{"id":3085,"date":"2023-01-30T10:47:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T16:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiveacresanimalshelter.org\/?p=3085"},"modified":"2023-07-25T08:50:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T13:50:22","slug":"i-found-a-stray-cat-what-do-i-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveacresanimalshelter.org\/i-found-a-stray-cat-what-do-i-do\/","title":{"rendered":"I Found a Stray Cat, What Do I Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
We all want to help animals stay safe especially if they are outside.\u00a0 So, what should you do?<\/strong><\/p> Food, water and shelter are the three most important needs that cat has.\u00a0 If you can provide food and water, please do.\u00a0 Nursing moms need kitten food, as do their kittens when old enough.\u00a0 Avoid milk as that is hard for cats and kittens to digest.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> Shelter is somewhere safe that can help the cat escape the weather elements.\u00a0 You can buy insulated feral cat houses or easily make one with a plastic tubs, a styrofoam cooler that fits just inside the plastic tub with a little room around for straw insulation, and straw.\u00a0 A six inch square hole cut into the side allows the cat entry\/exit.\u00a0 Straw acts as an insulator from the weather and helps the cat stay warm. Stray\u00a0 is placed below and around the styrofoam, inside the bottom and then on top between the styrofoam lid and the plastic tub lid.\u00a0 You want to avoid blankets and towels which hold moisture and will freeze in the cold. Here is a link to instructions on how to build different shelters:<\/p> www.neighborhoodcats.org\/how-to-tnr\/colony-care\/feral-cat-winter-shelter<\/a><\/p> If you cannot touch or interact with the cat, notice if the cat has an ear tip, meaning the tip of one ear is cut off.\u00a0 This means the cat has been altered (spayed\/neutered).\u00a0 If the cat does not have an ear tip, consider working with a local trap\/neuter\/release program, like\u00a0St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach<\/a>, to alter the cat.\u00a0 It is best not to trap on your own but work with an organization that can then take the cat, alter it and return it. See the references below.\u00a0<\/p> If you can touch the cat, it might be an owned pet and therefore an attempt to get it back to its owner is necessary.\u00a0 You can have a cat scanned for a microchip at a vet, shelter or local pet store.\u00a0 The chip may trace back to the current owner for easier return.\u00a0 If the cat is not microchipped, talk to neighbors, post notices on social media, and contact local shelters to file a \u201cfound cat\u201d report. If no luck after two weeks, you can work with a shelter or attempt to rehome the cat yourself through this link:\u00a0rehome.adoptapet.com\/list-a-pet\/step-1<\/a><\/p> Here are some local resources that might be helpful:<\/p>