[Written by a Veterinarian] What to Do If You Find a Stray Cat: A Guide to Proper Rescue and Interaction Methods

Have you ever found a "thin cat" or an "injured cat" on the roadside or near your home and wondered what to do?
The desire to help is natural, but the correct course of action varies greatly depending on the situation.
In this article, a veterinarian clearly explains the actions to take when you find a stray cat, criteria for deciding to rescue it, and how to interact with community cats.

When you find a stray cat, first assess the situation

Check if the location is safe

Observe the location where the stray cat is. If it is in the middle of a busy road or in a place with a risk of falling, it needs to be moved. If you move the cat, do not do it alone; get help from people around you. There are cases where people get involved in accidents while prioritizing the rescue of a cat. If it is on a road, it is best to have someone direct traffic. If it is in a dangerous area such as a cliff, consider capturing and moving it with a net or similar tool.

High-urgency cases such as injuries, weakness, or kittens

Cases involving obvious injuries, weakness to the point of being unable to move, or kittens are often high-urgency. First, carefully consider how much you can intervene (including medical expenses and what happens after recovery), and if you are able to intervene, rescue the cat as soon as possible.

Since mother cats may be nearby when kittens are found, it is necessary to monitor them for about half a day if they seem healthy. If they are listless or the mother does not come to collect them, they will need to be rescued.

Avoid approaching unnecessarily to prevent stress and accidents

Even if you find a stray cat, you must first observe the situation closely. If the cat is capable of moving, approaching it may cause it to flee, which can induce secondary accidents. Additionally, because stray cats are not accustomed to contact with people, they may panic or attack. Determine if immediate rescue is necessary, and rescue the cat using safe methods (such as treats, a trap, or a net).

It may clearly be an owned cat (collars, cleanliness, friendliness)

Even if you think it is a stray, it might actually be an owned cat that goes outside. If it is wearing a collar, is well-nourished, has a glossy coat, or is friendly toward people, it may be an owned cat. Unless rescue is necessary due to injury or other reasons, it is necessary to monitor the situation. As it may be a lost cat, it is a good idea to take a photo of its face and provide information to neighbors or a veterinary clinic.

Cases where a stray cat should be rescued and appropriate responses

If a cat is injured, ill, or weak, rescue it and take it to a veterinary clinic

If a cat is injured, ill, or weak, rescue it promptly and take it to a veterinary clinic. Depending on its condition, hospitalization or surgery may be required.Normally, the costs will be borne by the person who rescued the cat, so please understand this before visiting the clinic. Even for a rescued cat, costs can be high.

This is a problem we occasionally see at our clinic: people say, "I rescued it, but I don't intend to keep it/I won't take it back" or "I won't pay for the treatment because I only rescued it." We request an agreement on payment for treatment and adoption before treatment begins, but some people still refuse, resulting in them leaving the cat at the clinic. Such irresponsible behavior is a nuisance to veterinary clinics, so please think carefully before taking action.

If it is a kitten (how to determine age and check for a mother cat)

If it is a kitten, you need to rescue and care for it. If it is less than a month old, it will need care for feeding and elimination. If such a kitten is alone, it is possible the mother cat is moving to feed or relocate the litter. Monitor it for about half a day; if it is still left behind, or if it is found in a gutter or on the road, it is highly likely the mother is gone or has abandoned it, so it must be rescued. If it is less than two months old, the mother may be looking after it, so it might return even if the kitten is currently alone. If it is crying incessantly or is on a road, it may have been separated, so rescue is necessary. For older kittens, rescue may be necessary depending on their condition.

How to identify the age of kittens is as follows:

If they are in busy areas or dangerous zones

If cats are in busy areas, near cliffs, or in dangerous places like factories, they may be involved in accidents and must be rescued and relocated. When rescuing, you must be careful not to get involved in an accident yourself. Also, if they are on private property, be sure to obtain permission from the owner to avoid trespassing.

Tips for rescuing (use of towels and laundry nets)

When rescuing a stray cat, unless it is very listless, it may be wary of people or become excited. Using your bare hands to rescue it may lead to severe injuries, so please use a towel or a laundry net. If the cat is very agitated, it is also a good idea to use a capture net or a trap.

Cases where you should not rescue a stray cat

If TNR or community cat activities are carried out in the area

Among stray cats, there are those watched over by local residents as "community cats." Such cats have undergone neutering/spaying surgery and have a clipped ear. If you see such a cat, do not rescue it, but instead consult with the group conducting community cat activities.

A friendly outdoor cat does not necessarily mean an "abandoned cat"

While strictly keeping cats indoors is desirable for owned cats, some cats go outside. If a cat is used to humans, it may be an owned cat that is simply out for a stroll. If it has a collar or is well-nourished with a glossy coat, it may be someone's pet. If it is an owned cat, it will go home. Rescuing such a cat could lead to the owner searching for it unnecessarily. Abandoned or lost cats, however, are unable to go home, so they wander around and their bodies are often dirty. When rescuing, it is best to provide information to neighbors and veterinary clinics to avoid trouble later on.

