Has a healthy, friendly cat arrived in your colony or dropped by your door? Who could he belong to? Try a paper collar and solve the mystery!
You've heard the stories of cats who come home and their owners who are surprised to find a tag on them with the name "Tiger" when his name is actually "Dave". With a little investigation, they discover he's charmed three or four families to feed him and let him nap in their sunny windows. It's cute (and probably explains why Dave has gotten a little chonky) but what if Dave had been scooped up by a well-meaning person who thought, "This is a homeless cat who needs help," and brought him to a shelter? How would he ever get home? We've all been there but now we know better. We now start with a little detective work and this simple tool - the paper collar!
Just fill in the form below and a link to the helpful paper collar template pdf will appear when you click submit!
Most thriving, friendly cats have caretakers, whether it's one house they call their own with a loving owner or many neighbors who host and feed them. Avoiding bringing these beloved kitties to the shelter unnecessarily is paramount to reducing shelter numbers, preventing stress and fear, and preventing these cats from the possible peril of euthanasia due to space or temperament issues brought on because they are scared.
Before you bring a friendly community cat to the shelter, we encourage you to try giving them a paper collar for a few days so you can connect with their loved ones and ensure you're not taking a kitty from its happy home. Plus, when you're part of this cat's network, you can help owners to find resources for spay/neuter, food, or other services if needed. It's a win for everyone - especially the kitty!
Got questions? Contact The Community Cats Podcast!