Calexico Municipal Code Ch. 6.36 Feral Cats

Feeding of feral cats causes a public health nuisance and safety hazard that negatively impacts public health and welfare. The purpose of this chapter is to prohibit the feeding of feral cats in any public park, public right-of-way, or on any property owned or operated by the city of Calexico, so as to protect public health, safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for failure to comply.

(Ord. No. 1187, § 2(Exh. A), 11-7-2018)

A. "Feed" means to give, distribute, place, expose, deposit, or scatter any edible material with the intention of feeding, attracting, or enticing wildlife. Feeding does not include:

(1) Baiting in the legal taking of fish and/or game; or

(2) Feeding authorized by the city.

B. "Feral cat" means a cat that lives permanently outside of a domestic home and is not owned and cared for as a typical companion animal or pet, as a result of having been born feral, abandoned by an owner, or rendered homeless, wild or stray by any other means, whose usual and consistent temperament is extreme fear and resistance to contact with people.

C. "Person" means any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, or political subdivision of this state subject to municipal jurisdiction.

(Ord. No. 1187, § 2(Exh. A), 11-7-2018)

A. No person shall purposely or knowingly feed or in any manner provide food to feral cats, in any public park, public right-of-way, or on any property owned or operated by city of Calexico, unless otherwise allowed by law or authorized by the city.

B. No person shall feed a feral cat on private property in a manner that creates harmful health or sanitation conditions, destruction of property, attraction of coyotes, rats and/or other vermin, which is otherwise detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare, or which otherwise creates an unreasonable disturbance, such as noise, so as to disrupt the peace and comfort of persons of ordinary sensitivity in surrounding households.

(Ord. No. 1187, § 2(Exh. A), 11-7-2018)

A. Every act prohibited or declared unlawful and every failure to perform an act made mandatory by this chapter is a misdemeanor punishable in accordance with Section 1.24.010 of this code.

B. Nothing herein shall prevent the city from taking such lawful action as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation, including the use of administrative citations pursuant to Chapter 1.27 of this code. Administrative fines assessed for violations of this chapter shall be governed by Section 1,27.030 of this code.

(Ord. No. 1187, § 2(Exh. A), 11-7-2018)