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Found a lost cat

Using a cat trap provided by the RSPCA

Thank you for taking the time to help us catch a sick and/or injured cat. If you have been provided an RSPCA cat trap in order to assist in trapping a cat here are some guidelines which will ensure the cat gets the treatment it needs as quickly as possible. 

Please note that an RSPCA cat trap should only be set for a cat that the RSPCA is already aware of.

Cat trap guidelines

  • Please only set the trap between 8am and 3pm. Please do not set the trap outside of these hours, over weekends or bank holidays, unless advised to do so by our officer, as we may have difficulty in collecting it.
  • Please do not set the trap in direct sunlight.
  • Please use a small plastic container for food and water inside the trap and ensure that the container does not interfere with the mechanism inside the trap.
  • Always ensure there is fresh food in the trap, while you are trying to capture it. A cat will not be caught in a trap if it is being fed elsewhere. Please let your neighbours know that you are trying to catch the cat as it is sick and/or injured and ask them not to feed it.
  • You should cover the trap with a towel or blanket once you have contained the correct cat.
  • As soon as the cat is caught, the quickest way to get help for the cat will be to transport it, in the trap, straight to a veterinary clinic.
  • You should not make any attempts to transfer the cat into another basket or box, please leave the cat in the trap whilst you transport it to the vets or await collection. 
  • When you arrive at the veterinary clinic, give the veterinary clinic the incident number provided to you by the RSPCA officer.
  • Ask the veterinary clinic to contact our Vetline team before treatment begins. The vet practice will have this number. Please note, if the cat belongs to you, as the owner you will be responsible for any treatment costs.
  • If you are unable to transport the cat to a veterinary clinic, please call our National Control Centre on 0300 1234 999 between 8am and 5pm, to arrange its collection, and quote the incident number. Our officers cover a large geographical area, so bear in mind that the collection may not be immediate. Please check that the cat has shade/shelter and water in the meantime. To ensure you do not get scratched or let the cat escape, you could use a watering can or similar to top up the bowl with water or provide ice cubes.
  • As we normally have a waiting list for our traps, we would be grateful if you could inform us as soon as possible that a trap is no longer needed.
  • If you have any problems or concerns please call our National Control Centre on 0300 1234 999 between 8am and 5pm.