General Guidance

You have found a healthy adult cat or kitten, what should you do? 

 The USPCA are an injury, illness & rehabilitation centre only and regrettably do not currently have capacity for healthy cats or kittens over 14 weeks old.  

Our advice when finding a healthy cat or kitten depends on whether you have, 

  1. Found it at your residence and do not recognise from your local area,
  2. Found it in your car engine,
  3. Found it whilst out for a walk, locally or at some distance from your usual residence.
  4. Observed a cat stuck in a tree, for more than 24 hours.

  5. Found a pregnant queen and/or litter of kittens. 

     

Below please find steps we would suggest, should you:

Find a healthy cat/kitten in your local area and have not yet located an owner: 

  • Give it a safe warm location with simple plain food and try for 7 days to reunify, use our handy paper collars where possible; post to local social media groups and ask around neighbours.

  • After 7 days if no owner has been found (but cat remains healthy), please contact your nearest rescue/sanctuary that would have capacity for healthy strays. If no space is available, consider if you wish to continue to provide a safe space and food, or adopt the cat. If you cannot continue to provide safe shelter and food, please contact your nearest animal shelter and ask if the cat can be added to a waiting list for admission.

Find a cat/kitten in your car engine:

  • Try to coax the cat out with strong smelling food, such as tinned fish or wet cat food.
  • Please contact a local mechanic, do not drive the car unless necessary. Cats can not only cause damage to an engine, but the cat could become seriously injured.
  • Should the cat come out uninjured, please proceed to local vet for microchip check.
  • Should cat be injured, please proceed to your nearest vet for microchip check /admission.

Find a cat whilst out for a walk, locally or at some distance from your usual residence:

  • Cats have a legal right to roam, please do not remove a healthy cat from an area where it may reside unless it is in immediate danger, or you are concerned for its welfare.

Observe a cat stuck in a tree/on a roof, for more than 24 hours:

  • Place something tall and sturdy for the cat to jump on to, such as a black bin.
  • Try to coax the cat down with strong smelling food, such as tinned fish or wet cat food.
  • Contact someone locally who works at height, they may be insured for using equipment to secure the cat.
  • If the cat has become distressed/injured whilst in the tree or during rescue, please attend the centre for a microchip check and assessment.

Find a pregnant queen and/or litter of kittens:

  • Do not touch or disturb a litter of kittens once discovered. If 4 weeks of age or less observe for four hours before intervening. If between 4 and 12 weeks observe for up to eight hours. If it has been over these recommended hours since mother has been seen, the kittens could be considered abandoned. Please secure safely and transport to our centre for admission.
  • Pregnant mothers are still allowed to roam or may have left the home to find their own safe place to give birth. If they are in active labour, please do not disturb them or try to move them in any way. If you wish to provide safe shelter and food, set this up close to the labouring mother, and observe from a distance, allowing her to move when comfortable. Often mothers have litters away from their home and move them back when they feel safe to do so. If you can see a mother is caring for herself and kittens and that everyone is well, please do not disturb but observe only as disturbing a mother may cause her to abandon her kittens. If at any stage you feel they are in immediate danger or there is risk to life please secure and bring to our centre for microchip check and admission.