I FOUND A CAT / kitten
- IF YOU FIND (1) A SICK OR INJURED STRAY CAT OR (2) A NEWBORN OR UNWEANED STRAY KITTEN(S) WITHOUT A MOTHER, DIAL 311 TO SPEAK TO THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO 311 CALL CENTER (24 HOURS A DAY / 7 DAYS A WEEK). IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DIAL THAT NUMBER, PLEASE CALL 916-808-7387. YOU MUST CALL AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT. DO NOT COME TO THE SHELTER UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.
- WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT A STRAY CAT IF IT WAS FOUND WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF SACRAMENTO. IF YOU FIND IT IN THE COUNTY LIMITS OF SACRAMENTO, CALL THE BRADSHAW ANIMAL SHELTER AT 916-368-7387.
- AT THIS TIME, WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING HEALTHY STRAY CATS. PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING US SAVE LIVES BY TEMPORARILY HOUSING THE CAT AND TRYING TO FIND THE OWNER. IF YOU CANNOT KEEP THE CAT, WE RECOMMEND ASKING A FRIEND, A FAMILY MEMBER, A NEIGHBOR, OR SOMEONE IN YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK WHO CAN.
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STEP
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Click on the link above to see if an owner has reported the cat as being lost.
If you see a cat that you believe is a match, write down the ANIMAL ID and dial 311 to speak to the City of Sacramento 311 Call Center (24 hours day / 7 days a week). If you are unable to dial that number, please call 916-808-7387.
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STEP
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Text FOUNDPET to 555888 to fill out a found cat report and receive proven tips to help you find the owner.
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STEP
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If you cannot text, please fill out a FOUND CAT REPORT HERE. Please note that reports are added to the website every day from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Follow this checklist --
- Check for a microchip by having the cat scanned at any local shelter or vet (for free!).
- If a cat is wearing a tag with a phone number, call and send a text. People tend to be more responsive to texts than phone calls from unknown callers.
- Check Nextdoor for the neighborhood where the cat was found and post a picture of the found cat.
- Check Craigslist for lost cat posts under "Lost & Found" and create a found pet ad.
- Check these local lost pet Facebook pages and post the cat’s picture.
- Report your found cat to other local animal shelters
- Cats who are truly lost (and not just someone’s outdoor cat) likely live within a five-house radius from you. Print small flyers to put on doors in your neighborhood and large flyers to post at major intersections in the neighborhood.
- Register with Finding Rover, a free facial recognition app that scans the features of a cat’s face. With the app, you can take a photo of the cat and report the cat as being found.
HEALTHY CAT OR KITTEN
- If you find a healthy cat or kitten, we highly recommend returning it where it was found. An adult cat or older kitten is likely someone’s pet and is being cared for. If a cat is brought to the shelter, the chances of reuniting a lost cat with the owner is extremely low.
- Kittens almost always have a mother that is roaming around and trying to find something to eat. Taking kittens from their mother drastically decreases their chance of survival. Please leave them where they are or take them back to where you found them.
- If the kittens are warm and not crying, the mother cat is most likely caring for them. If you are uncertain If the mother is returning, you can sprinkle a ring of baking flour around the kittens and wait at least a few hours to look for footprints. Make sure to give her and her kittens space so that she isn’t afraid to return.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pets are considered to be the legal property of their owners. Finding a pet does not entitle the finder to keep, sell, or give away the pet, nor does it convey ownership to the finder. If you find a pet, you must actively look for the owner for at least 90 days. Even after that period of time has elapsed, the owner may still have the right to reclaim his/her pet under certain circumstances.
According to California Penal Code 485, a person who finds lost property without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore property to the owner may be guilty of theft. It is important to report the found pet to the animal control agency servicing the area where the pet was found and to follow your jurisdiction's policies and procedures regarding stray animals.
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