Stray cats

Salisbury Cats Protection receive up to 6 calls every week from people concerned that they may have found a stray cat.  The good news is that, in most cases,  these cats come from loving homes and have simply got lost (maybe after hitching a ride in a delivery van), are new to the area, or are simply looking for attention because their owners are away on holiday.


I think I have found a stray cat, what should I do?

If the cat is injured, sick or in immediate danger - take the cat to the nearest vets or phone the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 (select option 1 for emergencies). Otherwise please follow the steps below to try and locate an owner:-

  1. Take the cat to any vets and ask them to scan it for a micro-chip. This is free of charge.
  2. Check the Lost and Found page on this website to see if anyone has reported the cat missing.
  3. Phone all the vets in the area to check if anyone has reported the cat as missing.
  4. Make a paper collar to put on the cat (printable template) with a message asking an owner to contact you.
  5. Make some posters to display at your local shop, school, on lamp-posts etc.
  6. Go door to door, asking if anyone knows the owners of the cat.
  7. Finally, call or email us with the details of the cat so that we can add them to our lost and found page. Please include as many details as possible, including; age, sex, colour, if the cat is microchipped or wearing a collar. Also include details of when and where you found the cat. A photo should be attached if possible. 
  8. If the cat is still a concern after 14 days (from contacting us) and reasonable steps have been taken to find an owner, please contact us again so that we can add the cat to our waiting list for rehoming.

Moving House

Many people lose their cats as a result of moving house and letting their cat out too soon.  We recommend that cats are kept in for 2-3 weeks after a move.  This gives them time to feel safe in their new home and means they will happily come back once they have been let out.  It is also important that the cat's micro-chip company (e.g. Petlog) is informed so that they can update their record.