Prevention is key to reducing the number of stray animals and ensuring the safety of your companion animals. Here are some essential steps you can take to prevent your pet from becoming a stray or contributing to accidental litters:
If you have found a stray adult cat, or stray kittens we’ve got you covered with our step-by-step action plan on what to do next.
We have even included a handy decision tree to help you decide what is the best course of action!
At RSPCA NSW we believe that every cat deserves a safe and permanent home with someone to take care of them. Unfortunately, that is not the reality for the thousands of unowned stray cats in our neighbourhoods. They get by the best they can, often trying to befriend kind-hearted locals for a bite to eat or a comfy place to sleep.
If you find kittens on the street, it is very normal to feel concerned and feel the need to rescue them, but the first step is to assess the situation. Depending on their age, some kittens will have the best chance of survival if they can stay with their mother. Mum’s milk is perfect for them. She keeps them warm and protects them.
If you come across a lost or stray animal, here’s how you can help:
Check for identification: Look for a collar with tags containing the owner’s contact details.
Contact your local council: Councils are responsible for managing stray animals and reuniting them with their owners.
Ensure basic care: If you must care for the animal temporarily while waiting for council assistance, provide food, water, and shelter while avoiding unnecessary handling to reduce stress.
Remember, stray animals must be reported to your local council to comply with the Companion Animals Act 1998. Councils have the resources and systems to manage these situations and reunite pets with their families efficiently.
Stray animals are a common concern for communities, and it can be confusing to understand where to seek help. At RSPCA NSW, we want to provide clear guidance and ensure that stray animals receive appropriate care and are quickly reunited with their family. It is important to note that stray and lost animal management is under the jurisdiction of local councils.
At RSPCA NSW, we are able to assist with injured stray animals. If you encounter a stray animal that is visibly hurt or in immediate danger, please contact us for advice or assistance.
It’s important to note that:
We understand it can be distressing to find a stray animal, and we encourage you to help by contacting the right organisation. This ensures the animal has the best chance of being reunited with its owner or cared for appropriately.
To further support councils’ management of strays, RSPCA NSW often takes animals from councils when we have space and an animal in their care has completed the impound period and has been unable to be reunited with its owner or rehomed by the council. This is our way of directly ensuring that councils have the most capacity to help as much as possible.
You can help make a difference to animals in need by adopting or fostering a rescuoodle.
If you come across a stray animal, there are steps you can take to help keep them safe and comfortable while waiting for council assistance. Providing basic care can make a big difference in ensuring their wellbeing:
For more detailed guidance, explore our resources on caring for cats, dogs, and other animals. Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1978), anyone caring for an animal, even temporarily, has a responsibility to ensure their welfare.
Local councils have systems in place to manage stray animals effectively, including animal management officers, microchip scanning, and access to owner databases. This allows them to quickly identify and return lost pets to their homes. Local councils are funded by the NSW Government’s Companion Animals Fund to perform this function.
If you come across a stray or lost animal, your first point of contact should be your local council. They have the expertise, facilities, and legal authority to manage these situations. You can find your council’s contact details by visiting the NSW Government’s Find My Council page
Losing an animal or finding a stray can be an incredibly stressful and emotional experience. For those who find a stray animal, it can disrupt your day and feel overwhelming. However, it’s important to remember that many veterinarians, charities, and rehoming organisations are under immense pressure to help despite these situations falling outside their obligations. These groups are often severely under-resourced but continue to go above and beyond for the welfare of animals when they have the capacity.
Be patient, show compassion, and care for the animal by providing food, water, and temporary shelter. Your efforts can make a significant difference and you’ll look back with pride, knowing you helped a vulnerable being in need.
RSPCA NSW rehomes a range of different animals, from dogs, cats, and birds to horses, rabbits, and sheep! We believe that all creatures, great and small, can bring joy to our families and homes. Begin your adoption journey today and make an adorable lifelong friend!
By providing temporary homes for our animals, we can ensure they get the care they need until they are ready to be adopted. Join our network of foster carers for an incredibly rewarding experience; with your help, we can change the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable animals.
We rely on our generous supporters to continue assisting the thousands of animals turning to RSPCA NSW for help. No matter how small your contribution, every gift makes a lifesaving difference for animals in need.
By raising funds and lending a hand to communities and their pets, our volunteers play a pivotal role in our work throughout NSW. If you have a genuine concern for animals and enjoy meeting like-minded people, consider becoming an RSPCA NSW volunteer today!
If you have lost your pet, locate and contact your closest RSPCA NSW Shelters and Adoption Centres. We also suggest contacting other nearby pounds, animal shelters, and veterinary hospitals, as some pets have been known to travel great distances when unable to find their homes.
If your animal is not in our care, we suggest contacting all the local pounds, shelters and veterinarians in your area. You can also check the many online Facebook groups for missing and found pets.
It’s very important to update your pet’s microchip record to reflect that he is missing. You could also consider posting notices around your neighbourhood and in your local newspaper.
Even if you do not find your animal immediately, it’s important to search regularly in case your pet is found at a later date.
We would suggest phoning your local RSPCA shelter before visiting us. All animals currently in RSPCA NSW’s care who have come in as lost or strays are entered into our system so if you animal is in our care, our teams will have records of this. You are welcome to come to our shelters and speak to our staff during opening hours.
While we promise to urgently search our records for anyone looking for their missing pet, we do not have the resources to conduct regular searches for your beloved animal companion. However, we suggest regularly checking in with our dedicated shelter staff as you continue the search for your precious forever friend.
You can contact our RSPCA NSW shelters here. We would suggest checking with your local shelter and any that are in your region as animals can sometimes travel great distances.
If you find a livestock animal, please contact your local council.
If you find a pocket pet, try to locate the owner in your area. Check with your neighbours and put up found posters.
If you find a native animal, contact a local wildlife organisation such as ARC, RRANA or WIRES. If you can safely collect and contain the animal, you should take him to a veterinary clinic immediately.
Although our shelters lack the authorisation to take in lost animals and strays, we support lost and unclaimed pets in a variety of other ways. When out shelters have space, we often work with councils to help house animals that have been unable to be reunited with their owners or rehomed by the council. This is our way of directly ensuring that councils have even greater resources to help animals in need.
You can help us create more space for lost and stray animals by adopting an animal from one of our shelters and adoption centres. If you don’t think you’re ready for permanent adoption, consider becoming a foster carer to an animal in need the git of a loving temporary home.
If you have tried contacting your local council and that they have informed you that they do not manage stray or lost cats or dogs and won’t cooperate, you can take further action to ensure accountability. Local councils are legally responsible for managing companion animals under the Companion Animals Act 1998.
To report a concern about your council’s response:
By using your voice, you can become an Animal Welfare Community Champion and engage in local advocacy to assist companion animals. Your efforts can help ensure they receive appropriate care from systems designed to promptly reunite pets with their owners.
We promise to uphold the highest ethical standards. Your personal information has never been, and never will be sold or traded to other charities. This is our promise to you.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live and work. We recognise and respect the enduring relationship they have with their lands and waterways, and particularly acknowledge the vital role animals have played in Indigenous life, stories and culture for tens of thousands of years.
The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country.
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The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country.
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