What to do if you find a cat?

During an evening walk in the park or in the yard, you found a cat or a cat. Perhaps the animal lives on the street all its life, but it may also be that it is lost. How to determine if he needs help, and what to do with the found cat?

How to help a cat?

First of all, you need to try to understand whether a homeless person is a cat or a pet that got lost. Street cats are distrustful of people and most often do not approach, even if they are treated with food. If the animal is friendly, comes to you and is given to you, check if it is wearing a collar with contact information about the owner. A pet can be microchipped, this can be checked with a special scanner in many veterinary clinics and some pet stores – do not hesitate to ask for help from specialists. If the cat is visibly injured, has open wounds or bites, or appears unwell, try to capture it and take it to a veterinarian. If you are going to take this important step, remember about personal safety: do not let the animal bite or scratch you, use thick gloves, it is best to transport the animal in a spacious plastic carrier or reinforced cardboard box with air slots. Before arriving at the veterinary clinic, be sure to call and ask if specialists accept homeless animals, in some cases you can be sent with such a pet to the nearest city animal disease control station. Be prepared for the fact that if the cat does not have a chip, then after visiting the clinic you will have to leave it with you for some time. But if there is a safe place at the veterinary clinic, a hospital or an overexposure room where you can leave the cat for a while, it is better to do this. You can also seek advice and assistance from local foundations and shelters.

Possible health problems

If after visiting the veterinary clinic you decide to take the cat home, prepare a “quarantine” for her in the form of a separate room or a spacious cage. The cat may have skin or internal parasites, as well as other health problems, which can be reported to you by a veterinarian after examining the animal. You can treat a new pet from fleas, ticks and worms on your own at home using the means recommended by a veterinarian, for example, washing the cat with special shampoos or using drops on the withers and tablets. At first, a cat or cat under stress may behave aggressively towards you and your pets – they need time to feel safe. Your pets may also be negative towards the newcomer, so it is best to isolate the foundling in a separate room if possible.

Check with your veterinarian about the amount of time your pet should be isolated from other pets.

Host search

If you are sure that the cat is domestic and just lost, start looking for owners. Advertise the found cat in the area where you found it. In the ad, you need to place a photo of the animal, indicate special signs and your contact information. It is best to stick ads in those permitted places where there are most people – at bus stops, the doors of shops and social services. Try to find animal search communities on social networks, as well as groups of residents of a given area or city. Perhaps they are already looking for a cat. Some owners let their pets go for a walk on their own – probably, the cat just went to the neighboring area and for some reason could not find its way back.

If the search for previous owners was unsuccessful, try to find new owners for the animal. There are now a lot of communities on the Internet where people are looking for a new pet. The principle of action is the same as when searching for the owner – placing a quality ad with good photos and videos. Be sure to tell that you found the cat, took it to the veterinarian and carried out the necessary examinations and tests. Healthy and well-groomed animals are taken much more willingly.

Ask for help and advice from local animal shelters and foundations that deal with homeless animals – you will definitely be prompted for the best solution.

Overexposure

If you have a situation that you cannot keep a cat at home (allergies, small children in the house), try to give the animal for overexposure. What is an overexposure? Most often, this is a specialized hotel for animals, where pets are fully cared for – feeding, walking, veterinary assistance if necessary. Such hotels are paid, so if you are not ready for spending, then look on social networks for a person who is ready to adopt a cat or try to find new owners for her.

It may happen that the previous owners were not found, and you are already so used to the cat that you decide to keep it. Prepare your apartment for the arrival of a new tenant – buy your cat bowls, toys, a bed and consult with a veterinarian about suitable nutrition.

Animals can give a lot of happiness and warmth, even if it is already an adult “fighting” cat or a cute fluffy kitten!