What to Do When You Find a Cat in the United States

Is the cat you found really lost?

Many US neighborhoods have owned cats that are allowed outdoors and community cats that live outside with a caretaker. Taking a healthy, owned cat away from its area can make it harder for it to get home, so check first.

The ASPCA describes ear-tipping, the removal of the top quarter-inch of one ear during spay or neuter surgery, as a widely accepted way of marking a community cat. Some shelters, for example Austin Animal Services in Texas, suggest the paper collar trick: fasten a breakaway paper collar with a note asking whether the cat has a home and your phone number, then wait a few days for a call. Use it only on a friendly cat, and fit it loosely enough to slip two fingers underneath.

What should you do when you find a cat?

1. Stay safe. Approach slowly and let the cat come to you. A scared cat can bite or scratch; if it is injured or aggressive, call your local animal control instead of handling it.
2. Contain it if you can. Put the cat in a carrier, then in a quiet room such as a bathroom with water, a little food and a litter tray. Keep it away from your own pets until a vet has checked it.
3. Check for ID. Look for a collar, tag or a license tag from a city or county.
4. Get a microchip scan. Call a nearby vet clinic or shelter; scanning a found pet is normally free and takes a minute.
5. Look up the chip. If there is a number, enter it in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup to see which participating registry holds the record, then call that registry; it contacts the owner.
6. Report the cat. File a found report with your city or county animal services or shelter; the ASPCA advises checking your local laws on whether a found animal report is required.
7. Post a found cat ad. Post a free found cat ad on PetzLover with a photo, the area and the date, and check lost cat listings near you for a match.
8. Spread the word locally. Put up flyers near where you found the cat and tell nearby vets, because most found animals live close by.

What if you find kittens?

Young kittens alone are often not abandoned. The ASPCA advises leaving them where they are and checking from a distance over a few hours to see whether the mother returns, because nobody can care for kittens like their mother.

• Sick or injured kittens: take them to a shelter, rescue or vet right away, calling ahead.
• Clean, plump, quiet kittens: probably being cared for; give the mother space.
• Dirty, thin, crying kittens: may be orphaned and need a foster caregiver with help from a shelter or vet.
• About two months old: kittens usually eat on their own and weigh around two pounds; friendly ones can be fostered for adoption.
• Not friendly at eight weeks or older: the ASPCA recommends a trap-neuter-return plan with local help.

Can you keep a cat you found?

Rules on found animals are set by states, counties and cities, and they vary. Stray holding periods differ widely; Austin, for example, holds pets for three days before adoption or transfer, while some places set no holding period for cats. Report the cat, give the owner a fair chance to come forward, and ask your local animal services what you need to do before you can adopt it yourself. If no owner appears, our guide on adopting a cat covers vet checks and first weeks.

How do you verify the owner of a found cat?

When you post a found cat ad, show a clear photo but keep back one detail, such as a small mark, a kink in the tail or the color of the paw pads. Then ask anyone who replies through PetzLover's messages for proof.

• Photos of the cat at home, ideally several taken at different times.
• Vet records, adoption or purchase papers that describe the cat.
• The microchip number or registration in their name, if the cat is chipped.
• The hidden detail you held back, described without prompting.
• How the cat reacts to them in person; a reunion usually looks obvious.

Hand the cat over in a public place or at a vet clinic or shelter, and bring someone with you. Do not hand a cat to someone who cannot give any detail or who wants it delivered to another person. Never ask the owner for money before the handover, and be wary of anyone who wants you to read out a code sent to your phone; the FBI has warned about scammers who target lost and found pet posts this way.

How do owners search for found cats?

Owners usually check found cat ads, shelters and neighborhood groups every day, comparing photos with their own. Keep your found ad up until the cat is home, and update it if anything changes. Our guide on finding a lost cat through found-pet ads shows what owners look for, and what to do when your cat is lost explains the steps they are taking.