Does One Colorado Town Require Your Cat Wear a Tail Light?

We love the many strange and bizarre laws on the books here in Colorado, even if some are pretty much a laughing matter. We recently put together a list of our favorite strange laws around the Centennial State, and a couple of people asked about one that we left off the list.

What about the cats in Sterling? This one is hilarious and worth taking a closer look at. This crazy law says that for a cat to be allowed to roam outdoors about the town of Sterling it must be fitted with a tail light.

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Where is Sterling, Colorado?

Sterling, Colorado was founded in 1884 and is located in Logan County in the Northeast corner of the state. More than 13,000 people live here, along with some not-so-happy felines.

Does Your Cat Need a Taillight?

Everyone from Law Offices to the Denver Gazette, StupidLaws.com, Criminal Defense of Colorado Springs, and even some museums all love teasing the town of Sterling about their cat law. Legend has it that if a cat is roaming outdoors unsupervised without a leash, it needs to have a tail light. I think Sterling should act quickly to require this to be the case for any pets at are roaming outdoors without their owner.

What Does the Law Say?

The state of Colorado lists the municipal codes for most cities and towns online. The municipal code for Sterling, Colorado, can be found here. Chapter 4, Article III of the Sterling Municipal Code is entirely devoted to cats. In Sterling, a cat can be deemed a nuisance stray by the city and disposed of. Cats can be impounded if the owner is unable to take care of them, and a cat better just leave town if it has not had a rabies vaccine.

However, there is not one word in the municipal code of Sterling, Colorado, that says you need to tie a light around your cat's tail in order for it to go outside. Did this law ever exist, or is it just a fun story for happy hour? Let's hope the cats never seek revenge.