From Protected Rats to Illegal Meowing: Why Colorado’s Animal Laws Are Pure ‘Head-Scratch

If you hang around long enough, you’ll realize every state has its fair share of head-scratching laws. Colorado? Oh yeah, we’ve got some real winners, especially when animals get involved.

We’re talking at least ten weird ones. Some you might accidentally be breaking. Others, you couldn’t break if you tried.

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Weird Animal Laws in Colorado: Dogs and Cats

Let’s start with the usual suspects, dogs and cats, because of course, we made things weird there, too.

Up in Sterling, it’s illegal to dye your pet’s fur. Fine, whatever. But it’s also illegal for your cat to roam around without a tail light. Not kidding. Your cat needs better visibility than most bikes.

Then there’s a law that says a cat can’t meow in the dark. And if it does? The punishment written into the law is straight-up unhinged. Let’s just say, your cat wouldn’t like it.

Dogs don’t get off easy either. In Alamosa, any dog over three months old has to be licensed. Pretty normal. But there’s also this oddly specific rule about dog catchers having to give a dog three notices before hauling it off. Like the dog’s checking its mail or something.

Read More: Colorado Allows You to Keep These Native Snakes + Reptiles as Pets in Limited Numbers

Weird Animal Laws in Colorado: Horses, Rats + Other Randoms

Now let’s get into the truly random stuff.

In Cripple Creek, don’t even think about bringing your horse upstairs. Why that ever needed to be a law is anyone’s guess. And statewide, riding a horse while drunk is illegal, which, for once, actually makes sense.

Denver decided to step in and protect rats of all things. Yep, it’s illegal to mistreat them. There’s got to be a story there, and I kind of want to hear it.

And just in case you were planning something oddly specific, don’t let your llama graze on city property anywhere in Colorado. That’s a no-go. Over in Louisville, chickens are apparently too much to handle—but you can keep up to three turkeys. Because… sure.