Are pet cats allowed to roam free?

“Unfurtunately”, there is no clear-cut countrywide law on letting your cat roam freely. There aren’t usually statewide laws, either. While the US does have countrywide and statewide laws on things like animal cruelty, your city or county sets laws regarding free-roaming cats.

What is a free roam cat?

A free-roaming cat is defined as a cat living outdoors at least part of the time. This may be a pet cat that is allowed to spend time outdoors, a lost or abandoned owned cat, a tame un-owned cat, or a feral cat.

How many free-roaming cats are there in the US?

There are a variety of estimates of the number of free-roaming cats in the United States. The highest estimate is 60–100 million; a more conservative estimate is 30–45 million (2). These cats can produce litters of 1–6 kittens and on average have kittens 1.6 times a year (3).

Do leash laws apply to cats?

Truth: Cats are a different species from dogs and should be treated accordingly. Most animal damage control laws originated to protect humans and human property against certain damages dogs caused. Since leash laws are intended to protect against significant harm, there is no justification for leashing cats.

What kind of cat is a free roaming cat?

A free-roaming cat is any cat that is not confined in a house or other type of enclosure. This includes pets, strays and ferals. What is a feral cat?

Is it true that cats have a right to roam?

Cat Law A Cats Right to Roam Excuse– There is a misconception by many cat owners that because cat law says that ‘a cat has a right to roam’ then they (the owners) cannot be held responsible for whatever their feline pets get up to.

How does impoundment of free roaming cats affect the community?

Impoundment of healthy free roaming cats reduces capacity to respond to critical community needs: historically “stray cats” have made up the majority of intake at North American shelters.

What kind of diseases can a free roaming cat have?

Feline leukemia, feline AIDS (FIV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), toxoplasmosis, distemper, heartworm, and rabies can be difficult to detect and, in the case of FIP and distemper, impossible to test for. They are also highly contagious and can easily be passed on to other companion animals. Many people consider free-roaming cats to be pests.