A Los Angeles City Council committee Wednesday backed a proposal to raise the number of cats allowed per household from three to five.
LA households are currently only allowed to keep a maximum of three spayed or neutered felines, whether indoor or outdoor.
The council's Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee unanimously signed off on a proposal in which households would be able to keep up to five spayed or neutered cats, though all must be kept indoors.
Animal Services officials say the proposed change is aimed at lowering the number of shelter cats that are euthanized when room runs out, with cats often at greater risk than dogs of being put down.
Other municipalities have higher caps on cat ownership or none at all, according to Animal Services officials. San Diego does not limit the number of felines, and Santa Monica has no limit on indoor cats.
If the Animal Services Department's proposal is ultimately approved by the full City Council, the City Attorney's Office would be asked to prepare and bring back an ordinance with the new cat limit.
In other shelter animal-related actions, the full City Council backed a resolution to support ACR 56, an Assembly bill calling for "shelter pet" to be named the official state pet.
