CATS

Gulfport Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. III, div. 3

in effect

Gulfport Code of Ordinances § 7-96 Prohibited at large; "running at large" defined.

Sec. 7-96. - Prohibited at large; "running at large" defined. It shall be unlawful for cats to run at large within the city. "Running at large" is hereby defined as being off the premises, including yard and appurtenances, owned and/or controlled by the owner of such cat. (Code 1963, § 6-17)

Gulfport Code of Ordinances § 7-97 Keeping, maintaining for breeding purposes, prohibited.

Sec. 7-97. - Keeping, maintaining for breeding purposes, prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep and maintain cats on their premises for breeding purposes within the city, except as allowed and provided by Chapter 7, Article III, Division 1, section 7-66 of this chapter. (Code 1963, § 6-18; Ord. No. 2185, § 15, 7-20-99)

Gulfport Code of Ordinances § 7-98 Maintenance of premises.

Sec. 7-98. - Maintenance of premises. It shall be unlawful for any person to permit the area in which cats are kept or maintained to become a nuisance in any manner, particularly by reason of noises, odors, filthy conditions or the breeding of flies, mosquitoes and other pests. (Code 1963, § 6-19)

Gulfport Code of Ordinances § 7-99 Vaccination.

Sec. 7-99. - Vaccination. (a) It shall be the duty of every owner or person possessing, owning, keeping, or harboring any cats within the corporate limits of the city three (3) months of age or older, to have such cats inoculated against rabies with an approved dosage of antirabies vaccine properly administered by one legally authorized to administer the same and such inoculation against rabies is required as provided by applicable state law. The neglect or failure of any owner or person having the possession, owning, keeping, or harboring of any cat within the corporate limits of the city to provide for such vaccination against rabies as herein required shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this section. (b) Evidence of the rabies vaccination shall consist of a metal tag worn by the cat at all times and a certificate issued by the one legally authorized to administer the rabies vaccine who, in fact, administered the same, with both the metal tag worn by the cat and the certificate issued to contain data necessary for identification of the cat, which data shall also contain the owner's name, address, and telephone number, or the name, address, and telephone number of the person possessing, owning, keeping, or harboring the cat, and the date of the rabies vaccination. (Ord. No. 2185, § 16, 7-20-99)

Gulfport Code of Ordinances § 7-100 Destruction of feral cats.

Sec. 7-100. - Destruction of feral cats. (a) Any cat(s) that have escaped from captivity and are no longer domesticated may be destroyed by any means necessary as to prevent them from becoming a public threat and to control disease and over population by feral animals. (b) When a cat is determined to be vicious and/or diseased by the animal officer of the city, or if the cat is determined to be feral and beyond domestication, may be destroyed by the animal officer of the city or by his/her designee, providing each of the following requirements have been met: (1) The cat is running at large; and (2) There is no visual rabies tag present; and (3) Chemical capture proved unsuccessful; and (4) Attempts to peaceful capture have been attempted and proved unsuccessful. In any instance, supervisory approval is to be obtained by the animal officer or his/her designee prior to the destruction of any cat(s) under this provision of this division. (Ord. No. 2185, § 17, 7-20-99)

Gulfport Code of Ordinances § 7-101 Impoundment and notice to owner.

Sec. 7-101. - Impoundment and notice to owner. The police officer, animal officer, or other person as may be designated by the city council may seize or caused to be seized any cat whose owner, keeper, or harborer is found to be in violation of any part of this division, and shall impound or cause to be impounded such cat in the local animal shelter. The police officer, animal control officer, or any other person designated by the city to enforce these provisions shall scan impounded cats for the presence of a microchip and shall make reasonable efforts to notify the owner of any cat with a microchip or with any other form of identification that the cat has been impounded and inform such owner of the procedure and conditions for redeeming the cat. An impounded cat is a cat which is tagged or microchipped and shall be held for a period not to exceed five (5) days, and if reasonable corrections are not made by the owner, keeper, or harborer of the cat so that the owner, keeper, or harborer is no longer in violation of this division, then the cat shall be released to the local animal shelter. Cats which are not properly tagged or microchipped shall be released to the local animal shelter upon delivery to the shelter. The animal officer shall designate to the owner, keeper, or harborer of the cat what corrective action is required to be in compliance with this division. Thereupon, the impounded cat may be reclaimed within five (5) days of impoundment upon payment of the costs incurred in confining and keeping of such cat during impoundment, payment of the cost of inserting a microchip in the cat, and where applicable, payment of the cost for spaying or neutering the cat, and upon showing proof of current rabies vaccination. All cats shall be microchipped prior to being returned to an owner or released for adoption. Cats impounded for a second or subsequent time shall be spayed or neutered prior to being returned to an owner or released for adoption. The cost of inserting a microchip and the cost of spaying or neutering shall not exceed the actual reasonable cost incurred by the Humane Society of South Mississippi, its agents or any other agency authorized by law to perform these procedures. (Ord. No. 2185, § 18, 7-20-99; Ord. No. 2624, § 5, 4-7-09; Ord. No. 2801, § 2, 11-4-14)

Source: City of Gulfport, Mississippi, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ms/gulfport/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH7OFMIPR_ARTIIIAN_DIV3CAFetched: 11/1/2026