Lost and Found

If you have lost or found a cat search for and list them on these websites:
animalsearch.co.uk and nationalpetregister.org

There are many local online groups for lost and found cats in Bedfordshire e.g:
CATS - Lost, Found & Rescue Bedfordshire
Herts, Beds, Bucks felines - lost/found/spotted
Missing & Found Cats around Luton
Lost & Found Pets Bedfordshire

And let local rescues know (click here to see list of Bedfordshire cat rescues)

Prevention
  • It is vital to take preventative measures. Chip your cat, keep them in at night and a collar with ID if your cat will wear one. 
  • And now you can sign up to Lost Alert: https://www.lostalert.co.uk/
  • Feeding your cat at set meal times, rather than leaving a bowl of biscuits out all day, helps too. Feed your cat in the morning so they come home if you have let them out at night, or so you know they have not gone missing overnight. Set evening meals when you are home from work ensures your cat comes home to be kept in overnight or at least lets you know they have not gone missing during the day.

Found a kitten?

If you find a kitten that you think is too young to be away from mum (younger than 8 weeks), it is urgent to keep them warm. 
Wrap them in a blanket and put them safe in a box or carrier. With a hot water bottle or near a heater if it is winter.
Provide clean fresh water.
Take them to a vet as soon as possible.
Or take them home and ring local cat rescues for advice and help.
Young kittens will need to be put with a nursing mum cat or hand reared by an experienced kitten foster carer.
If the cat is older than 8 weeks, follow the 'Found a cat?' advice below...

Lost a cat?
  • Use the links at the top of this page.
    If your cat is microchipped, ring the chip company on the paperwork and report your cat as missing. Inform all local shelters and vets of your missing cats details and chip number. Notify the microchip company that your cat is lost. Make sure the contact details on the microchip are up to date.
  • Lost cats are often nearby, but disorientated or trapped. So put flyers through all neighboring houses doors, asking them to check sheds and garages. Also put up posters.
  • Familiar smells and sounds can help your cat find their way home. So empty the hoover in the garden, put the litter tray in the garden and hang dirty washing on the line. Go out calling your cats name and shaking a bag of treats or tapping a tin of food with a fork. Do this early morning and late evening. Put a warm tin of tuna or smelly food by the windowsill.
  • Ring local councils asking if any cats have been hit by cars. It's not nice but can save a lot of worry and searching. And not all councils will scan or report deceased cats.
 
Found a cat?
  • If they are ill, bring them indoors and get them to a vet or shelter asap.
    Even if they turn out not to be lost or stray. A sick cat needs your help. 
  • Use the links at the top of this page.
    If they are not ill put a paper collar on the cat and write 'this cat visits me, is he yours?' and put your phone number on it. Put up found posters and ask neighbors if they know this cat.
  • Still try to get them to a vet or call out a cat charity to scan them for a chip and put them on their lost&found list. This is by far the quickest way to find the owner. Even if they are not chipped it will be easier for the owner to find them by ringing round local vets and shelters. 
  • The vet may keep the cat if they have room or you may need to take them home with you and continue trying to find the owner. This will be easier now that the vet has given you details such as the cats gender, age, neutered/chipped or not.
  • Please note that when you find a cat you believe to be ill, lost or homeless, you may be that cats only chance at being reunited with their owner, getting vet care or finding a new home. If you bring a stray into your home please please do not let them out again until a shelter, vet or its owner collects them. Especially if the cat is not neutered, letting them out again creates hundreds more feral cats to suffer the homeless life. 
  • If no owner is found they will need to go to a shelter to be re-homed. 
    As well as ours, try these other local cat rescues and more on Cat Chat.

Message us on facebook if you have lost or found a cat you would like us to share on our page. 
Try to provide a photo and the following information when you get in contact:
Name? Gender? Neutered? Breed? Colour? Microchipped? Wearing a collar? Distinctive features? Last seen when/where? Contact details?
(Please DO NOT use this to ask us to rehome your cat or trap/rehome a stray. Ring the shelter for that)

We strongly recommend micro-chipping your cat. It can be very cheap to do and makes finding a lost cat much easier.
http://www.cats.org.uk/cat-care-microchipping