Louisiana City Council Rules No Leashes for Cats

The Greta, La., City Council has amended its leash law to exempt cats.

But Nola.comThe Times-Picayune reported Councilman Joe Marino III may introduce a measure requiring collars for the animals.

Complaints about residents walking dogs without leashes prompted Marino to look at the ordinance. That’s when he found the law required cats to be leashed when outside of their yard or kennel.

Complaints about residents walking dogs without leashes prompted Marino to look at the ordinance. That’s when he found the law required cats to be leashed when outside of their yard or kennel.

“I don’t think it’s something we can enforce. I don’t think we can confine a cat to a yard,” Marino told the council.

Police Chief Arthur Lawson said he was concerned that he might start getting calls about cats roaming neighborhoods and causing property damage.

“I don’t think you can arrest the cat,” Marino deadpanned.

Marino said Jefferson Parish has a similar ordinance requiring dogs and cats to be secured or leashed. The regulation has an unfortunate consequence when a dog kills a cat during a fight, he said.

“They’re required to not only give the owner of the dog a citation for the dog being off the leash but the owner of the dead cat gets a citation because the cat is not on a leash and not confined,” Marino said. “I think they are moving toward changing their statute to meet ours.”

Marino said he thinks the city should require owners to place collars on their cats.

“We don’t want cats just roaming around and you don’t know whether they’ve been vaccinated, you don’t know whether they’re feral cats, you don’t know whether they’re wild,” he said.