Found Cat Tips
What to Do If You Find A Cat
Thank you for sharing the care in our community! If you can hold a healthy, found cat for just 48 hours while searching for their owner, you can make reunification not just possible, but probable.
Lost pets’ chances of returning home rise when they can stay safely in the area where they are found rather than enter the shelter. In the average shelter, only 5% of cats are reclaimed by an owner. But when a pet is kept in the neighborhood where they were found, more pets are reunited with their families.
Take 48 and follow these steps before bringing a found pet to the shelter, and you can help your neighbors — human and feline.
I found a cat who seems lost
A cat who looks healthy with good body condition and clean coat is very rarely lost. Millions of pet cats are indoor/outdoor; we might not know where that cat lives, but a healthy-looking cat tells us the cat knows where home is and will likely make its way back on its own.
Following the recommendations of leading national organizations such as the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP), National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA), ASPCA, American Association of Feline Practitioners, and Million Cat Challenge, one of the best things you can for a cat who looks healthy is to put them back where you found them/leave them where they are.
Even cats who are actually lost are 10–50 times more likely to be reunited with their owners if they stay in the neighborhood where they are found. In the average shelter, only 5% of cats are reclaimed by an owner, but when a lost pet is kept in a safe place in the neighborhood where they were found, the overall reclaim rate jumps significantly.
If you believe the cat is truly lost, here’s how you can help:
- Wait a day or two to offer food, as extra feeding can discourage cats from going back home on their own.
- Play detective — ask around your neighborhood to see if anyone recognizes them. If the cat is friendly, download this paper collar template to help determine if the cat is owned.
- Post a photo and description of the animal on social media. Some options include NextDoor, Craigslist, Petco Love Lost, PawBoost, and surrounding neighborhood Facebook groups and local “Lost & Found Pets of [YOUR CITY NAME]” Facebook pages.
- Create a Found Pet flyer and post it in the neighborhood or distribute it to doorsteps of homes nearest where the cat was found. Don’t think in terms of street travel — cats don’t! — think distance, or “as the crow flies,” and post flyers on all the major streets that transverse your neighborhood.
- Check for ID tags and/or microchip. To have the cat scanned for a microchip, you can request a scan from most shelters and vet clinics at no charge. If needed, visit petmicrochiplookup.org to enter the microchip number and find the owner.
- Complete a Found Cat report on your local county shelter’s website, include a photo and check Lost Cat listings. Animals don’t know city limits, so file a found report with other shelters in the area too. In the Portland metro area, these organizations offer Found Pet listings and other services for stray/lost cats.
- Please note: CAT can only accept stray cats by appointment, on a limited basis, and with certain restrictions depending on the county where the cat was found: Clackamas, Clark, Marion, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamill counties only. All admissions are by appointment. Please take a look at our admissions process for more details.
IMPORTANT! If you found a lactating female cat, please do not remove her or confine her to a cage or trap. Try to find her kittens and reunite them; separating them can be harmful to both kittens and the mother cat. Read this article about how to reunite a mother cat and kittens.
Have more questions? Our CAT Helpline is available by email at [email protected] or you can call to leave a voice message for the Helpline team at (503) 925-8903 ext. 5.
I found a kitten or litter of kittens
Thanks for looking out for the most vulnerable animals in our community! When you come across kittens alone outside, you may feel the need to immediately pick them up and bring them home with you, but that might not be the best thing for the kittens — or for you.
Here’s what to consider as you decide what to do next:
- Most kittens are not abandoned by their mother. Before you do anything else, look the kittens over. Are they plump, clean, warm, and quiet? The mother cat is doing her job and is likely just out getting dinner. For now, it is best to leave the kittens in their nest and keep an eye out for mom. Check to make sure mom has access to fresh food and water, and be sure to keep mom and kittens together — kittens need to nurse every few hours.
- If the kittens are skinny, dirty, cold, or noisy, then mom might not be taking care of them. But wait to see if she returns. Watch for a few hours from a distance or a hidden spot. Even if the mother cat doesn’t seem to be around, she may just be out getting dinner or taking a break. She may even be hiding and waiting for you to leave!
- If you don’t see a mother cat for several hours — or if the kittens are sick, injured, or in danger — it may be time to intervene.
- You just became a kitten foster parent, at least for a little while. Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
- Take a look at these resources about how to care for newborn kittens and watch these Orphaned Kitten Care: How-To Videos for guidance on caring for kittens.
- If the kittens or mother cat appear sick or injured, check with your local county animal agency or call a local emergency clinic. You can find a list of local shelter and ER vet clinics here.
- Can’t keep the kittens for long? We may be able to take the kittens into our foster program or offer other support. For the fastest response, email the CAT Helpline or leave us a message at (503) 925-8903 ext. 5 for information about your options.
Please note: CAT can only accept stray pets by appointment, on a limited basis, and with certain restrictions depending on the county where the kitten (or litter) was found: Clackamas, Clark, Marion, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamill counties only. Please take a look at our admissions process for more details.
Local County Shelters
If you found a cat, check the online Lost Pet listing for your local county animal shelter. You can also file a Found Pet report to share a description of the cat, plus where/when you found them.
Petco Love Lost
Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition technology to match photos of lost & found pets. You can also use your profile on Petco Love Lost to make flyers to post in your neighborhood!
