LA City Council moves closer to raising cat ownership limit

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles residents may soon be able to legally own up to five cats.

The L.A. City Council on Tuesday directed city attorneys to draft an ordinance allowing households to keep up to five cats as pets. That's up from the current limit of three.

The motion also directs that any required environmental impact study be done, which Councilman Paul Koretz said is a precaution against any lawsuits from groups that have successfully sued the city on its cat-related policy in the past.

An earlier policy to trap, spay or neuter, then release feral cats - as a way to control the feline population and avoid euthanizations - was struck down in court, Koretz said. The group that sued alleged the policy would endanger the city's bird population.

L.A. Animal Services says the change would lower the number of shelter cats that are euthanized.

Pet owners would be required to spay or neuter cats and to keep them indoors.

City News Service contributed to this report.