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Did you find a cat outdoors?
People often see cats outside and are not sure if they are homeless. The cat could be owned and allowed outdoors, lost and an owner is desperately missing them, was abandoned, is a feral, or some other situation. If you see a wandering cat in your neighborhood and you do not know the owner, do not ignore the situation. There are a few things you can do to see if this is cat in need of help or just a kitty out for a leisurely stroll. We are not an emergency rescue, but can assist you in finding a safe haven for the cat if it is not owned. CRA believes that it is always safest for friendly pet cats to be living indoors 100% of the time; however, it is perfectly legal in Massachusetts for kitties to be allowed outdoors so we want to make sure that lost/distressed cats receive help while owned/outdoor cats are left alone.
We receive endless calls about stray cats. Without your help, the cats may suffer and be at risk so contact CRA and we will walk you through everything you can do to help. In the meantime here are some steps we strongly recommend that you can take:
If the cat is severely injured or ill, you can take it to the nearest animal hospital (MSPCA Angell Medical Center is open 24/7 if needed)
Please take a quick look at the ears, if you notice an ear tip (examples of what that looks like all over the website, including below) then this means the cat has been fixed and vaccinated and likely has a caretaker. If there is not a medical reason to intervene, then please don't. This kitty has already been to the vet for their spay/neuter and vaccines.
For cats that are not injured and don't seem to be having an issue, the easiest and fastest way to find an owner is to put a paper collar on the cat. Follow the instructions on the template. Most times this paper collar trick will show if there is an owner within a matter of hours. If there is no response to this trick, please let us know and we can help get the cat a home.
Take a photo then contact your town/city animal control, MSPCA, Animal Rescue League of Boston, and other local animal shelters/rescues for reports of missing cats.
DO NOT POST the cat on Craigslist, but do search through the lost cat reports on Craigslist. If you think you have found the owner, make sure to have the owner send you a picture of the cat.
Sign up for the free app Nextdoor and post photos of the stray - someone often quickly recognizes him or her or can give clues on who feeds him or her.
If it is safe to take bring the cat inside, confine him/her to a bathroom for the night with water, food, and a litter box. Keep the cat separated from your resident cats and children.
Paper Collar Template
This simple paper collar is hands down the fastest, easiest way to find out if a cat is owned. It doesn't work 100% of the time but it works in nearly all cases. Please click HERE for the actual template to print out.
It might take several tries since this is just paper but it is worth the effort. The paper collar avoids what we call "neighborhood wars" between neighbors inadvertently taking owned cats - this little piece of paper avoids a big headache. We use it many times weekly and it is immensely helpful.
An "Ear-Tipped" Cat
If you look closely, Mr. Grey is sitting still enough to show that his left ear is tipped. See how the left ear is clipped flat, a bit shorter than his right ear? This is the universal sign that he has already been trapped, neutered, and released. This indicates that a person nearby is caring for him by way of food, water, and likely shelter. If you notice a cat is ear tipped and they look healthy, then you can be sure that they have already been offered the best possible gift a person could give them - a humane chance to live out their best and longest life. If you want to help feral cats feel free to check out our other page just about ferals on exactly how to do that.
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