What to do if a cat finds you

As springtime approaches, animal shelters and rescue groups all over the country brace themselves for another ‘season.’ Below are some tips and suggestions for what you might do if you encounter one of these situations.

It can happen anytime. You are going about your daily activities when a cat appears out of nowhere. Where did it come from?

If you’re like most people, your first reaction is to call the nearest animal shelter. Before you do this, there are a few things you can do to try to find the owner: 1) place signs/posters in your neighborhood, in stores, vet offices, etc; 2) bring him/her to a nearby vet for a free microchip scan; 3) post notices on internet sites such as Petfinder.com and online bulletin boards. If none of these steps yield an owner, contact the Animal Control agency for your area.

Cities generally have a contract for animal control services.

This provides a single location for an owner to be reunited with a lost pet. Animal Control agencies such as King County Animal Services and Seattle Animal Shelter will hold a stray for 72 hours before offering it to others for adoption.

Neighborhood strays and abandoned animals known to have been without an owner for 30 days or more can be put up for adoption through other local shelters. Sadly, all shelters and rescue groups have severely limited space, so trying to rehome the cat yourself may also be a good idea.

What If You Find a Litter of Kittens?

If you find a litter of kittens, they were likely born to a free roaming or feral cat, not to someone’s pet. Time is often of the essence. Contact a local animal shelter immediately. The kittens need a food source, socialization, and possibly even medical attention. Kittens that aren’t socialized to human touch by about eight weeks of age are less likely to be adoptable — which means that shelters can’t take them — which, in turn, only adds to the cycle of homelessness.

Even if your local shelter cannot take the kittens immediately, they might help you with supplies and give you tips on kitten care. Your temporary job then would be to socialize, socialize, socialize!

One last word - An unspayed female, her mate and all of their offspring, producing?2 litters per year with a survival rate of only 2.8 kittens per litter,?in just 3 years could become 376 cats!

If you, a friend, family member, neighbor or coworker have an unaltered animal, please, please, please spay and neuter! A list of low cost spay/neuter clinics can be found at: www.meowcatrescue.org/lowcostspayneuter.html.