How to Help a Friendly Lost Cat

Have you found a friendly cat who is lost or has been abandoned? Don’t worry - our step-by-step guide explains how you can help reunite the cat with his/her family or help find the kitty a new home:
1. First, check to see if the cat has a collar with an identification tag. Many cats these days are microchipped so you should have the cat
scanned for a microchip (which can be done by any veterinarian or at Peninsula Humane Society).
2. Check with all of your surrounding neighbors to see if the cat belongs to them.
3. Provide the cat with food, water, and if possible, shelter.
4. Post “Found Cat” posters, preferably with a picture, within a 3-5 block radius of
where you found the cat. Templates can be found here.
5. Contact the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) to list the cat in their “Found Cat”
book in case the owner calls there looking for his/her pet:
(650) 340-7022, ext. 702. You should also visit PHS to see if the cat is listed in
their “Lost Cat” book.
6. Check lost and found ads on such sites as Craiglist, Petfinder.com,
LostAndFound.com, AnyPet.com, and PetAmberAlert.com.
7. Place a “Found Pet” classified ad on Petfinder.com and Craigslist.
8. If you are unable to find the owner and you’re unable to keep the cat yourself, you have the option of leaving the cat with PHS. Shelters are
very stressful places for cats and the stress accompanied by exposure to disease often means the cat can become sick, which decreases their
chances of adoption. Please consider fostering the cat until you can find him/her a new home.
9. If you can foster the cat and want to help him/her find a new home, there are lots of ways to find adopters:
a. Place an “Adoptable Pet” classified ad on Craigslist and other sites.
b. If the cat is a purebred (i.e. Siamese, Maine Coone, etc.), contact a purebred rescue group to advertise him/her on their
adoption pages for free.
c. Send fliers of the adoptable kitty to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors via email, posters and social networking sites, such as
Facebook.
10. It’s very important to ensure that any stray kitty you find is spayed/neutered. PHS has a low cost spay/neuter clinic that can help. You can
get a free spay/neuter voucher from the county by calling: (650) 573-3940.
Thank you for helping a cat in need!
1. First, check to see if the cat has a collar with an identification tag. Many cats these days are microchipped so you should have the cat
scanned for a microchip (which can be done by any veterinarian or at Peninsula Humane Society).
2. Check with all of your surrounding neighbors to see if the cat belongs to them.
3. Provide the cat with food, water, and if possible, shelter.
4. Post “Found Cat” posters, preferably with a picture, within a 3-5 block radius of
where you found the cat. Templates can be found here.
5. Contact the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) to list the cat in their “Found Cat”
book in case the owner calls there looking for his/her pet:
(650) 340-7022, ext. 702. You should also visit PHS to see if the cat is listed in
their “Lost Cat” book.
6. Check lost and found ads on such sites as Craiglist, Petfinder.com,
LostAndFound.com, AnyPet.com, and PetAmberAlert.com.
7. Place a “Found Pet” classified ad on Petfinder.com and Craigslist.
8. If you are unable to find the owner and you’re unable to keep the cat yourself, you have the option of leaving the cat with PHS. Shelters are
very stressful places for cats and the stress accompanied by exposure to disease often means the cat can become sick, which decreases their
chances of adoption. Please consider fostering the cat until you can find him/her a new home.
9. If you can foster the cat and want to help him/her find a new home, there are lots of ways to find adopters:
a. Place an “Adoptable Pet” classified ad on Craigslist and other sites.
b. If the cat is a purebred (i.e. Siamese, Maine Coone, etc.), contact a purebred rescue group to advertise him/her on their
adoption pages for free.
c. Send fliers of the adoptable kitty to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors via email, posters and social networking sites, such as
Facebook.
10. It’s very important to ensure that any stray kitty you find is spayed/neutered. PHS has a low cost spay/neuter clinic that can help. You can
get a free spay/neuter voucher from the county by calling: (650) 573-3940.
Thank you for helping a cat in need!