Cat owners will no longer be off the hook when it comes to registering and tagging their furry little friends following action by the Winfield city commission Monday.
After more than two years of research and time spent listening to public concerns, commissioners unanimously approved ordinances that subject cats to the same licensing and fee as dogs. Cat owners will have to pay $5 per animal to license a spayed cat.
A license for an animal that is not spayed will jump to $15 in 2008 and $20 in 2009 in an effort to reduce the stray and unwanted pet population, city officials said. A collar or microchip identification will be required for all dogs and cats under the new ordinance.
The city had delayed a cat ordinance for some time while they waited for word that the local Humane Society had space for captured animals. That space now exists.
The rules go into effect in January but will not be enforced until July 1 of next year to allow some adjustment time.
Dog owners will also need to do some adjusting by next summer. New regulations will require a pen for those dogs that stay mostly outside. Tying or tethering an animal to a tree or other object will not be accepted as the sole source of containing a dog outdoors.
City commissioners have also considered an ordinance banning chickens within the city limits but have put that decision on hold for at least two weeks.
