A North Carolina Town Warns Cat Owners to Leash Your Felines or Get Fine

A town in North Carolina reminded its residents of a law that’s been on the books for more than half a century but might seem a little strange to some. Their pet cats must be on a leash if the animal is outside and isn’t in their own yard.

The Town of Cary Animal Services alerted those on Facebook to be sure to have cats on a leash or get fined up to $250, depending on the number of offenses.

“Cats are independent and easy pets to keep, but did you know that there is a leash law for them in the Town of Cary?” officials wrote. “That’s right, cats must be leashed when not on their owner’s property. There are many reasons why this is a good idea.”

The animal services department in the Raleigh suburb of about 176,000 people stated that cats running loose:

“The safest thing to do for an outdoor cat is to teach it to be a house cat,” animal services said. “Indoor cats generally live longer, will not be struck by cars or risk injury from other animals.”

Tens of thousands of homes in the city have cats, according to the News & Observer. Of the animal service’s annual calls, about 20% of them are for stray or feral cats, litters of kittens or cats hunting birds in backyards.

“We get about 5,000 calls a year,” Cary Animal Services supervisor Chuck Haggist said.

Haggist said the reminder to residents isn’t about his department seeking out cats that aren’t on a leash, but rather warning them of the dangers a cat faces and also the threat it poses to the public.

He said indoor cats don’t have the same life span as an outdoor cat for various reasons, which include getting lost, hit by cars, injured or killed by other animals.

The ordinance requiring all pets, including cats, has been on the books for more than 50 years. Other communities in Wake County and other cities around the state have similar laws.

Cary’s law carries a $20 fine on the first offense, a $50 fine on the second, $75 on the third and a $100 fine on the fourth. If there’s a fifth offense, the owner will be fined $250 and the animal can be seized. The owner would also have to pay animal services to reclaim their animal.