A2R Family Blog

This YouTube video has some great tips on finding your lost cat.  Good luck!

 How to Find a Lost Cat
https://youtu.be/g2eCoC63B9I 

We work with Mary S. Roberts in Riverside.  Please download the A2R Outreach RPOP document above for more details.

If they aren't in immediate danger, please keep an eye out for a mama cat. She will need to leave her babies periodically to hunt, and it is normal for her to move them while they are very young.  She should not be gone more than four hours.  If there is a mama cat and you can take them all, that is the healthiest option for the kittens.  

* If the kittens are in immediate danger; PLEASE MOVE THEM! (Ex: closed into a plastic bag, in the middle of the road, in cold weather, under a vehicle, in a trashcan, in a sewer, etc.)     If you move them, please put them in a safe warm location. (Ex. Indoors in an open box with a towel).  

You can contact us, or other rescues, to see if we have room to take them (babies with or without mama).    

*Please understand that we, as many rescues, are foster based and do not receive state funding so we can’t help with every cat – even though we would love to!  If we cannot take them, we may be able to provide resources to help you care for them until we can take them or help get them adopted.  Each situation is unique, and we will let you know what we can do at the time.   

Young kittens may need to be bottle fed depending on their age - there are many resources to learn how to feed them.  A few basic notes: 

• Never give cats cow’s milk. Pet stores and some veterinarians sell kitten milk replacement formulas and bottles for very young kittens.   

• Never feed kittens on their backs, they should be on their stomachs like they would nurse from their mother.

See the download document on determining kitten age for more information. Kittenlady.org also is a great resource with how-to videos.    

To help us determine the status of your kitten, and our availability to help, please provide as much as the following information as possible:  

• Your name, phone number, and city 

• Number of kittens and if there is a mama cat 

• General condition of kittens (ex – congested nose or swollen eyes, obvious injury like bleeding or broken bone, no obvious issues) 

• Pictures – good pictures can help us determine immediate health issues.  If they are old enough for adoption, a good picture can also make the difference in getting them adopted quickly. 

We will contact you and let you know if we can help as soon as possible.    

• Please hold the cat in a secure location
• Check local "lost" ads.  For Riverside County, here is a link to more information:  https://www.rcdas.org/lost-found-pets/lost-your-pet
• Have any local vet check for a microchip - this is free of charge and doesn't require an appointment.
• Post physical flyers within a block of where the cat was found - they generally don't travel far on their own
• Post for free on 24PetConnect and Pawboost  and local lost and found animal pages (like Nextdoor and Facebook)
• You must hold an animal for 30 days before rehoming it yourself.  Rescues and shelters are able to rehome after 7 days in California.
• Contact local rescues for support in rehoming if you're unable to find the owner.  We are foster-based and do not receive state funding so can only take in new cats if there is space and resources. 

• If you have done all of these steps and would like help in finding a home for the stray, please email us the following information and we will let you know if we can help:  

• Your name, phone number and city
• Is the cat in a secure location or roaming? 
• Can you keep the cat until it can be rehomed?  
• Does the cat have any obvious injuries or illness? If so, please list (ex – congested nose or watery eyes, diarrhea, bleeding)
• Is the cat friendly? 
• Please upload a picture with good lighting.  

We will contact you as soon as possible to let you know if we can help. 

I found a stray cat- but it’s feral, what do I do?   

• If you found a stray cat that will not let you bring them to a secure location (it is scared or hissing) you can try to lure it into a carrier or space with food. This might take a few days.  

• You can contact organizations like TNR Riverside for help and general information. 

• You can contact organizations like Mary S. Roberts for neutering services.  This helps reduce the feral community by not allowing them to breed. 

• If the cat is not friendly, it can be returned where it was found after being neutered. Please don’t drop it off somewhere unfamiliar.  We generally discourage allowing cats outside unattended; however, some feral cats will never be able to be kept indoors.   

• Some cats are unfriendly due to illness or injury and can become good working cats (such as warehouse or barn cats) or even good pets after rehabilitation.   

We may be able to help depending on the situation.

• Are you rehoming due to a behavioral issue?  We may be able to help you improve your relationship with your cat so you can keep them.  Please email us for help. Please include: 
• Your name and phone number • Your cat’s age and sex • If your cat has been fixed and vaccinated?  • How long you have had your cat?  • Are there other animals in the home? If so, how many, what type, what sex?  • Your cat’s behavior issues and what steps you have already taken to resolve the issue?  

• Is your cat fixed?  If not, see RPOP program information.  Unfixed cats have numerous behavioral issues that resolve shortly after surgery (aggression, marking, etc.)

• Are you rehoming due to allergies?  Did you know you can rub down your cat with a pet-friendly wipe to help reduce dander?  

• There are also dietary supplements you can take, like D-hist to reduce allergies that have worked better for us than traditional allergy medicines.   Disclaimer:  you should always do your own research or speak to your physician before starting new supplements. 
• Some additional tips can be found at https://www.petfinder.com/cats/living-with-your-cat/cat-allergies/

• Are you rehoming for other reasons?  Don't wait for the last minute - this process can take a while.  If we don't have a foster available to take them in, we can post your pet with ours for a low fee.  Our site feeds information to many pet sites including Petfinders and Adopt a Pet.  We have courtesy listings where people contact you directly, or we handle the full process.  We will discuss options.  
• Please email us the following information:  Your name and phone number.  Number of cats, names, ages, breeds, sexes.  Personalities (ex - friendly or skittish).  Health conditions (ex - healthy, special dietary needs).  Status of spay/neuter and vaccinations. Pictures.  We will review and let you know if we can help as soon as possible.  
• If we handle the adoption, you will need to provide vet records including spay/neuter and current vaccinations and sign an owner release agreement.  We will ask you to complete the Relinquishment Form (download section above) and email it back to us.