If you think you have found a possible stray cat or dog, please follow our below advice.

Friendly strays

If a cat has turned up at your home and is friendly and you are able to temporarily care for it whilst seeking its owner then you should:

Ask – Enquire with neighbours to see if anyone knows who owns the cat.
Collar – If the cat is friendly enough, make a paper collar using our downloadable template below. Put this on the cat for a few days, and if nobody calls you can assume the cat isn’t travelling to and from its home. To make the collar use a strip of normal plain paper, place around the cat’s neck and secure the ends with a small piece of sticky tape. Please don’t use strong paper or shiny paper – the collar should easily tear apart if the cat gets caught on anything. Alternatively use a cat safety release collar with the message attached.
Check for a microchip – Get the cat scanned for an ID microchip. If you have access to a safe cat carrying basket to transport the cat in then your local vet should do this free of charge.
Posters – Put up ‘Found cat’ posters – keep the cat’s description general so that any potential owner has to give more specific details and distinguishing features and/or provide a photo. You can download our poster template below.

Unneutered strays are the main reason for the cat population explosion. Be aware if you start to feed a friendly stray and encourage it to stay with you then you are making it reliant on you for food and are then responsible for it and the ensuing litters of kittens. Please contact us if you need advice and to see if you qualify for our free neutering services.

If you encounter a stray dog please immediately phone the dog warden closest to you from the list below, or visit www.doglost.co.uk.

Barking & Dagenham:   0208 215 3010
Barnet:   07816 965 690
Bexley:   020 8303 7777
Brent:   07816 965 690
Bromley:   0344 482 8320
Camden:   0782 509 8947
City Of London:   0207 600 2222
Croydon:   0208 726 6000 (opt7)
Ealing:   0344 482 8320
Enfield:   07815 512833
Greenwich:   0344 482 8320
Hackney:   0208 356 6688
Hammersmith & Fulham:   0344 482 8320
Haringey:   07815 512 833
Harrow:   0344 482 8320
Havering:   01708 432777
Hillingdon:   0344 482 8320
Hounslow:   0208 583 5555
Islington:   0333 335 5347
Kensington & Chelsea:  0344 482 8320
Kingston Upon Thames:   0208 547 5002
Lambeth:   0207 926 8860
Lewisham:   0208 314 2098
Merton:   020 8545 3170
Newham:   0208 586 9739
Redbridge:  07815 512 833
Richmond:   0208 871 7606 (0208 871 7490 out of hours)
Southwark:   0800 952 4444
Sutton:   0208 770 5000
Tower Hamlets:   0207 364 5008 (opt 1)
Waltham Forest:   0208 496 2225
Wandsworth:   0786 053 4733
Westminster:   0344 482 8320

Nervous and feral cats

These are wild animals and cannot be tamed or homed to a domestic environment.

Nervous and feral cats may require capturing to be neutered. Do not try to capture nervous or feral cats yourself. It is especially important that female cats who are feeding unweaned kittens are not caught and separated from their kittens. Please contact us 020 8962 8000 for advice.