws to control this issue.

Except for Rhode Island, there is no state law requiring it to be licensed. Licensing in most states is left to the local county or city government. Most state laws do require it to be vaccinated for rabies on a yearly basis.

It is not required to be on a leash. It can be an indoor or outdoor cat depending on the owner. An outdoor cat can be confused with a feral cat. Wisconsin considers it roaming without a collar unprotected and subject to animal control. Other states have yet to deal with this issue.

Sterilization is required for shelters and pounds before releasing it in most states. Cat owners are encouraged but not required to sterilize their pet. Many states provide low cost sterilization for pets.

States are looking at different solutions to control unwanted roaming of these animals. Prevention starts with the owner in caring and controlling the population by sterilization.

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