If your cat or dog is missing, be sure to contact rescue shelters and look through the postings of animals for adoption, and keep looking for a few months. Don't just look at listings of "found cats," because not everyone who finds a cat and adopts it out will post there.
In the process of trying to reunite the stray cat with her family, I learned that there is a woman who has been abducting cats in my neighborhood. She drives around looking for any cat that is outside. If the cat is friendly and doesn't run away from her, she will put it in her car and take it home with her.
She claims to have "rescued" more than 500 animals from the streets. Last week, she took 5 cats from my neighborhood, at least one of which definitely did not need to be rescued (I told her he isn't a stray, but she does not plan to return him). In the past month, she has taken 10 cats from the streets.
She does not seem to care about the people who love the cats she takes. She seems to think that people who are poor shouldn't be allowed to have pets, and people who are older also shouldn't have pets.
She is convinced that it is wrong to let cats live outdoors, even if they are feral.
There are cats that do need to be rescued, and she absolutely is helping with that. I've spoken to a rescue organization that she brought here, and the work they are doing is appropriate. They are working with someone who lives here who has been caring for a group of homeless cats, and they are being very careful to rescue only the ones who genuinely need rescuing.
Here are photos of two of the cats she has taken from my neighborhood. Both cats are currently living with her.
The good news is that she takes the cats to the vet and then works to get them into adopted through rescue organizations. So the cats are safe and well cared for.
Because the shelters are always full, she will sometimes keep cats in her home for a long time until a shelter can take the cat.
She does not post the cats on any "found cat" listings.
She will not let anyone take a cat from her unless they pass her tests -- she does background checks and requires vet references.
She told me that she takes the cats to the following rescue organizations: New Milford Animal Welfare Society, Animal Haven, No Paw Left Behind, and Animals for Life.
For all I know, there are other people who are snatching cats and dogs on the mistaken assumption that they need to be rescued.
Here are some tips and pointers about "stray" cats:
- Many cats do not like being stuck indoors all the time. They will race out the door any chance they get and return when they feel like it. Most of these cats are experts at being outdoors and are moochers, visiting any neighbor who will open the door to them. It is close to impossible to keep these cats inside if they really want to go out. These are not stray cats. These are healthy, well-fed, happy cats living their lives they way they choose to live them. Cats will certainly have longer, healthier lives if they never go outside, but for some cats this simply isn't an option.
- A true stray cat is one that is lost or has been abandoned. These cats are used to being around people and are often very friendly. Stray cats usually have very filthy fur and are extremely hungry and thirsty.
- A feral cat is one that does not trust humans. I have seen various levels of feral cats, from the ones that used to be domesticated but were abused and stopped trusting humans (but can be coaxed into trusting people who feed them), to the ones that were born to stray or feral cats and are completely wild. There are organizations which will trap feral cats, spay/neuter so the colony doesn't keep growing, and then return them to where they were found.
What to do if you think you have a stray cat coming to your house:
- If it's healthy, clean, and well-fed, put a collar with your phone number on it. If it has a home, the owner will call you to find out what's going on.
- If it's healthy, but filthy and starving, and friendly, keep it quarantined away from your pets and children and do the following:
- post a photo on a lost/found website;
- let Animal Control know that you've found the pet (state law requires all found/stray dogs be reported);
- check the lost pet sites;
- ask your neighbors if they know whose cat it might be;
- if you can, take the cat to a vet who can scan for a microchip which will identify the owner.
What to do if someone says you found their pet:
- Beware of scammers! Ask for proof of ownership:
- Photos of them with the pet;
- Vet records identifying the pet;
- Identifying marks that don't appear in the photos you posted (don't ask a leading question, just ask "is there anything unique about the cat";
- Unique behavioral traits, like a weird voice (again, don't ask a leading question; for example, one of my cats has permanent laryngitis -- a leading question would be "is there anything weird with his voice?" instead, just ask if there is anything unique about the cat)
- If you are certain the person is the rightful owner, arrange to meet someplace public, like their vet's office, when you return the pet to them.
If you have pets, get them microchipped. It's not too expensive, and it is a great way to ensure that your pet will be returned to you. The chip is extremely small, goes under the skin, and reports your contact information when it is scanned by a vet. My vet always checks for the chip. I haven't been chipping my cats, but after learning that there is at least one person who feels entitled to take any cat she finds, I will definitely be getting them all chipped.
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