Lost and Found

Have You Lost Your Cat?

Losing your pet is devastating. It is important to take action as soon as you discover that your cat is missing. Toronto Cat Rescue does not have a shelter, and we do not take in strays. If you have lost your cat, please take the following measures.

Search

Escaped house cats generally stick close to home. They are likely terrified and hiding close by. Start your search around your home and neighbourhood. Ask your neighbours to check under their porches, in garages, bushes, etc. The best time to search for your cat is at night when the streets are quiet. Cats generally come out at night to search for food and water.

Leave fresh food and water in a sheltered area by your home. It also helps to leave an item with a familiar scent, such as its bed or litter box, close by.

Report

Toronto Animal Services (TAS) and Toronto Humane Society take in stray cats. To contact TAS, call 416-338-PAWS (7297) to file a Lost Animal Report. Be prepared to provide a description of your pet, license number or microchip number if applicable.

Visit the shelters frequently, as cats are constantly being admitted.

Toronto North Animal Shelter  1300 Sheppard Ave W., Toronto, ON M3K 2A6
Phone: 416-338-PAWS (7297)

Toronto West Animal Shelter 146 The East Mall, Toronto, ON M8Z 5V5
Phone: 416-338-PAWS (7297)

Toronto East Animal Shelter 821 Progress Ave, Scarborough, ON M1H 2X4
Phone: (416) 338-7539

Toronto Humane Society 11 River St., Toronto, ON M5A 4C2
Phone: 416-392-2273

If your pet is microchipped, alert the company that your pet is missing and confirm that your contact information is up-to-date.

Some common microchip providers are listed below:

• id: 1-800-338-1397

• EIDAP Animal Registry: 1-888-346-8899

• Petlynx: 1-866-738-5969

• Canada Chip: 1-800-396-1896

• M4S: 1-877-738-4384

• 24PetWatch: 1-866-597-2424

Poster

Put up posters and flyers in your neighbourhood, veterinarian offices, animal shelters, supermarkets, libraries, and other bulletin boards in your community. Check Kijiji ads and reach out to your personal network via social media.

Register with Helping Lost Pets

Helping Lost Pets is a system to help return lost pets home. The site lists lost and found reports posted within your community and across North America. You can see a map of your area and attach a photo to a Lost or Found report to help find your pet.

Helping Lost Pets allows you to:

• Upload a photo of your pet.

• Search stray animals in our shelters and in the community.

• Post free Lost and Found reports.

• Print free Lost and Found posters.

• Receive emails of potential pet matches.

• Easily update your profile and provide care instructions for your pet.

• Connect with members to help search for missing pets.

Even if you have not lost your pet, you can still register them to be ready just in case they ever go missing.

Once Your Pet Has Been Found

• Alert Toronto Animal Services by contacting 416-338-PAWS (7297).

• Remove all flyers you have posted.

Tips for keeping your returned pet healthy—and at home:

• Spay/neuter your animal as soon as possible if they haven’t been already. This reduces their tendency to roam.

• Microchip your animal, which provides permanent identification.

• Commit to keeping your cat indoors. Indoor/outdoor cats rarely live their natural lifespan due to the dangers of cars, diseases, poisons, and injuries.

If You Find a Lost Pet

Toronto Cat Rescue receives many inquiries each week from caring individuals who have found stray cats and kittens in their neighbourhood. TCR does not operate a shelter, and we do not accept strays into our program, but there are several ways that you can help.

What to Do When You Find a Stray Cat

If you have found a stray cat, never assume that it has been dumped or abandoned. Even if it has been hanging around your neighbourhood for days or weeks, there may be somebody out there looking for their beloved family member.

1. Scan for a microchip. More and more shelters and rescues microchip cats before adoption to increase their chances of finding their way back home if they become lost. Please take the cat to a vet clinic or shelter where they will be happy to scan the cat at no charge.

2. Post flyers around the neighbourhood, vet clinics, pet supply stores, groceries stores, community bulletin boards, etc. It is not uncommon for cats to wander several kilometres away from home, so don’t restrict your flyers to the immediate vicinity only. While you are posting your flyers, be sure to check out any posters for missing cats.

3. Social media. Post a picture and description of the cat you found on your social media accounts and ask friends to share. Make sure the post has instructions on how to contact you.

4. Contact Toronto Animal Services at 416-338-PAWS (7297) or animalservices@toronto.ca.

What to Do When Nobody Claims the Cat

If your efforts to locate the cat’s owners are unsuccessful after a reasonable amount of time, there are several things you can do to help the cat find a new home.

1. Keep the cat. Before you bring the cat into your home, it is best to bring it to a vet for an exam, vaccines, and parasite control. At this time, the vet will be able to give you a general idea of the sex, age and health status of the cat and any future medical attention it will require. Make arrangements to have the cat spayed or neutered (if not already done) at the earliest possible time to prevent any unwanted litters. The Toronto Humane Society offers a high volume/low-cost Spay/Neuter Clinic that is accessible to the public.

2. Foster the cat while you try to find it a new home. If you cannot foster the cat yourself, ask your friends, family, or neighbours if they would be willing. Toronto Cat Rescue can help you find homes for healthy, social, adoptable stray cats and kittens through our Courtesy Adoption Program.

3. Surrender to a shelter. If you are unable or unwilling to help find the cat a new home and are a Toronto resident, please take it to either Toronto Animal Services or the Toronto Humane Society. Both organizations work together and collaborate with rescue groups to reduce the number of animals euthanized in the city. Animals transferred to both organizations are provided with a high standard of care and are attended to by dedicated, compassionate, and knowledgeable employees. Please note that feral cats are not accepted for surrender at either shelter. For residents outside of Toronto, please contact your local humane society or animal services.