How Many Cats Can You Own in Arizona? State Laws & Regulations
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As a cat lover, you may not be happy having just one cat around the house. Maybe you’re a person who could happily live with a dozen or more cats if you have the time, space, and money to do it. However, some states have laws about how many cats a person can own. These laws are in place to protect the cats from hoarders and those who cannot properly care for them.
The laws also help to ensure that people do not take on more responsibility than they can effectively manage when all is said and done. So, how many cats can you own in Arizona? There have been rumors floating around that suggest things such as 2-pet limits in Arizona. However, these rumors have been proven false. There are no set regulations on how many cats you can own in the state overall. This article goes over what you should know about the number of cats you can own in Arizona.
State Laws and Regulations
There are laws as to whether you can own farm animals and how many you can own in certain parts of Arizona, particularly the cities. This is not the case when it comes to cats. There are no set regulations on how many cats you can own in the state overall. However, this does not mean that you can own as many cats as you would like, no matter where you live in the state. Some counties, communities, and homeowner’s associations may have rules and regulations in place that must be observed to live in those places.
Community and Association Rules
Apartment communities and homeowners’ associations (HOA) can make whatever rules they want regarding how many pets their residents can have. Some apartment communities do not allow pets at all, even if those pets are quiet cats. Some communities allow pets but limit the number of pets to ensure that neighbors choosing not to have pets won’t be inconvenienced.
Most homeowners’ associations limit the number of cats and dogs a household can have so animals do not end up running around the community and being noisy. Therefore, unless you are purchasing a property in the suburbs or the country, you should always check with the community you will be moving to and find out how many cats you can own based on their rules and regulations.
Personal Responsibility
Even if there are no regulations as to how many cats you can own at the place you live, it is important to remember personal responsibility. Just because you are allowed to have as many cats as you want does not mean you should. Cats require more than just food and water to maintain happy, healthy lives. They need veterinarian care, bedding, toys, and lots of attention.
You should have enough savings available to cover each cat that you own should they require emergency care. You should also have at least an hour of free time each day to spend with each of your cats. Be realistic when deciding how many cats to own. You wouldn’t want to end up with a bunch of outdoor cats that annoy your neighbors and get the humane society called on you frequently.
Final Thoughts
Although there are no state-specific laws about how many cats you can own in Arizona, there may very well be rules and regulations where you plan to live depending on what type of organization runs the community if any. If you own more than one cat or plan to in the future, it is a good idea to do some research and ask county or community leaders about cat rules before deciding whether to move to a specific place.
Featured Image Credit: JF4, Shutterstock
