What to do if you find a cat

If you see a healthy cat outdoors, the City encourages you to leave it where it is. Many of these cats have either escaped their owner’s house or they are owned outdoor cats that don’t need to come into a shelter. These cats are actually 10 times more likely to find their way back home than if they are brought to a facility. – Source: Million Cat Challenge

• Look around your neighbourhood and ask neighbours if they have lost their pet.
• Contact the Edmonton Humane Society and put in a found listing at 780-471-1774
• Go online and put a Found pets listing on websites such as Kijiji and Craigslist and the following Facebook page: St Albert Lost and Found Pets
• Contact St. Albert Municipal Enforcement at 780-458-7700 and report the cat found. An operator will enter the information into a database in the hopes that someone else has reported their cat missing.

Visit the Edmonton Humane Society's website for more information on their admissions and the Capacity for Care program. 

What to Do if you find a Cat in Distress

If you find a cat and believe it is in distress you can contact Municipal Enforcement at 780-458-7700. St. Albert Community Peace Officers have Authority under the Alberta Animal Protection Act to take custody of a cat found in distress.

Officers will respond and take a cat into custody if the following signs or circumstances are in place but not limited to:

• Cat injured and stuck in the engine compartment of a vehicle
• Cat injured and stuck in a chain-link fence
• Cat injured and under a front/rear deck/steps

Signs the Cat May be in Distress:

1. Open mouth breathing - heavy panting
2. Glazed over eyes
3. Deep red, purple or whitish colour to the tongue
4. Blood on the cat
5. Unsteady/staggering
6. Unresponsive/lethargic

If the above signs are not prevalent it is likely that the cat is in good health and therefore can not be taken into custody.

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Related Pages

Keep Your Cat Safe ›

Nuisance Cat Information ›

Capturing Strays ›