Stray & Ferral Cats
Unfortunately we don’t have National RSPCA Inspectors at the Branch to collect strays, but you can help a stray cat by doing the following:
If you have concerns about a sick or injured stray cat, you can report it to the National RSPCA.
Is it a stray or a feral cat?
If the cat is not friendly and approachable, it may be a feral. These cats are able to look after themselves. So long as a feral cat is healthy, they will live happily outside. We do support the principle of trapping & neutering of feral cats by other local animal welfare charities when they have the capacity to do so. Search Google for Feral Cats, Southport, or Ormskirk, as appropriate.
If the cat is approachable and friendly it may not be a stray cat at all, but belong to somebody. As such, you should leave it alone and let it go on its way. By feeding it you will be encouraging it to say & come back. Generally, if the food is better, or more plentiful at 'your place' it will choose you over its owner and may not go home, potentially making it 'stray'.
Finding the owner of a stray
If a stray cat is not feral, the best thing to do is try and find its owner. To find out if the cat has an owner follow these steps:
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Cats roam over a wide area, so ask around to see if anyone knows who it belongs to.
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If you can safely transport the cat to a vet, you could have it scanned for a microchip.
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If this isn’t possible, but you can get close enough to put a collar on it, then download our Paper cat collars. Take precautions when approaching the cat and fixing the collar.
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We also suggest that you visit Pets Located, an online resource that reunites owners with their pets. Also visit Southport Lost and Found Pets and Southport Lost and Found together with ringing around your local vets and ourselves, of course.
Rehoming or taking on a stray cat
You can decide to take on a stray cat yourself if no owner can be found - find out more about the needs of cats.
Finding a new home for a stray cat
If you are unable to keep the cat, a local animal rescue charity may be able to help. Search Google for a suitable animal rescue.
Please bear in mind that our cattery is most often full, with cats coming from cases of cruelty & neglect, (cats brought to us by the national Society's Inspectors) so call us first on 01704 567624 to check if we have room. Please do not attend the Animal Centre expecting us to take in a cat irrespective of whether or not we have space. You may have to ring around a number of alternative local animal welfare charities before you find the help that you need.