WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A CAT
The first thing to keep in mind is that not every cat you encounter is actually an unowned, stray or feral cat. Some cats may simply be owned outdoor or indoor-outdoor cats, or could be a lost pet cat. When you encounter a wandering cat, here’s a helpful guide on what to do and how you can help.
- Assess the Cat's Behavior: Pet, Stray, or Feral?
Try your best to determine if the cat is a pet, stray, or feral. As a general rule of thumb, if the cat is displaying friendly behaviors, you should first ask neighbors, post to NextDoor, local Lost & Found pages/groups & PawBoost. Friendly cats should be taken to a veterinarian or local shelter/rescue to check for a microchip if the owner is not found after the first 24 hours.
Click on each of the below categories of cats to learn more about them and what you can do.
Pet cats are any cats that have an owner; they may live indoors, indoor-outdoor, or outdoors. Pet cats are generally friendly, healthy, and may even approach strangers or ask for a snack.
However, pet cats may become lost for a variety of reasons. The best way to determine if a cat belongs to someone is to:
(1) Ask your neighbors.
(2) Post on NextDoor and local Lost & Found pages.
(3) Bring the cat to a veterinarian, rescue or shelter to scan for a microchip.
A stray cat is a cat who, at one point in time, lived indoors and was socialized to people but was left behind, abandoned or lost their home, and no longer lives in close contact to humans. Stray cats are likely to display positive body language: tail up, making eye contact/slow blinks, may approach. They may appear thin and dirty / ungroomed fur. Stray cats & pet cats are generally much more likely to approach humans asking for food than a feral cat.
Over time, a stray cat can become feral as their contact with humans decreases. A stray cat may be friendly and socialized enough to allow people to touch them, but they will naturally become less socialized or even feral given too much time without positive interaction with humans.
Under the right circumstances, a stray cat can also become a pet cat once again. Stray cats that are re-introduced to an indoor home after living outdoors may require a period of time to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary after spending time outside away from people.
Stray cats should always be reported as found. Take a picture and post to local Lost & Found pet groups, send to local shelters & rescues, and you may even want to alert local Animal Control and report as found on PawBoost.com. You should also take them to shelter or veterinarian to check for a microchip.
It is better to assume that stray cats have not been fixed, unless they have a left eartip. Sometimes the best option for stray cats is TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), especially if they aren’t completely friendly, or if shelters and rescues are not able to intake them.
Find a TNR program in your area to ask for further guidance on what to do about a stray cat, or for help on getting a stray cat fixed.
A feral cat is an unsocialized, outdoor cat who has had little to no interactions with humans, or human contact has diminished over enough time that they are no longer accustomed to it.
Most feral cats are fearful of people and are unlikely to ever become a lap cat or thrive living indoors. Feral cats display negative body language: stays close to the ground, back arched, ears / tail down, may hiss or growl, quickly runs away when approached. They generally appear clean and muscular/well-fed.
Feral cats should NOT be taken from their outdoor home and brought to animal shelters or rescues. Not only do feral cats suffer from being caged and in close contact with humans, they are often the first to be euthanized. Many shelters & rescues will turn away feral cats for this reason.
Sometimes young, feral kittens can be socialized and adopted to indoor homes, but only if people have the time, resources, and means to foster, socialize and adopt. Feral cats live outdoors in groups called colonies. Cats in a colony are usually bonded, and may even be related.
Feral cats can thrive outdoors and it is their home. The best way you can help feral cats is to Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) them. Additionally, you could provide them with winter shelters and daily food. But, keep in mind, many feral cats may already have a caretaker or may belong to a colony of cats!
Find a TNR program in your area to ask for further guidance on what to do about a feral cat, or for help on getting a feral cat fixed.
Is the cat friendly or frightened towards people?
A friendly cat is most likely either a pet or a stray. A frightened cat is most likely a feral cat. However, occasionally there may be a scared cat who is actually a lost pet; lost pets may even be too afraid to come out. Lost pet cats as well as stray cats are more likely to have a dirty or disheveled coat. Friendly cats can be taken to a shelter or vet office to check for microchip.
Does the cat have an eartip?
Cats that are eartipped are more likely to be feral. However, some strays or even owned pet cats can also be eartipped. An eartip simply signifies a cat that has been spayed/neutered and vaccinated through a TNR program. Cats that aren’t eartipped are more likely to NOT be spayed or neutered. Cats that are eartipped should generally be left where they are.
- Assess the Cat's Condition: Healthy, Sick, or Injured?
Try your best to determine if the cat is healthy, sick or injured. As a general rule of thumb, if the cat is showing signs of illness or injury, then you should seek help from a shelter, rescue, veterinarian, or animal control. Keep in mind that not all illnesses or injuries are cause for immediate intervention.
