Millwood Cat Owners Now Required To License Their Pet

Millwood residents, who rake their leaves into the streets, can walk to the Rocket bakery and pay lower taxes than their neighbors in the unincorporated Valley, are losing one perk of living in the tiny town.

They’ll soon have to license their cats.

County commissioners on Tuesday tentatively approved a contract to provide animal control services to the town for $3,600 a year. The work had been done by non-profit group SpokAnimal CARE until Jan. 1, but town officials were dissatisfied with the service, so let the contract.

Animal Control officer Nancy Sattin said the contract requires Millwood residents to begin licensing their cats along with their dogs.

“I find it prudent that we enforce one ordinance countywide,” Sattin told commissioners.

Cat owners yowled liked troubled tabbies when Spokane County started licensing cats in 1990. Some complained their their constitutional rights were being trampled.

There was similar wailing when Spokane required licenses for urban cats three years later.

Millwood cat owners apparently aren’t bothered by the requirement to buy licenses that cost $4 for cats that are spayed or neutered, or $10 for unaltered cats.

Mayor Jeannie Batson said the town used its newsletter to tell residents about the plan, and no one called to complain.

“Cats are a bigger nuisance than dogs, really,” Batson said.

, DataTimes