The Chattanooga Feral Cat Alliance focuses on providing trap/neuter/return services and education—we are not a rescue or shelter and we are unable to accept friendly cats or kittens for rehoming or adoption. We do not provide emergency services.
If you’ve found a cat who appears sick or distressed, contact McKamey Animal Center. Please be advised that they are not accepting cats found outdoors except in circumstances where the cat is injured or is a pet that for certain has been abandoned by its previous owners. If you live in unincorporated Hamilton County, Soddy Daisy, Collegedale or Walden please contact the Humane Educational Society.
First step: Talk to your neighbors!
Many households allow their cats to roam free outdoors, and you don’t want to risk stealing someone’s pet by removing it from where it was found. If the cat you’ve found is friendly but you’re unsure if they’re owned, any vet or shelter (both HES and McKamey) can scan the cat for a microchip at no cost. (Keep in mind that a lack of a microchip doesn’t indicate an unowned cat.) Ask neighbors within several houses in all directions if they recognize the cat, and post in your neighborhood NextDoor or Facebook group to see if anyone is familiar with them. Also post to PawBoost, a free iOS and Android app for lost and found pets that automatically posts to a Chattanooga-area Facebook group.
Follow your city or county lost/found pet ordinance
There are no laws in Chattanooga or Hamilton County preventing free-roaming cats, but there are ordinances requiring anyone who finds a cat or dog to report it to local animal control and observe the required stray hold period. Rehoming or surrendering a cat to a shelter who isn’t abandoned, hurt or in distress can be cruel to the cat and their owner, and could potentially carry legal consequences under local ordinances.
If you find kittens
If you find a litter of kittens outside, please leave them be! Even if they appear alone, it’s likely their mother is nearby hunting for food (and afraid of you!). If you spot a litter of kittens with their mother and you live within Chattanooga city limits, please contact McKamey Animal Center for guidance on how to best help them (or contact HES if you’re outside of city limits). Again, do not separate the kittens from their mother, as this is detrimental to their health and survival. If the kittens appear older than 12 weeks and are feral along with their mother, please contact us for help getting the family TNRd. More information about what to do if you find a litter of kittens outside is available from Alley Cat Allies.