Community Cats and Found Cats FAQ – Scooter’s Help Center

FAQs: Community Cats and Found Cats

It’s common for pet cats to be allowed regular outdoor access. It’s also common to come across a community cat that lives outdoors permanently. To determine if you found someone’s pet cat or a community cat, check out this guide on how to help a found cat.

What should I do if I find kittens?

If you find kittens, it’s important to take the right steps to ensure their safety. Unless they are in immediate danger or look critically sick, do not remove them from where you found them. Check out this helpful handout on finding kittens to learn what steps to take next. If they do not look well or their safety is in danger, call a local humane or animal shelter right away.

How can I help a community cat?

Community cats are usually content living outdoors if they are spayed/neutered. Trap Neuter Return (TNR) is an effective way to manage community cat populations and to help their health and well-being. Additionally, you can help community cats thrive by providing food and clean water and by building a shelter to help protect them from harsh weather.

Should I feed a community cat?

There isn’t anything wrong with wanting to help a community cat, especially if the cat appears hungry or in need of care. If you decide to start feeding community cats in your neighborhood, be sure to feed only during the day to prevent raccoons or possums. We also encourage you to make sure the cat is spayed/neutered. If the cat has a tipped ear, that means the cat is spayed/neutered. If the cat does not have a tipped ear, find a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program in your area, where you can have the cat spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

Can community cats be spayed/neutered? What
is Trap Neuter Return (TNR)?

Yes! Community cats can absolutely be spayed/neutered through a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program. This humane practice is one of the most effective methods to controlling free-roaming cat populations in your neighborhood. Learn more about the benefits of TNR and how to TNR with this guide.