If you are able to handle the cat and get it into a carrier, take it to your local shelter. Below is a map where you can find your local shelter.  Shelter staff will scan the cat for a microchip, and place the cat on a lost hold for 5 days. This will allow the owner of the missing cat to reclaim them. If the owner does not reclaim the cat during this period, the shelter staff will place the cat up for adoption so they can find a new home. ​​

​

Make sure to take the lost/stray cat to the shelter nearest to where the cat was found. For example, if you found the cat in the city of Denver, bring it to the Denver Animal Shelter, rather than the Dumb Friends League or Aurora Animal Shelter. By doing this, you ensure the cat has the best chance to be reunited with its owners.

​

Post signs in the area where you found the cat and post on  Craigslist ,  Nextdoor  and Facebook that the cat was found, and where the cat was taken. 

​

Taking lost cats to the shelter is the best way to reunite them with their owners.  Shelters are the best resource for stray and homeless cats to receive medical care and find a good home as well. If you are interested in adopting the cat that you have found, you can let the shelter staff know when you bring it in. After the stray hold period has ended, the shelter will let you know the cat is available for adoption. All cats who are placed up for adoption through  shelters are spayed/neutered, microchipped, up-to-date on vaccines, and receive necessary veterinarian care. 

​

If the cat you have found is not handleable, it may be a feral cat. If the cat does not have an ear tip (see picture to right), call us at (844)- 336- 2287 to rent a trap for free so that the cat can be trapped, spayed/neutered, and returned. 

​

For a downloadable PDF file of what to do if you found a cat click here.