I found a stray cat....Now what?

SPCA of Northern Virginia wishes we could help each person who contacts us about a stray cat and/or kittens in their neighborhood. But we can't. Our resources - time, people, and money - are limited. We are an ALL VOLUNTEER organization which depends solely on foster homes and donations to provide food, shelter and medical care for our cats. Here are some tips on what to do.

ALWAYS provide cat food and water and determine if the cat is friendly or feral*.

If the cat is friendly

Contact local shelters to file a "Found Cat Report" (contact the shelter in the county where the cat was found as well as neighboring counties)
Post a found report on the Missing Pet Network
Talk to neighbors to see if they know anything about the cat
Place signs around the neighborhood asking if the cat belongs to anyone
Contact other cat rescue groups for assistance:
Feline Foundation of Greater Washington: 703-920-8665
Animal Allies: 703-940-9183
4 Paws: 703-761-7297
Fancy Cats: 703-502-0233
Homeless Animals Rescue Team: 703-691-4278
Friends of Homeless Animals: 703-385-0224
Lost Cat and Dog Rescue Team: 703-295-dogs
Don't get discouraged if they can't help right away. Keep calling until they have an "opening"
Post messages on pet rescue on-line news groups or message boards to see if anyone is willing to help
If you can't find the cat's "guardian" and other rescue groups can't help either, please take responsibility for the cat/kittens yourself (see below)

If the cat is feral, options are more limited

Trap the cat, have it spayed/neutered and re-released ONLY if you are committed to providing food, water, and shelter (e.g., wood houses, dogloos) for the rest of the cat's life
Contact a feral cat group for advice and assistance (e.g., Metro Ferals)
Trap the cat and take it to an animal shelter (the cat may be euthanized if deemed unadoptable)

Providing Food and Water

Provide CAT food or cooked meat for adults if you don't have cat food immediately handy (cat's are carnivores - meat eaters!)
Provide KITTEN food for nursing moms and kittens
Provide clean water (not cow's milk which is hard for cats to digest!)

Trapping

Use a humane trap to capture a cat and/or kittens (a rescue organization or local animal shelter may be able to loan you one)
If possible, monitor the trap at all times; if it not possible, don't leave the trap unmonitored for longer than 30 minutes; trapped cats are likely to injure themselves; traps should be covered and cats safely removed ASAP

Taking Cats and/or Kittens to Local Animal Shelters

If a rescue organization is not able to assist you and you can't bring a friendly cat and/or kittens into your home, please take them to a local animal shelter. We recommend you call several local shelters to determine how full they are and what their policies are regarding taking in stray cats/kittens. Many of our local shelters have very nice facilities and work very hard to find homes for the many cats/kittens that end up in their care. It is never best to just leave them outside to fend for themselves. Stray cats/kittens are often hit by cars, get into fights with other cats or dogs, starve, or injure themselves.

Bringing a Cat and/or Kittens into Your Home and Getting Vet Care

Put the cat and/or kittens in a bathroom or separate room by themselves (they feel safer in a small space and if you have cats of your own this will limit the possible transmission of disease)
Take the cat and/or kittens to a vet ASAP (cats and kittens should be tested for feline AIDS and feline leukemia; given rabies and distemper shots according to their age; treated for worms and fleas; and spayed/neutered when appropriate based on health and age)
Keep the cat and/or kittens separate from your cats for at least 10 days to watch for possible infectious diseases such as upper respiratory infections

Socializing Feral Cats and/or Kittens

Feral kittens over 6 weeks of age and adult feral cats can rarely be fully socialized; some older feral kittens and cats may learn to trust one person after a long period of socialization but can rarely be socialized well enough to be adopted out as pets
Here's information on Taming Feral Kittens

Finding Good Homes

If the cat is over 4 months of age, have it spayed/neutered BEFORE releasing it to a new home; If the kitten is younger require the adoptive family to do this at the appropriate age (Contact Spay, Inc. at 703-522-7920 for information on low cost spay and neuter)
Place ads in newspapers, post signs in vet offices and community bulletin boards, and use word of mouth
Make sure the cat is going to a safe, loving, lifetime home (see our adoption guidelines for tips on what to look for in the right home). Do not allow declawing, insist the cat be kept indoors, young kittens should not go to homes with young children/toddlers, ask for permission to check on the welfare of the cat at a later date

Finding good homes for cats and kittens takes time and commitment. It isn't easy, but with persistence you can do it! Please don't short change a friendly cat or kitten by putting him/her back into a bad situation. You want to be able to sleep at night knowing you've done the right thing!

Good luck! We hope this information helps!

* A feral cat has not been socialized toward humans; meaning it is essentially a wild animal. A feral cat will be very skittish toward humans; meaning it will not allow direct contact. Even a friendly cat may be skittish at first until it learns to trust you. A friendly cat will usually warm up to a friendly human within a few days if you are providing the cat with food and water and you are patient and non-threatening. It may be hard to determine if a mother cat with kittens is friendly or feral because she is likely to hiss and spit if you approach her kittens. So more time and greater caution may need to be used when trying to determine if a mother cat is friendly or feral.