A. License. It is unlawful for any person or persons within the city to keep, maintain, or have custody or control of any cat without first having obtained a license to do so from the city finance officer as hereafter provided and without having paid the license fee of such license.

B. Application. Any person desiring to keep, maintain, or have custody of any cat, shall before the first day of January in each year make application to the city finance officer for a license to keep such cat; such application shall be in writing stating the name, sex, color, and other distinguishing characteristics the cat and the name of the owner of such cat, and that the cat has no vicious propensities so far as known to the applicant, which application shall be made on a printed blank furnished by the city finance officer and filed with the city finance officer. In addition, the applicant shall exhibit to the finance officer a certificate from a registered veterinarian showing that such cat has been inoculated against rabies and that such inoculation will be effective during the period for which the cat is licensed. Any cat licensed under three months of age shall be inoculated upon reaching the age of three months.

C. Fee -- Tag. The applicant shall at the time of making such application, pay to the city finance officer a license fee in the sum of three dollars ($3.00) for each neutered or sterilized male cat or spayed female cat, and license fee in the sum of seven dollars ($7.00) for each unneutered or unsterilized male cat or unspayed female cat. It shall be the duty of the city finance officer at the time of the issuance of the license to furnish and deliver to the applicant a metallic cat tag upon which tag shall be stamped or engraved the registered number of the cat and the year when registered. It shall be the duty of the owner of the cat to place a collar around the neck of the cat on which shall be fastened a metallic cat tag so furnished by the city finance officer. In case of the loss of any tag so issued, the city finance officer is authorized to issue another tag upon payment of one dollar ($1.00) and upon proof that such tag has been lost. Any cat owner must purchase a license for their cat within two ($2.00) weeks of acquiring a cat.

D. Expiration. All cat licenses shall expire on the 31st day of December following the granting of such license, and shall be renewed by payment of the license fee, as provided for in this section prior to the expiration date. (Ord. 369 § 9-5-1, 1993)

The owner of any animal which has contracted rabies, or which has been subjected to the same, or which is suspected of having rabies, or which shall have bitten any person, shall, upon the demand of the police department or the health department, produce and surrender the animal to the department to be held in quarantine for observation for a period of not less than ten (10) days. If examination of any animal shall prove it to be infected with any rabies, such animal shall be disposed of as directed by an officer of such department or licensed veterinarian. The owner of any animal so quarantined shall pay all costs and expenses incurred by the city during the quarantine period for maintenance and examination of such animal including veterinarian expenses. (Ord. 369 § 9-5-10, 1993)

In any proceeding for violation of the provisions of this chapter relating to cats, the use of the words “permit or suffer” shall not be construed as making ignorance a defense, and the knowledge or lack of knowledge of the person or persons committing the act of violating this chapter is immaterial. (Ord. 369 § 9-5-12, 1993)