The found cats process

The Found Cats process 


If you have found a cat it can be a stressful and worrying time.  We must highlight that we are not able to deal with emergencies and you should phone the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.

 

If you have a cat that you are worried that it might be lost or abandoned then please contact 07521 977059 or email lostandfound@catsrayleigh.org.uk.  We will need your help and please be aware that we will be unable to take in any reported as found cats immediately. 

 

We will need information such as:

  • How long has the cat been around?
  • Has it got a collar?
  • Is it there all day or does it visit at certain times?
  • Have you tried the local vets and knocked at neighbours doors?

We have a set procedure to follow and this includes a visit to the cat, taking photos which we will then advertise on www.petsearchsoutheast.co.uk, scanning the cat to check for a microchip and putting a paper collar on the cat, that includes a contact number, to see if it is going back home or if anyone else is feeding the cat.  Please note about 70% of cats that we go out to have owners and they are just being cheeky and getting extra meals.

 

Just because a cat is thin does not mean it is a stray.  It is, however, a lot more likely to be elderly and it would be devastating if it were removed from its home and environment that it knows.  Please don’t be tempted to remove any cat from its environment until you have contacted us.

 

Please remember that we are all volunteers and many of us have full time jobs, so we will need your help as much as possible.  It would be very helpful to us if you could phone local vets and check with as many neighbours as possible to see if the cat has an owner before contacting us.  You might even be able to look on www.petsearchsoutheast.co.uk to see if the cat has already been reported.  At times we have a large amount of calls about found cats and, as volunteers, we can only deal with so many at a time, so why not put your pet detective head on and help us out :)

 

Please don’t feed a cat straight away, as you will encourage it to keep coming back.  If the cat has a home, the owners will not be happy - you could even do harm to the cat if it is eating a special diet for medical reasons.


Please remember that every found cat has a story.  Sadly some are strays, or abandoned, and once investigated we have to wait for 2 weeks before it can go on our list to come into our care.  Unfortunately our waiting list can be quite long and sometimes we are grateful to rely on the good nature of the public to look after a "found" cat until a space arises.

You may find these contact details useful:

Rayleigh, Castle Point and District Lost and Found - Mel

07521 977059

lostandfound@catsrayleigh.org.uk

Southend and District Lost and Found - Shelley

07479 938619

shelley@southendcats.org.uk


RSPCA Essex South Southend & District Branch - Sue
07724 075473
lostandfound@rspcaessexsouth.co.uk