Found a cat with a collar but no tag: what to do next
Look inside the collar for writing, get a free microchip scan, add a note to the collar if the cat is calm, and ask nearby neighbors first.
A collar is a clue
A collar means someone has cared for this cat at some point, so treat it as a pet until you learn otherwise. Next, check the collar itself, get the cat scanned for a microchip and ask neighbors. Do not assume the cat is lost, though. It may live next door and go out every day. It may also be a cat that lost its tag, or one that has been missing for weeks. In the ASPCA’s national phone survey, published in 2012, only 43% of cats wore a collar, and 56% had no ID at all. So a collar already puts this cat in the more identifiable group. Leave it on while you search, because the owner may recognize it.
Read the collar closely
Get close only if the cat is calm and lets you touch it. Run a finger around the whole collar and look at the inside of the band, because people sometimes write a phone number on it. Rochester, New York’s animal services mentions this for dogs, and it is just as easy to miss on a cat. Look for a small sliding barrel that may hold a paper note, or a stitched name. Check for an empty ring, which tells you a tag fell off. Take a close photo of the collar, including any brand, color and pattern. If the collar looks tight, cuts into the neck, or has fur matted under it, take the cat to a vet.
Get a microchip scan
Many cats with no tag have a chip. Best Friends Animal Society says most vets and pet supply stores will scan a found pet at no cost, but call first and ask. Use a carrier, not your arms, because a cat that bolts in a parking lot is gone. Ask for a scan between the shoulder blades and also along the sides and legs. In an Ohio State study of 538 cats, three of the 478 scanned at the end had chips that had moved from the implant site. If a chip turns up, enter the number in the AAHA lookup at aaha.org/petmicrochiplookup. It shows which registry holds the chip, not the owner’s details, so the vet or shelter then calls that registry.
Add a note to the collar
If you cannot get the cat to a scanner, use the collar to reach the owner. The Humane Society of the United States suggests taping a note to a breakaway collar, asking the owner to contact you. Keep it short and waterproof: Is this your cat? It has been at Oak and 5th. Please call or text 555-0100. Fold it around the collar loosely, so that it does not add bulk or catch on anything. Do not make the collar tighter. Do not put a second collar on top unless it is breakaway. Ohio State researchers say a proper fit leaves room for two fingers. If nobody replies in a few days, repeat the note, as rain can destroy paper.
Ask at the nearest doors first
Knock on doors within a few houses before you search farther. In the Huang study of 1,210 missing cats, published in 2018, indoor-only cats found alive were a median of 39 meters, about 130 feet, from where they escaped. Show the photo and describe the collar: Do you know this cat? It has a blue collar with no tag, and it has been coming to my porch since Monday. Ask whether anyone feeds it. A neighbor might say it belongs to the house behind them, and that can end the search in ten minutes. If you get no answer, leave a flyer at the door if that is allowed.
File a report and post, with one detail held back
File a found report with your local shelter and animal control even if you are keeping the cat where it is. Owners often check with shelters, so this is one way they can find you. Post in Facebook and Nextdoor groups for your neighborhood, and check lost cat posts for a match. Say where and when, using cross streets. Do not describe the collar fully. Say it has a collar, and keep the color or pattern to yourself, so a real owner can tell you what it looks like. Our post on lost pet scams explains the warning signs. Do not pay anyone who contacts you about the cat.
Should the cat come inside?
There is no one right answer, and it depends on the cat and your home. The Humane Society says that unless a cat is sick or injured, there is likely no need to turn it over to a shelter, since it may be a nearby pet. Taking in a healthy indoor-outdoor cat can keep it from walking home. If the cat is hurt, ill or in danger, such as near a busy road, get it to a vet or shelter. If you do bring it in for a night, keep it in a separate room away from your own pets. Ask your local animal control office about your rules, because some areas require a report.
When the owner calls
Ask for something only the owner would know, such as the collar color or a marking you left out. Ask for a photo of the cat at home, and meet in a public place or at your door with someone else present. Tell them where the cat has been. If it turns out to be a free-roaming pet, the Humane Society suggests tactfully mentioning that it would be safer indoors. You might also suggest a new tag: a collar with an ID tag is, as the Ohio State lead researcher put it, probably a cat’s greatest chance of being brought back if it is lost.
Sources
Weiss, Slater, Lord, Animals, 2012: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4494319. Huang et al., Animals, 2018: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789300. Rochester Animal Services: cityofrochester.gov/departments/department-recreation-and-human-services/what-do-if-you-find-lost-dog. Best Friends Animal Society: bestfriends.org/node/572187. Ohio State University collar study: news.osu.edu/study--3-out-of-4-cats-will-wear-a-collar-making-it-worth-a-try. AAHA microchip lookup: aaha.org/petmicrochiplookup. 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.