You often cannot tell by looking. Check for an ear tip and ID, ask neighbors and get a free chip scan before you move the cat or take it to a shelter.
Looks will not settle it
You usually cannot tell by looking, so check before you decide. A friendly cat in your yard may be a neighbor’s indoor-outdoor pet, a lost indoor cat or a community cat that lives nearby. A thin or shy cat can still have a home. The Humane Society of the United States says that unless a cat is sick or injured, there is likely no need to turn it over to a shelter, and that a truly lost cat has a better chance of getting home if it stays out of the shelter. So start where you are. Look for an ear tip, a collar and a microchip, then ask the people around you.
Check the ears first
Look at the tips of both ears from a distance. A flat, straight edge on one ear means the cat has probably been through a trap-neuter-return program. Wake County, North Carolina, defines ear-tipping as removing a quarter-inch tip of a community cat’s left ear under anesthesia, to mark the cat as sterilized and vaccinated for rabies. Best Friends Animal Society says to leave ear-tipped cats who appear healthy right where they are. The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas says these cats usually have caretakers. If you see one and it looks fine, you do not need to do anything more. If it looks hurt or ill, call a vet, a rescue or animal control.
Reading the cat’s condition
Behavior gives hints, not answers. Best Friends says a cat that seems healthy, comfortable and confident outside probably does not need help, while one that seems ill, injured or stressed may need it. That is a practical guide from a rescue group and not a rule. A cat crying at doors, hiding under a porch or looking confused could be a pet that got out. Do not assume friendliness proves it has a home, and do not assume fear proves it is feral, because a scared indoor cat may refuse to come to anyone. If you can see injury, a wound or trouble breathing, take it to a vet rather than waiting.
Why nearby matters
Lost cats often stay close, so its owner may be within a few houses. In the Huang study of 1,210 missing cats, published in Animals in 2018, cats found alive had a median distance of 50 meters, about 165 feet, from where they escaped. For indoor-only cats, the median was 39 meters, about 130 feet, and 75% were within 137 meters, about 450 feet. That was an online survey with a convenience sample, so treat the numbers as a guide. Many cats also get home alone: in the ASPCA’s national phone survey, 59% of recovered cats returned on their own. Moving a cat a few miles to a shelter can take it away from the only people searching for it.
Ask around before you move it
Knock on the nearest doors first, and show a photo. Try this: This cat has been in my yard since Tuesday. Do you know who it belongs to, or does anyone feed it? Ask mail carriers and others who walk the area, as the Humane Society suggests. Take clear photos, file a found report with shelters in your region, and post in Facebook and Nextdoor groups. Check lost cat posts for a match while you are there. Post flyers nearby too. In your post, keep one detail back, such as a marking on the belly, so you can test anyone who claims the cat.
Scan for a chip or try a paper collar
If the cat is friendly and you can move it safely in a carrier, have it scanned. Best Friends says most vets and pet supply stores will scan any found pet at no cost, but call first. If you cannot move the cat, the Humane Society suggests a breakaway collar with a note asking the owner to contact you. Some shelters offer a printable paper collar for this. Austin Animal Center’s template warns not to cover the collar in tape, because it must be able to break off. Use this only on a cat that lets you handle it. A note might read: Do you own this cat? Please call or text me. I think it may be lost.
If the owner or caretaker turns up
What you do next depends on who the cat is. A lost pet goes home: tell the owner where you last saw it, and if the cat has moved, walk them through the spots. A free-roaming pet stays where it is, though the Humane Society suggests tactfully mentioning that indoors is safer, and offering information on low-cost spay or neuter programs. For a community cat, ask the caretakers what help they need. If nobody claims a cat and it has no ear tip, look up a local trap-neuter-return group. If you find a mother with kittens, keep your distance at first. The Animal Foundation suggests watching from a distance for 6 to 8 hours to see if she returns.
When to bring in the shelter
Shelters differ on cats, so ask before you drive there. The Animal Foundation says to leave a cat where it is unless it is sick or injured, and you can put out food and water. It also says stray cats without identification are generally not subject to its 72-hour hold. Other areas take stray cats in and hold them. File a found report even if you keep the cat where it is, because that is where an owner will look. Call and ask: If I bring in this cat, how long will it be held, and what happens after that? Local rules vary widely, so the answer will be specific to your area.
Sources
Humane Society of the United States, What to do if you find a cat: humanepro.org/sites/default/files/documents/Found-cats-factsheet_rev_121223.pdf. Wake County Animal Services: wake.gov/departments-government/animal-services/community-cats-tnvr. Best Friends Animal Society: bestfriends.org/node/572187. Best Friends on ear-tipping: bestfriends.org/node/546809. The Animal Foundation, found pets: animalfoundation.com/what-we-do/lost-found/found-pets. The Animal Foundation, holds: animalfoundation.com/lost-found. Huang et al., Animals, 2018: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789300. Weiss, Slater, Lord, Animals, 2012: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4494319. Austin paper collar template: austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Animal_Services/PRC/paper%20collar%20template_%20for%20guide.pdf.