Intervening just because you "feel sorry for it" can be a burden on both the cat and yourself

Stray cats are used to living outdoors and are not accustomed to contact with humans. It can be a major burden. There are also sad cases where an attempt to rescue a cat caused it to flee and be hit by a car.

In almost all cases, the medical expenses for a rescued cat are the responsibility of the rescuer. If surgery is required due to an accident or if long-term hospitalization is needed, the costs can reach hundreds of thousands of yen. After discharge, the rescuer will need to care for the cat or find a new home, and during that time, the rescuer is responsible for its care. If the cat is left with a disability or requires continuous treatment, the burden on the rescuer will be significant. Since you become responsible for the cat once you rescue it, please be prepared to take care of it until the end, both financially and mentally. Do not rescue just because you "feel sorry for it."

What is community cat activity? Proper interaction

TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return)

TNR is an acronym for Trap, Neuter, and Return. It is an activity aimed at suppressing the reproduction of stray cats and promoting coexistence with humans. If stray cats increase, it can lead to trouble in the community, such as cats rummaging through trash or causing problems with urine. To minimize such issues, the purpose of TNR activities is to control the breeding of stray cats and "watch over these precious lives in the community."

Clipped ear tip = sign of being sterilized

After a cat has undergone sterilization via TNR, the tip of either the left or right ear is clipped in a V-shape so that it is visible that the surgery has been performed. Because that shape resembles a cherry blossom petal, TNR-ed cats are called "Sakura cats." It is a system that allows anyone to tell at a glance that the cat is a sterilized community cat.

Volunteer and local government support programs

While some people conduct community cat activities individually, it can be costly and time-consuming, so groups sometimes conduct them. There are cases where community cat activities are supported by local governments or groups, including subsidy programs for sterilization costs. There are also veterinary clinics that exclusively perform sterilization surgeries for stray cats.

How to interact with community cats (feeding rules and monitoring)

Basically, you should take a stance of "watching over" community cats. Feeding is usually done by those conducting community cat activities, and feeding them arbitrarily can lead to trouble. Also, providing food can attract other cats, which can cause conflict. Therefore, please watch over them gently and provide information to the people active in the area if something happens.

What is needed after rescuing a stray cat

Health check at a veterinary clinic

Once you rescue a stray cat, first have its health checked at a veterinary clinic. There are cases where you may discover it is pregnant. Fleas and ticks can also infest humans and cause skin problems, so it is necessary to have a veterinarian apply a repellent.

If there are injuries or illnesses, treatment for them is the top priority. Otherwise, you can monitor the cat at home.

Infectious disease testing (feline AIDS, leukemia, etc.)

Stray cats may carry various infectious diseases. It is common for them to have internal parasites or feline upper respiratory infections. They may also have infectious diseases that can be transmitted to other cats, such as feline AIDS (FIV) or feline leukemia (FeLV), so testing is necessary if you have other cats at home. Please note that testing stray cats can be very difficult and may require sedation.

Creating an environment for temporary fostering

After rescuing a stray cat, you need to prepare whether you are keeping it or just fostering it temporarily. For temporary fostering, depending on the duration, it is best to keep them in a three-tier cat cage. Since stray cats unaccustomed to people may escape or attack, cover the cage with a towel to help the cat feel calm. Place a litter box, food bowl, and water bowl inside the cage where the cat will live. If you have other cats at home, try to keep them isolated to prevent infections and avoid causing stress to the cats.

If temporary fostering lasts for more than a month, it is also good to gradually let the cat out of the cage so it can live in the room. You must take measures to prevent escape and ensure they cannot squeeze into tight spaces.

Ways to find foster homes (SNS, local organizations, adoption events)

If you cannot keep the stray cat you rescued, you need to start looking for an adopter at an early stage. Post on social media or consult with a rescue group. If there is a group planning an adoption event, you may want to check if you can participate. Before that, it is necessary to finish any treatment and socialize the cat to people.

Never secretly leave the cat at another house, a rescue group, a cat cafe, or at the entrance of a veterinary clinic.

Summary | When you meet a stray cat, act kindly toward both the cat and people

When you meet a stray cat, your response will change depending on the cat's condition and the situation around it. If the cat is injured, listless, or is a kitten in need of milk, rescuing it is desirable. If it is a community cat managed by the area, check with those conducting community cat activities before rescuing it.

Rescue entails responsibility and medical expenses. Think carefully about whether you can support the cat's entire life before you commit to a rescue.

Related Articles

Be happy! Rescue Cat Welcome Support Program

For those who have welcomed a rescue cat into their family, we are giving away a gift voucher worth 2,222 yen that can be used at the official Poponeko online shop! This gift voucher can be exchanged for Poponeko cat collars or ID tags...