In most of Snohomish County, it’s legal for cats to wander, and legal for irritated neighbors to humanely trap them and turn them over to animal control.
Following is a sampling of laws from around the county.
Snohomish County allows cats to wander, and allows them to be humanely trapped if they’re causing a nuisance, said Vicki Lubrin, licensing manager for the county. As soon as an animal is discovered in the trap, it must be turned over to the nearest animal shelter, either the Everett Animal Shelter or PAWS in Lynnwood.
The county strongly encourages residents who are having a problem to contact animal control first, and if they plan on trapping an animal, to inform their neighbors in advance, Lubrin said. The county loans out traps.
Everett allows licensed, domestic cats to roam free. If they are causing a problem, they may be “contained,” city spokeswoman Kate Reardon said. If a cat is trapped, it must be humanely treated and turned over to animal control.
Edmonds allows cats to wander. The law does not specifically address trapping. The city is considering a law requiring anyone who traps an animal to treat it humanely and turn it over within 24 hours to animal control.
Marysville also allows cats to wander, and allows them to be trapped if they’re causing a nuisance, police Cmdr. Ralph Krusey said. The city has traps to loan.
Mukilteo allows cats to wander. It does not have an ordinance that addresses trapping, but falls back on a state law against animal cruelty, Police Chief Mike Murphy said. It has traps available to borrow.
Arlington does not have any ordinances that address cat trapping. The city’s code allows cats to run at large, according to code enforcement officer Marc Hayes.
Snohomish has an animal control officer to trap nuisance cats, and prefers that residents not do it themselves. “I try to discourage that,” said animal control officer Nan McGuire. “If we have a nuisance cat we can set a trap and catch it.”
Lake Stevens allows people to trap cats using humane cages, code enforcement officer Cindy Brooks said. Once trapped, people must notify police within 24 hours. The city has two cages for loan.
Stanwood does not have an ordinance that addresses cat trapping.
Herald reporters Kaitlin Manry, David Chircop and Jackson Holtz contributed to this story.
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