No, CC4C can not take a cat that may be owned; it is best if you house the cat yourself and attempt to locate its owner. If you are unable to locate the owner (see list below), CC4C may be able to help you find a home for the cat if you can continue to foster it.
- Check the cat for a microchip through your local vet, or the shelter clinic. If unsure, CC4C can help scan the cat for a microchip. If the cat is chipped, its owner can be easily found.
- Try to contact the owner by putting a break-away collar on the cat and wrapping a note around the collar with your name and phone number. Add “Please call me.” If the cat appears healthy and well-fed, it may have a home in your neighborhood and be an outside cat or roaming. If the cat is owned, you will likely get a call within a day or two when they notice a strange collar on their cat.
- Notify the County Animal Shelter (Martinez volunteer line 925-335-8330). Specify the gender, color, breed, approximate age, location with cross street, and a contact number. If possible, take a picture and leave a flyer with the Animal Shelter staff. But beware, the shelter may request that you bring the cat into the shelter.
- Post the cat as “found” on Craigslist, Nextdoor.com, or other similar neighborhood websites. Be sure to leave out some detail about the cat, such as some specific description. It’s also helpful to check on the person contacting you by requiring some proof of ownership such as pictures, vet records, details about the cat’s physical appearance, and even call the vet clinic in advance of any meeting to confirm ownership.
- Post “Found Pet” on PetHarbor – You can register pets as “lost” or “found” on PetHarbor.com.
- Post flyers in the neighborhood where the cat was found. However, when people call to inquire, be sure to try a “trick” question so that people who call don’t just get to come and take him away.
- Contact the Contra Costa Times to run a “found pet” ad for free. Call (925) 933-2020.
- Call local pet stores or vets to see if anyone has reported a lost cat to them. Some pet stores (like Pet Food Express) or vets (like Four Corners Animal Hospital and Montecito Animal Clinic in Pacheco) have bulletin boards where people can post lost/found flyers.
Posted in: Feral/Stray assistance