I Found a Stray

1. Look around for mom and/or littermates: Sometimes well-meaning people unknowingly separate kittens from their mother. Ultimately, the goal is to keep baby kittens with their mother for as long as possible for the best chance of survival.

2. Observe from a distance: If the kittens are safe but mom is nowhere in sight, you should quietly observe from a distance so as not to scare away a shy or feral mother. Momma cat will usually stay with her babies for one to two days after giving birth. After that, she may leave for short periods to hunt for food or to look for a safer location for her litter.

3. Use your best judgment: There is no general rule on how long you should wait for mom to return, but think in terms of a couple hours. If the kittens are clean, plump, and sleeping quietly, chances are mom isn't far away and you are better off leaving them alone. On the other hand, if the kittens are dirty, in a soiled area, or crying because they are hungry, it could mean they have been abandoned.

4. Call Humane Indiana Shelter: If you are unsure of what to do, you can always call Humane Indiana Shelter for advice on when or if you should move a found kitten. Call us at 219.922.3811.

Humane Indiana’s Community Cat Return to Field (RTF) policy is an important alternative to taking stray cats into our shelter. The RTF policy has benefits for the cats, people in the community, as well as the area from which the cats come.

Through this program:

Free-roaming outdoor cats are no longer admitted to the shelter and housed. Instead, they are sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to their outdoor homes. Cats may be friendly or non-socialized to humans, and they do not require a specific caretaker. While this program sounds similar to “Trap Neuter Return” (TNR), it is different. While TNR typically focuses on identified colonies of outdoor cats, RTF’s focus is on colony prevention. It is geared to the outdoor cats that Good Samaritans often call Humane Indiana about, or bring to us.

Many outdoor cats have a home or, in some cases, multiple homes. Since the cat return-to-owner rate at Humane Indiana is only 0.03%, we know that taking cats into the shelter is not an effective way of reuniting them with their owners. According to ASPCA, the return to owner rate for cats in shelters in the United States is under 5%. RTF programs have been shown to be 7-10 times more effective at getting cats back to their owners than taking cats into the shelter. Studies have shown that approximately 40% of cat owners allow their cats to go inside/outside, so often times when cats are labeled ‘stray’ they are really someone's pet. The cats are not actually lost and were picked up by a Good Samaritan who thinks they are doing the right thing by bringing the cat to the shelter.

By sterilizing and vaccinating cats and returning them to their outdoor homes, we are filling an “ecological niche” in the community. We know that there are free-roaming cats in the community; however, if we remove them from the street, and ultimately euthanize them, the “void” they leave behind will be filled by another cat who will likely produce more kittens and not be protected against rabies. If we return the sterilized/vaccinated cat to its outdoor home instead, we help to prevent the entry of other cats into that area, ultimately increasing “herd immunity” against rabies, and decreasing the population’s ability to reproduce. There is no data to support that trap and euthanize or trap and removal is an effective population control method for community cats but there is much data to support that Community Cat Diversion and TNR is effective. Animal Control/Enforcement exists for public safety and animal safety; rounding up healthy outdoor cats does not address either of these issues and uses precious resources (staff, time, budget) that should be devoted to public and animal safety. This will free up animal control/enforcement officers to focus on the truly important calls such as animal bites, pet cruelty/neglect, hoarding, dog fighting, etc

1.Knock on doors of homes in the vicinity where you found the pet to see if anyone recognizes the pet.

2. If no one claims the stray dog after knocking on doors, Humane Indiana is happy to assist in locating owners for found pets by scanning for microchips and checking our population. You may contact our Humane Indiana Intake team via email at intake@humaneindiana.org or via phone at 219.922-3811 x211.

3. When you are unable to locate a pet's owner after knocking on nearby doors, call the city/town's local animal control in which the pet was found. Many municipalities in Lake County, IN have their own animal control servicing.

4. Stray animals found within unincorporated areas of Lake County should call the non-emergency dispatch line 219-660-0001 for animal control servicing.

5. If you are unsure of what to do when you find a dog, please contact Humane Indiana Shelter at 219.922.3811. ext. 211

Pet owners often contact local animal controls if their pet is lost and a report is made with animal control officers. If you’ve found a stray, please make every effort to have it scanned for a microchip with your local animal control. These simple tips can help reunite a pet with its owner.

Cedar Lake Police Department: 219-374-5416 - 7408 Constitution Ave., Cedar Lake, IN 46303

Crown Point Police Department: 219-663-2131 - 124 N East St., Crown Point, IN 46307

Dyer Animal Control: 219-865-1163 - 2150 Hart St., Dyer, IN 46311

East Chicago Animal Control: 219-391-8467 - 2829 Gary Rd., East Chicago, IN 46312

Gary Animal Control: 219-881-1250 625 W 9th Pl., Gary, IN 46402

Griffith Animal Control: 219-922-1766 - 121 Northwood, Griffith IN 46319

Hammond Animal Control: 219-853-6507 - 5131 Columbia Ave., Hammond, IN 46327

Highland Animal Control: 219-838-3184 - 3333 Ridge Rd., Highland, IN 46327

Jasper County Animal Control: 219-866-5756 - 2430 W Clark St., Rensselaer, IN 47978

Lake County Animal Control: 219-769-7016 - 3011 W 93rd Ave., Crown Point, IN 46307

Lake Station Animal Control: 219-963-9626 - 3705 Fairview Ave., Lake Station, IN 46405

Lowell Police Department: 219-696-0411 - 1333 E Commercial Ave., Lowell, IN 46356

Merrillville Police Department: 219-769-3722 - 7820 Broadway #1, Merrillville, IN 46410

Newton County Animal Control: 219-285-6777 - 3214 W 100 N, Morocco, IN 47963

Porter County Animal Shelter: 219-465-3550 - 2056 Heavilin Rd., Valparaiso, IN 46385

Schererville Animal Control: 219-865-6992 - 540 Kaeser Blvd., Schererville, IN 46375

St. John Animal Control: 219-365-6235 - 10650 White Oak Ave., Dyer, IN 46373

Whiting Animal Control: 219-659-0860- 1915 Front St., Whiting, IN 46394

Calumet City Animal Control: 708-891-8199 - 204 Pulaski Rd., Calumet City, IL 60409

City of Chicago Animal Control: 312-747-1406 - 2741 S Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60608

Homewood Police Department: 708-206-3420 - 17950 Dixie Hwy., Homewood, IL 60430

Lansing Animal Control: 708-895-71502710 - 170th St., Lansing, IL 60438

Lynwood Police Department: 708-758-4744 - 21460 Lincoln Hwy., Lynwood, IL 60411