What To Do When You Find Feral or Stray Cats
If you’ve found a feral or stray cats, this video will walk you through the simple steps to help them:
Feral Cat Q&A
What is a feral cat?
Feral cats are simply unsocialized cats; they’re domestic cats that are not tame or touchable. If a cat has kittens and those kittens are not exposed to human contact, the kittens quickly become feral. Feral cats are not pet cats, and if brought to an animal shelter, they will be euthanized since they’re not adoptable, and no one wants that.
Feral cats are part of every community, and it’s up to caring people like you to help them. Luckily, there is a humane solution that will help you manage the situation: Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). We’re here to help you by providing advice, equipment and support.
I found a feral cat – now what do I do?
Simple: TNR, which is easy and free if you live in San Mateo County. First, call the County to get free spay/neuter vouchers sent to you:
(650) 573-3940. Next, catch the cat using a humane trap. We can loan you a trap, or you can loan one from Peninsula Humane Society. For a trapping tutorial, please see our video (above).
Once you’ve trapped the cat, make an appointment at Peninsula Humane Society’s spay/neuter clinic to have the cat sterilized, vaccinated and ear-tipped (to indicate that he/she has been spayed/neutered). After a short recovery time, return the cat to the exact location where he/she was trapped.
If you don’t receive your vouchers prior to catching the cat, just contact us at [email protected].