Stray and feral cats

Find information on how to deal with a stray or feral cat you have seen in your local area.

Is it a stray or a feral cat? 

Most cats will roam over a wide area, so it may be a good idea to ask around the neighbourhood to see if anyone knows who the cat you have seen belongs to. 

If the stray cat is approachable, friendly or tame it may well belong to someone. So long as it is healthy the best thing to do is to try and find its owner.

If the stray cat is not friendly, it may be feral or semi-feral. Feral and semi-feral cats are able to look after themselves and, so long as the feral cat is healthy, leaving it alone may be the best option. 

Finding the owner of a stray cat

If the stray cat is not feral (ie appears tame) the best thing to do is to try and find its owner. If the cat is approachable and you have the means to safely transport it to your nearest vet, you could have it scanned for a microchip and they will then be able to access Petlog’s 24-hour lost and found service. This is often the quickest and easiest way to locate a potential owner - find a vet.

If it is not possible to take the cat to a vet but you can get close enough to put a collar on it, then the first step is to download our simple Paper cat collars [PDF 36.5KB]. The second collar is a spare for future use, if necessary. Write your telephone number on one of the collars before putting it on the cat. 

Please take all reasonable precautions when approaching the cat and fixing the collar. If the stray cat is approachable and judged to be friendly, fitting the collar should be a relatively simple exercise, but you may want to strengthen the collar before putting it on the cat. We know the collars are stronger and more waterproof if they are bound first with sticky tape. Do not in any circumstances risk being bitten or scratched.
 

You can also download and print our Found poster [PDF 10.7KB] and our Lost and found contact list [PDF 70KB]. You may need to protect the posters from the worst of the weather if you choose to use them externally. Display the posters only where you have permission to do so such as vets, shops, post offices, etc. We would not advise putting up posters elsewhere unless you received permission from your local council first as it may be a fineable offence.

Rehoming a stray cat

If you have taken all of the above steps and are unable to find the stray cat’s owner within a reasonable period of time, ie 10 days, so long as you can show that all the above steps have been taken, you can then go about finding a loving new home for the stray cat.  

If you are not able to keep the cat, please contact your local RSPCA animal centre to see if they can help you with rehoming the cat. You can find your nearest RSPCA by using our search facility.

If your local RSPCA animal centre is full, you may need to contact other reputable organisations. Some of these organisations are listed on our Lost and found contact list [PDF 70KB].

Taking on a stray cat

If you decide to keep a stray cat, please do ensure that you carefully consider the commitment required. You must be able to provide proper care, accommodation, food and veterinary care for the rest of the cat's life. We would also recommend taking out pet insurance to cover any future expensive vet bills.

Find out more about the needs of cats.