Is this cat really lost? What to do if you think you’ve found a stray cat.

We often get calls from people telling us they’ve found a stray cat, or people bringing cats to us, who are not actually stray (and sometimes not even missing!).  

Here are some tips from our team on how to identify a stray cat and what to do if you’re unsure.  

Is this cat stray? 

Some outdoor cats just love to wander and can travel far and wide on their adventures. If you’ve found a cat who looks healthy and happy, or if you’ve recently noticed an unfamiliar visitor in your garden, they may just be a roaming pet. 

Don’t feed an unfamiliar cat, unless they seem underweight, as this will encourage them to return to you, even if they have a safe home. 

Try to assess the condition of the cat, if they seem underweight, dirty or frightened, it’s likely they could be a stray. If they’re injured or significantly underweight, contact the Scottish SPCA emergency line at 03000 999 999. They will be able to advise you further.  

What if I’m not sure if a cat is a stray? 

If you’re still not sure if the cat is a new neighbour with a family of their own, missing or stray, you can attach a paper collar around their neck with your contact details on them. Use standard printing paper and attach the collar with a small piece of tape so that it would tear easily if it got caught on something. Write a little message to their owners stating that you’re worried the cat may be a stray and asking them to let you know if it’s actually got a home!  

You can also take pictures of the cat and share these on local Facebook groups with a description of the area where you spotted them or put up ‘Found’ posters. Local social media groups are a fantastic tool to help reunite owners with missing pets.  

We find that if an animal is missing rather than stray, there’s usually a frantic owner doing everything they can to find them!  

I think the cat is a stray. What should I do now? 

If the cat is friendly and happy to let you handle them, you can take them to your local vet practice in a cat carrier. The vet will be able to scan them for a microchip and reach out to their owners. We can also scan for microchips here if the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home offices are more easily accessible to you.  

If the cat has no microchip or no owners, the vet practice will likely have their own process to transfer the cat into the care of a local animal rescue centre. 

Otherwise, you should contact trusted local rescue centres such as Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Lothian Cat Rescue, Cats Protection, or SSPCA who will advise you about what to do next.  

Keep your pet’s microchips up-to-date!  

It’s not currently a legal obligation to microchip cats but we strongly recommend that all pets are microchipped, and details kept up-to-date.  

Any cat that comes to a rescue centre without an accurate microchip is at risk of being rehomed. We do everything in our power to find and reunite pets with worried owners, but it makes our jobs a lot easier when we can simply call you up!  

Keep your pets safe by keeping their chips updated with current contact details.