How You Can Help Stray Cats
Once you’ve determined that a cat is stray and doesn’t have a home by following the steps outlined in What to do if You’ve Found a Cat, we encourage you to help a cat in need!
First, determine if the cat is stray or feral:
Stray cats are lost or abandoned cats who socialize to humans and retain their tame nature but live on the streets. They can be friendly, or they can regress to a feral state after living without positive human contact.
They may be afraid of humans, but often with the right environment, they remember how to renew their trust in people and rekindle their ability to be a happy household kitty!
Feral cats, also called community cats, are the offspring of unsterilized lost or abandoned stray cats. They are un-social, fearful of humans, and find it difficult to adapt to living as pets as they prefer their independence and freedom. Hissing and growling are self-defense behaviours, which may change overtime as the animal begins to trust humans that provide food, water and care.
If the cat is stray you can:
1. Find a Home
Utilize your personal networks to see if anyone is interested in adopting the cat. Share information about the cat on your social media accounts to reach a wider audience. Although it requires effort, helping a cat find a loving home is rewarding.
You could welcome a new family member by keeping the cat. Be sure to take the cat to the vet for a checkup and vaccinations and schedule a spay (female) or neuter (male) surgery for the cat's health and to prevent unwanted litters.
2. Seek Assistance
Can’t rehome or keep the cat? Seek assistance by completing our intake form, and support him or her until we can help. You can provide support by:
Bringing the cat indoors (a spare room or bathroom work great!). Be sure to keep the cat contained in a separate room, away from other animals to ensure there is no transmission of illness or parasites. Provide food, water and attention accordingly.
Care for the cat outdoors by providing shelter, food and water. Regina Cat Rescue has shelters available by donation. Email us to see if we have any available or make one yourself. There are ideas and instructions here. If you’re caring for an outdoor cat in winter find more winter care tips here.
If the cat is feral you can:
1. Trap Neuter/Spay Return (TNR)
Trap neuter/spay return (TNR) is the most humane service for feral cats. Feral cats aren’t socialized and cannot be adopted. This means when the cats are brought to a shelter, they will be euthanized. TNR promotes ending cat overpopulation and euthanization.
Trapping requires constant monitoring and can never be done in winter. Any food left out for feral cats should be removed 24 hours before setting the trap. Set the trap in the area where the cats typically eat and bait them with strong-smelling food such as wet cat food, tuna, or sardines. Stay out of sight, but in a place where the trap can be observed.
Once a cat is trapped, cover the trap with a blanket and move it to a safe place. Immediately take the cat to a veterinary clinic. Once the spay/neuter procedure is complete, the cat should stay in its trap for 24 hours before being released.
2. Provide Care
Care for the cat outdoors by providing shelter, food and water. Regina Cat Rescue has shelters available by donation. Email us to see if we have any available or make one yourself. There are ideas and instructions here. If you’re caring for an outdoor cat in winter find more winter care tips here. Be sure that the cat is spayed/neutered. The kindness in providing care can quickly set off a chain reaction, resulting in a colony of cats struggling to survive on the streets.
3. Seek Assistance
Rescue’s Community Cat Program manages 30 community cat colonies in the city of Regina. It also provides assistance to as many as 45 privately-run colones, by aiding in spay/neuter, and supplies. Contact our Community Cats Team for questions and assistance.