How to Help a Stray Cat

The first step a person MUST take when they find a stray cat, is determining if it is homeless or lost.  If the cat is friendly pick it up and check it for a collar or tattoo, the tattoo will be in an ear.  You should take the cat to a veterinarian have have it scanned (free) for a microchip.  They can also check the gender.  Finally contact your local SPCA, or animal shelter, pound, etc, to see if anyone has lost a cat matching the cats description.  If no lost report has been filed on the cat, make sure you file a FOUND REPORT.  This covers you in the event an owner accuses you of theft of their cat.  Generally you then can consider the cat legally yours if nobody has claimed in in 10 days to three weeks, depending on your area laws.  If you do not know who handles lost and found cats, a veterinarian will tell you who to call, in some places it is more than one organization. 

You have to paths of action to take, if you are not interested in keeping the cat, it is best to either have animal control take it to your local shelter, or you can take it there yourself.  Hopefully the owner will come and claim their feline friend.  Letting a stray cat roam the streets is actually cruel if nobody is feeding it or providing it veterinary care and shelter.  If it is not spayed or neutered it will contribute to a larger problem, that of cat over population.  If you are interested in keeping the cat, that is what we will talk about next.  Remember at this time the cat is still not legally yours (until the 10 days to three weeks waiting period has passed) so you may not legally give it away or sell it.

Now, with that out of the way, have a look at the cat for fleas.  You do not want a kitty in your house if it is covered in fleas.  Flea collars are generally not effective and have been linked to the deaths of many pets.  Flea baths are not fun for you or the cat, but can help.  If you are patient, buying a flea comb and combing through the cats fur, removing any fleas and eggs and sticking them to tape for disposal is the safest and cheapest way of ridding a cat of fleas.  There are more expensive medications you can get but it is best to wait until nobody has claimed the kitty and you are considered as the owner before using them.

Cats require fresh water all the time, stainless steel bowls, or ceramic, are best for food and water. They should be given good quality dry all the time.  If the cat is thin, or young, giving it additional wet food is a great idea, this can be given in small amounts, and will actually help the cat if you add water to it to make a soup. 

Cats need a litter box, and many do not like scented cat litter.  If the cat has been living outside for a while it should be kept in a room in your house with the food, water, and litter, just until it settles.  At least a few days. 

Once the waiting period has passed you will want to take the cat to a veterinarian for a check up, vaccination, deworming, and to see if it is spayed or neutered or not.  Spaying or neutering is very important, it will prevent many cancers and result in an overall happier cat with fewer agression issues and less wandering.  You should not let the cat outside until it is fixed, vaccinated, etc. 

So remember it is good to help a stray pet, but the first thing that will help it,is to try to find its original owner, you cannot assume it was abandoned.  Many times cats are stolen by angry neighbours and dumped far away from their home, somebody might be looking for the cat.