How to help a stray or feral cat

A stray is a cat that was once owned or used to people and is now lost or abandoned. A feral cat grew up with little or no human contact and fears people. The two need different help. Start by watching from a distance, check for an owner, and provide water, shelter and food. Do not handle a frightened cat bare-handed. For a feral cat, trap-neuter-return through a local group is usually the kindest long-term answer.

Stray or feral: how to tell

No single sign proves it, but behaviour gives clues.

A stray cat often:

• approaches people, meows and may rub on legs
• holds its tail up
• looks thin or dirty if it has been out for a while
• may wear a collar or be microchipped
• wanders in daylight and may hang around doorways

A feral cat often:

• hides or runs from people and avoids eye contact
• stays out of sight in the day and moves at dusk or dawn
• crouches low, with ears flat
• does not meow at people
• has a clean, healthy coat if it has a food source
• may have a flat, clipped tip on one ear, which in many places shows it has been neutered through a trap-neuter-return programme

A kitten born outdoors that meets people in its first weeks can often become a pet. Kittens in the socialisation period of about two to seven weeks learn to accept people easily. Kittens older than that need more time and patience. Adult ferals rarely become lap cats, and forcing them into a house is stressful and unkind. Many are better off living outdoors in a managed colony with a caretaker.

What to do, step by step

Look first

1. Watch from a distance. Note whether the cat looks well, its coat, its movement, any injury, and whether there are kittens nearby. Take a photo.
2. Check for an owner. Approach slowly, speak softly and let the cat come to you. Look for a collar or tag. If the cat is friendly, take it to a vet or shelter to be scanned for a microchip. Post a found notice in local groups and on lampposts, and ask neighbours. Hold back one detail so you can check who claims it. Many pet cats wander and are not lost.
3. Keep your hands safe. A scared cat bites and scratches. Never grab a cat bare-handed. A bite from an unknown cat needs medical advice, since cat bites often become infected and an unknown animal's rabies status is a concern in some places. Wash any wound well and see a doctor.

Basic help

1. Provide water. Fresh water matters more than food, especially in heat or freezing weather.
2. Offer food at the same time each day. Wet or dry cat food in a clean dish is fine. Remove leftovers so you do not draw rats, wildlife or neighbours' complaints.
3. Add shelter. A simple insulated box or a large plastic tote with a small entrance, straw and no blankets (which hold damp) can help in cold weather. Place it out of sight and out of the wind.
4. Do not move kittens straight away. A mother cat often leaves her kittens while she hunts. Watch from a distance for several hours before you step in, unless the kittens are in danger, the weather is severe or they look sick or injured. If the mother does not come back, call a rescue or vet for advice.
5. Contact a local group. Search for a rescue, a humane society or a trap-neuter-return group. Ask what is needed in your area and what they advise.

Trap-neuter-return

For a feral cat, the usual recommendation is trap-neuter-return, often shortened to TNR. A trained person traps the cat in a humane trap, a vet neuters and vaccinates it, removes the tip of one ear as a mark, and the cat goes back to its place. This stops breeding and reduces fighting, spraying and yowling. The guide on trap-neuter-return explains the steps. Work with a local group for traps, advice and affordable surgery. Do not trap alone without guidance.

Injured or sick cats

Call a vet or wildlife rescue at once. Do not give food or medicine. Cover the trap or carrier with a cloth and keep it quiet while you travel.

Young kittens

A very small kitten that is alone, cold and limp is an emergency. Get it to a vet or rescue straight away. A tiny, eyes-closed neonatal kitten needs round-the-clock care, which a rescue can organise. Do not give cow's milk.

When to bring a cat indoors

A friendly stray can come inside, but not into a house with other cats at once. Keep it in a separate room, take it to a vet for a check, and test for contagious diseases such as feline leukemia virus before mixing. Ask the vet what tests and vaccines your cat needs. Then decide whether you can keep the cat or must find a rescue.

If the stray is a feral adult, you can usually help best by managing the colony outdoors with a TNR group.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a friendly cat is lost. Check with neighbours and a vet first.
• Assuming a thin cat has no owner. Check for a chip.
• Handling a scared cat bare-handed. Use a carrier or trap, thick gloves and help.
• Taking kittens too soon. Their mother may be nearby.
• Feeding and leaving. Feeding without sterilising makes colonies grow. Pair feeding with TNR.
• Relocating a feral cat. Moved cats often flee, get lost or die, and others take their place.
• Ignoring the law. Rules on feeding and keeping strays vary by place. Some places restrict feeding, require a licence or treat feral colonies differently. Ask your local council or rescue.
• Feeding human food or milk. Stick to cat food and water.
• Skipping the vet. A bite or an abscess (cat bite abscess) needs a vet.

When to get urgent help

Call a vet or rescue now if the cat:

• is bleeding, limping, or has an open wound
• breathes with an open mouth or noisily
• cannot stand, seems paralysed or is very weak
• strains to urinate or passes no urine, especially a male
• has not been seen eating for a day or more and looks thin
• is a kitten that is cold, limp or crying constantly

Summary

• Tell strays from ferals by behaviour. Watch before you act.
• Check for a collar, a chip and an owner before you decide it is homeless.
• Provide water, shelter and regular food. Keep your hands safe.
• Leave kittens for a few hours unless they are in danger.
• Use TNR with a local group for feral cats.
• Take sick or injured cats and cold, limp kittens to a vet or rescue at once.
• Rules differ by place, so ask a local group or your council.