Is the cat sick?
A cat that is sick may have an unkept coat, and is likely to show signs that they are struggling & need help. If the cat is showing neurological symptoms or displaying highly unusual behavior, do NOT try handling the cat on your own – call a professional for help such as a shelter, rescue, or animal control. A humane trap is often the safest way to secure the cat to get him/her help.
Crusty or goopy eyes, runny nose, and trouble breathing are all signs of an Upper Respiratory Infection (URI). FVR (feline herpes) is a highly contagious and common virus that is one of the major causes of URIs. Some mild URIs will clear on their own given some time, but more severe cases require antibiotics.
If you believe a cat is in need of medical care – contact a shelter, rescue or veterinarian for guidance.
Is the cat injured?
A cat that injured may look similar in appearance to a sick cat, as many injuries can also lead to infection. The cat may cry or yowl out in pain if the injury is serious.
Common injuries that require medical attention include: abscesses, serious or deep wounds, infected wounds, and broken bones. If a cat has a broken bone, they are unlikely to put any weight on it, even after several days. Cats are masters at hiding their pain, so if a cat is showing signs of pain then they are likely to need medical attention from a veterinarian. Contact a shelter, rescue or veterinarian for guidance.
- Check for other Cats & Kittens in the Area
Try your best to look for other cats and/or kittens in the area. Where there is one cat, there may be others, and there may even be kittens. A cat found by themselves may indicate that they are likely a pet or stray cat, whereas a cat found with others is more likely representative of a colony of cats.
If there are kittens, then chances are there is at least one unspayed female (mama) cat in the area. In the case of both other cats and kittens, you will need to first formulate a plan. Find a local TNR program for guidance and help.
KITTENS!
When you find a kitten, you should first: (1) estimate their age, (2) assess their condition, and (3) check the area for more kittens and cats.
Follow the guide above to help you determine the best course of action when you discover kittens. Use your best judgement to determine if kittens are in critical condition and get them help. Your best resources for helping kittens are rescues, shelters, and vet offices. Below are some tips & helpful reminders to keep in mind when determining what to do.
- Kittens are much less likely to have an owner than adult cats.
- Where there is one kitten, there is likely to be more nearby. Search the area for more kittens. A kitten that is truly alone may be a lost pet, a stray, abandoned by a mama cat, or the only surviving kitten of a litter.
- Kittens less than 6 weeks old are fully dependent on their mother for survival. They should remain with their mama cat if at all possible.
- Just because you don't see a mama cat, doesn't mean she isn't nearby.
- Young kittens (8 weeks old & younger) that are able to eat on their own are excellent candidates to bring to a local shelter or rescue.
- Feral or skittish kittens older than 8 weeks old may not be candidates or even accepted at your local shelter, as resources to socialize feral kittens are limited.
- Kittens that are sick or injured should always be taken to a shelter, rescue, or veterinarian for medical care - especially if they are very young.
- Actions to Take
REMEMBER: before you can either keep or rehome a found animal, there is a legal stray hold period of 14 days in the state of Virginia while attempting to find the owner and file a found animal report.
- Check for a collar (a collar indicates that the cat likely has an owner).
- Ask neighbors if anyone recognizes the cat / knows the owner.
- Post a picture on NextDoor and local Lost & Found pages to check for an owner.
- Bring the cat to a veterinarian, rescue or shelter to scan for a microchip.
- File a found animal report with your local shelter or Animal Control.
- If the cat needs medical care or spay/neuter, contact a local shelter, rescue, or veterinarian.
** Please note that not every cat you encounter is lost, abandoned or dumped. The cat’s behavior, condition, & surroundings may provide indications that the cat may have a home or a caretaker **
However, even outdoor cats that are cared for or have a home may not be spayed/neutered. Cats that are not spayed/neutered have a tendency to roam & escape indoors in search of other unfixed cats due to their strong instincts to mate; they are also more likely to exhibit nuisance behaviors, appear unhealthy, and may even have kittens nearby.
~ Community Cats ~
It’s important to know the difference between an owned cat and a community cat. Community cats includes any unowned, free-roaming cats that live outdoors. Community cats may be feral or friendly; the only difference being that feral cats are not socialized to people. Sometimes friendly, community cats can be acclimated and adopted into homes when rescues & shelters have space to intake, but that unfortunately is not always the case.
Stray cats are community cats, since they no longer have an owner. But stray cats are also a bit of a gray area. This is mainly because they were once socialized to people and therefore have become reliant on humans for food. The socialization of a stray cat can dwindle over time. A stray cat may even join a colony of cats. However, a colony of managed, fixed cats can sometimes reject or scare away a newcomer.
When you encounter community cats, we recommend contacting a local Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program for guidance.
