I found a stray cat, can PNCA take him/her?
No we are unable to take in stray or found cats. Exceptions to this are neonatal kittens (bottle babies) since they do not thrive in a shelter environment and are typically euthanized.
Studies show that half of American cat owners let their cat outside. By county laws, you must make every effort to ensure that the cat you found is not owned by someone.
What should I do?
Local County Information.
- Begin by checking with immediate neighbors to see if anyone nearby could be missing the cat.
- If not, the next step is to have the cat scanned for a microchip. Any veterinarian office, shelter or PetsMart will do this for you free of charge.
- If the cat is not chipped to an owner, then you will need to report him/her to your county shelter. Most counties have simple forms available online for this purpose, and you can include a clear photo of the cat as well.
- Cobb County requires that the cat be turned in to their facility for a ten day stray hold.
- Cherokee County requires a three day stray hold but the cat may remain with the finder during this time.
Next Steps…
Get the word out to the public in order to locate the owner. Two primary ways to do this are through social media (FaceBook, NextDoor, etc) and posting signs in the area where the cat was found. A good, clear photo is very helpful for both. For social media, include the photo along with a general description of the cat and the vicinity (city, neighborhood, etc) where found. Signs for found cats should be kept very simple, as people have only have a brief time to view the information from their vehicle (Found Orange Cat, 404-555-1212), use neon colored poster board and hang them at intersections and cross streets in the area where the cat was found. Some of the sites (see below) will provide you with free, printable flyers as well.
If you end up housing the found cat during the period you are looking for his/her owner’s, it is extremely important that you keep him/her isolated from your pets. The cat that you have found may have parasites such as fleas, ticks, and worms that your pets could contract. The found cat may also be aggressive toward your pets, which would add additional stress to everyone.
If the cat’s owner does not claim him/her during the stray hold mandated by your county, then you are free to re-home the cat to a private adopter or rescue group. Adopt-a-pet is an online service to help re-home pets. Please never give a cat away for free and carefully screen all adopters. Sadly, pets re-homed for free may be used as dog bait or worse.
Hopefully you will have the joy of reuniting your found kitty with a very happy owner!