How to Take Care of a Stray Cat - Adopting a Stray Cat

1. Make sure it’s not a feral cat. Feral cats look just like the cats we keep in our homes (they are in fact the same species) but feral cats do not have the social ability to live in homes with people that pet cats do. While it is not impossible to adopt a feral cat, it can be extremely difficult for you and the cat.
Feral cats prefer to live outside and probably have a colony nearby that they belong to.
Pet cats prefer the company of people and enjoy a life that includes being indoors.

2. Isolate the cat from your other pets. Once you have decided to adopt a stray cat, you need to make sure it doesn’t pose a health risk to any other pets you may have in the house. Even if the cat seems friendly, you don’t want to risk it spreading any diseases to your pets.[4]
- Keep the cat in a separate room from any other pets or small children you may have.
- Do not allow your other pets to interact directly with the cat until it has seen a vet and been vaccinated.

3. Get it vaccinated. Even if the cat you adopt is an adult, it may not have been vaccinated by its previous owners. Vaccinations are important to prevent your cat from being infected with a preventable disease, but also to prevent your cat from carrying such diseases to other cats in the area or your house.[5]
- There are a number of vaccines cats should receive including rabies, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
- Your veterinarian will help you decide which vaccines beyond the “core” requirements may be a good idea for your cat based on its condition.
- Ask the veterinarian to tell you if there seem to be any other medical issues with the cat that you should be aware of.

4. Take it slow. Even if the cat came from a loving home before it was lost, it still may be reluctant to trust you or the other people in your house. You can’t know what kinds of experiences the cat may have had before it entered your home, so keep your distance as you learn how the cat adapts to its new surroundings.[6]
- Introduce the cat to other pets in your home slowly and in a controlled manner.
- Start by keeping the cat in a cat carrier while your other cats or dogs have an opportunity to smell the new cat without coming into contact with it.
- Let the cat retreat to a safe place when it wants to, otherwise it may feel threatened by you or your other pets.