Cats are Neighbors, Too.
Community Cats
We prioritize public safety and humane care for cats while providing services for cats who live in the community through our Neighborhood Cat Program.
Help Cats Find their way home
Please refrain from bringing healthy “stray” cats to WVHS; leaving them where they were found enhances the likelihood of their safe return home. This approach enables WVHS to focus on assisting cats with urgent medical needs and enhancing programs such as spay/neuter services, effectively addressing common issues related to free-roaming cats in our area. When a cat is discovered outdoors in good health and without immediate risks, it stands a better chance of reuniting with its owner.
If a cat is healthy and you suspect it may be lost, utilize local resources to see if you can help return the cat to their family.
Ask your neighbors - The cat may be an indoor-outdoor cat who likes to roam the neighborhood. You may think it's lost and needing help when it's just going about its routine.
Check for ID - If the cat has a collar, check to see if there's a tag with an owner's phone number. Or, if the cat is amenable, take it to your neighborhood vet and scan for a microchip.
What is a community cat?
Community cats, sometimes called feral, stray, or outdoor cats, can be friendly or unsocial, but they aren’t lost: they are free-roaming cats who live—at least part of the time—outside. They share our neighborhoods and find shelter in yards, alleys, parking lots, and porches. Community cats may have one or more compassionate caregivers who help provide food and shelter, so they often have more than one name.
Following the recommendations of leading national organizations such as the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP), National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA), ASPCA, American Association of Feline Practitioners, and Million Cat Challenge, we do not admit healthy free-roaming cats. Many cats found out and about are simply pet cats allowed outdoors, which is legal in our community, and bringing them to the shelter separates cats from the people who already care for them. Even where cats have strayed from home, a cat’s best chance of being reunited with their family is to remain where they’re at—in the typical shelter, fewer than 1 in 20 cats are reclaimed by their family. By focusing on admitting only sick and injured cats who are not thriving in their outdoor homes, we can provide the care they need and ensure every cat has the appropriate outcome.
Fun fact: The concept of an “indoor-only cat” is uniquely American and relatively new. Cats didn’t live inside homes until 1947 when kitty litter was invented!
Community cat programs stabilize cat numbers and improve their health.
Because of the powerful “vacuum effect,” removing a cat from its environment without removing the food source has been linked to an increase in cat populations—by as much as 200%, according to a 2014 study. Community cat programs involving spaying/neutering and returning the cat to its outdoor home, on the other hand, end the breeding cycle and stabilize free-roaming cat populations while also eliminating or reducing nuisance behaviors such as roaming, fighting/yowling, and spraying/marking by male cats. Left in their outdoor homes, cats also provide beneficial natural rodent controls.
FAQs
How do I know if a cat visiting my yard is lost or if it is a community cat?
It’s easy to assume that a friendly, free-roaming cat is lost or abandoned when, in fact, the cat knows exactly where it is! A cat that looks healthy has good body condition, and has a coat is very rarely lost. If the cat looks healthy, please put it back where you found it/leave it where it is. Cats are 10–50 times more likely to be reunited with their owners if they stay in the neighborhood where they are found (instead of being removed from the area and taken to an animal shelter).
You might also ask around your neighborhood to see if anyone recognizes the cat or use this paper collar template to help.
How can I discourage community cats from entering my yard?
Good question! Removing one cat means that more will eventually come if we can’t get to the root cause of the situation. If you do not want cats in your yard, make sure there is no source of food or shelter for the cat. Spaying and neutering eliminate many nuisance issues, including spraying, fighting, yowling, and unwanted kittens. Talk to neighbors to see if anyone is feeding and work with them to get cats trapped and spayed/neutered. If a neighbor feeds excessively and the cats are not spayed/neutered, the problem will significantly increase. We recommend responsible feeding practices that give cats enough food, but not more than they'll consume within about half an hour. Leftover food may draw pests and complaints, so clean up whatever the cats don't eat.
For more tips on reducing nuisance issues and humanely deterring cats from your yard, visit How to Live with Cats in Your Neighborhood.