9 Peculiar Cat Laws From Around the World

by Jimmie O’Chutt

Let’s face it, we live in the multifaceted world, with its unpredictable and fast-changing rules. People agreed to call some of those rules “laws” but then forgot about peculiar ones for years.

Result?

We still have many laws across the globe that are ancient by nature. For historical reasons, the most awkward and never updated ones come from the USA. Did you know about the law in Arizona, prohibiting donkeys from sleeping in bathtubs? Or, that it’s illegal to educate a dog in Connecticut?

Cats are too proud-hearted creatures to comply with human laws. Indeed, who cares what he says, they know what to do. And yet, we’ve got some bizarre rules about felines around the world.

Here go the nine most peculiar laws for cats and their owners to follow.

1) Freedom for the dogs! (Minnesota)

Living in International Fall, Minnesota, make sure to tell your cat not to chase dogs up telephone poles. It’s illegal there.

Interesting. It looks like Minnesota dogs are super-skilled to spend their free time climbing all the poles in the state.

2) “Ring the bell, ring the bell…” (New Jersey)

It seems that American laws fight for all the animals except cats. In Cresskill, New Jersey, cats should wear three bells when going outside, to notify birds of their coming.

The only question:

Do all the birds from New Jersey read human laws and know about that signal to run from jingling bells?

Interestingly, the same law is in place in the settlement of Longburn, New Zealand. All roaming cats there need to have three bells around their neck.

But there is more to come:

If you are a black cat in French Lick Springs, Indiana, please be so kind as to wear a bell (yes, one will be enough!) on Friday the 13th.

3) No smoking! (Illinois)

Is your cat a heavy smoker? She will have to quit if living in Zion, Illinois. The government of this state has made it illegal to offer a lighted cigar to cats.

Well, s**t happens. Illinois cats have to put that in their pipe and smoke it: No relaxing evenings with a glass of whiskey and a cigar after a busy working day in Zion.

4) No singing! (Georgia)

Lovey-dovey cats will not hear any serenades in Columbus, Georgia, because it’s illegal for them to yowl after 9 pm there. What a pity!

By the way, the government of Montgomery County, Maryland, seems to stand against cat songs too. Back in 1999, they have passed a law to fine an owner whose cats roam in another person’s yard without permission. Get ready to pay $100 for the first offense and $500 if your cat decides to come back and give joy to the neighbors again.

5) No big cat families! (Kansas)

If you want to move to Topeka, Kansas, with your six cats, think again. It’s illegal to have more than five cats at a time there.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: People of Shorewood, Wisconsin, take it a step further, allowing no more than two cats to live in the same family.

6) No free love! (California)

Please tell your cat that she can’t engage in sexual activity whenever she wants, if you live in Ventura Country, California. The law here prescribes a cat to hold a permit before making love with other felines.

For those with no permission and over the age of four months: They have to be spayed or neutered.

7) No male cats allowed! (Norway)

Speaking of neutering, let’s move to Norway for a moment. Their laws spare female cats, prescribing desexing to male cats only. 

C’mon, don’t you think it’s unfair?

8) No loneliness! (Switzerland)

Those cats unwilling to put up with #5-7 laws in this list, welcome to Switzerland! The law says that every cat must have a companion, so no feline will be lonely here.

9) No walks in the dark! (Japan)

If your cat enjoys nocturnal sallies in search of romance or public walks in the night, tell her to stop if living in Japan. The government has proclaimed a curfew for cats, so it’s illegal for felines to be publicly displayed after 8 pm.

Or, move to Berea, Ohio, and teach your cat to walk with a tail light after dark. It’s the law for all the animals in this state. What shall those with no tails do? Things like that are better left unsaid.

So, here they are, the top nine most peculiar cat laws around the globe. Some of them sound awkward or even funny, but it’s evident that all of them were designed to protect our pets in some way.

Do you have anything to add to this list? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments!

This article was written by Jimmie O’Chutt – CEO of CatPet.club – a site about cat care and nutrition. The authors of CatPet have 100 years of cat-owning experience in total so you’ll definitely find something interesting here.