Lost or Found Cats

What do I do if I’ve lost my cat?

Losing a pet can be very stressful, but don’t panic. You need to stay calm.

  • In many cases, pets don’t go very far. House cats, particularly those who are indoor-only, tend to get scared and hide close by. Thoroughly search the immediate area before looking in areas farther away. Call your cat’s name and listen for a response.

  • Cats are more likely to come out of hiding at dawn and dusk; concentrate your search at those times.

  • Put a litter box with their scent as well as clothes that have your smell outside where they are accessible and will stay dry.

  • Create a flyer with your pet’s photo, any specific identifying information, and your contact information, including phone number(s) that are always available and / or where people can leave a message. Check for messages regularly.

  • Go door-to-door to your neighbors with a flyer and ask if they have seen your pet; ask them to check their garages or sheds where a cat could get trapped.

  • Take the flyers to local area stores, vet offices, groomers, and anywhere else that will let you put one up.

  • Ask your mail carrier, newspaper delivery person or anyone who walks in your neighbourhood to keep an eye out. This could include neighbors who walk their dogs regularly.

  • If your cat is scared consider a humane trap. SCAT Street Cat Rescue offers humane cat traps for a 7-10 day rental period. The total fee is $100; $20 is not refundable for wear and tear on the equipment; $80 is refundable if trap returned by the due back date, cash preferred but e-transfer is also accepted for the total fee

  • Perhaps most importantly, visit your local shelter as often as possible. Don’t rely on the kennel attendant’s description of an animal; they deal with a large number of animals and don’t always match lost reports with found animals. Check the shelters for yourself and check often.

File lost reports:

Additional suggestions.

  • Preventative measures you can do today that will help should your cat ever be lost:

  • Keep a collar and tag with your phone number on your cat.

  • Microchip your cat so that if it is picked up by Animal Control you will be contacted.

  • Purchase a City license and put it on the cat’s collar; it is one more identifying feature, and you will receive a discount on shelter fees should your cat be picked up.

  • Be aware that City Sanitation is responsible for picking up deceased animals; you may want to contact them to check if your cat has been hit by a vehicle.

What do I do if I’ve found a cat?

  • *To ensure there is no transmission of illness or parasites we recommend that you keep the cat contained in a separate room, away from other animals.*

  • Check these Facebook pages for found cats matching the cat description:

  • Post a found report on kijiji.ca

  • If you are unable to keep the cat while searching for an owner, call Animal Control and they will pick it up

  • If you can keep the cat inside while looking for an owner, call the SPCA and file a found report with them.

  • Prepare and put up flyers in local vet offices and anywhere else that will let you put one up.

  • Email Street Cat Rescue at contact@streetcat.ca with a photo and description of the cat you have found and your contact information.

  • If you would like to request SCAT intake the cat, submit a request: Intake Request Form.

  • In the event where SCAT is too full to intake the cat, consider if yourself or a friend or family member may be able to foster the cat for the SCAT program.

  • If it is a young kitten that is not yet eating solid food, check out our information on orphan kittens.

  • If it is a pregnant cat or nursing mom with kittens check out or info on pregnant or nursing moms.