What to do if you find a lost cat

Most cats you see outdoors do not need intervention and should be left where they are. So, first, determine whether this is a cat in need of immediate attention (sick or injured) or a healthy neighborhood cat out for a stroll. 

Review Lost Cat vs Community Cat. If you are unsure or would like more information about community cats and Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR), please click the following button:

City of Rochester: Community Cats

Signs that a cat is sick or injured include the following

• How is this cat injured? Is it able to walk on all 4 legs, bleeding, etc.?
• Is the cat wearing a collar?
• Are the cat’s eyes clear?
• Does the cat appear underfed?
• Is breathing slow and labored?
• Is the cat hunched up in possible pain?
• Does the coat appear dirty or missing patches of fur?
• Is the cat declawed?

If you believe this is a lost or abandoned cat

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  Take a photo of the cat. Try for a full-body side view with a face, preferably standing, so you have a clear image of the cat and its markings. Use the photo for posting on Nextdoor, social media, and at nearby intersections. More cats are reunited as a result of good posters and flyers than as a result of social media, so get those posters up while the cat is still around and visible.

• Get the cat scanned for a microchip at any vet, animal shelter, or participating pet store. This is a free service and no appointment is necessary. If you are not able to transport the cat, ask animal services or your local rescue community for assistance.
• If the cat is in danger and urgent action is necessary, bring or lure the cat into your home or garage to keep it safe if you can do so safely. (Otherwise, request assistance from Animal Services.) The space should be dark and quiet, a separate room well away from children and other pets. Equip the area with food, water, and litter. Contact Animal Services if you need help with cat food or cat litter. Once the danger is gone, return the cat to the location where found. 
• If the cat is not in danger or sick/injured, do not bring the cat indoors; leave him in place, or return the cat to the exact location you picked him up prior to microchip scanning so he may return home on his own. You may provide food/water support.
• Next, post the found cat alert on Nextdoor.com, PetHarbor.com, HelpingLostPets.com, Pawboost.com, lost.petcolove.org, and Craigslist in the Pets category and Lost and Found Community section

If unable to contain the cat, use this template to make a paper cat collar. You can also write a note asking about the cat with your contact info, fold it up, and tape the ends to form a collar.

Do not give a cat away or offer it up for adoption until you have covered the above steps for at least a week, branching out beyond your immediate area, to make sure no one is searching for this cat. You would want the same done if it were your cat.

The link buttons below are tools that pull data from our records management system and provide live lost pet data to this web page. These are beloved companion animals whose owners are searching for them. 

By sharing these records we are giving the world information about pets that have been reported by community members to Animal Services as lost; giving them a better chance at being found. 

Lost records are posted to the search tool as they are entered into the records management system. People who find roaming pets can use these tools to help get them back to their families quicker and often without requiring intake at a shelter. Finders receive guidance and support from our office and they submit Found Animal Reports, post Found Pet Flyers, use Petco Love Lost facial recognition tool, and knock on doors to attempt to locate the animals' people or individuals who may know where the animals' homes are. 

View dogs reported as lost

View cats reported as lost 

View other animals reported as lost

Back to Rochester Animal Services: Found Pet Guide