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FAQ

I Found a Sick/Injured Community Cat:

If you find an injured cat any day of the week during regular business hours of 9am-4pm, contact the Bastrop County Animal Services also. They are there for sick and injured animals. They may ask if it is safe for you to bring to them to the shelter located on Cool Water Dr. Or they may ask for you to stay with the animal and/or contain the animal until they can get an ACO to the site. Please know that there are only 3 ACO’s for Bastrop County, 2 for Elgin City Limits and 1 each for the City of Bastrop and Smithville. That is a LARGE area to cover for so few people. Contact the local police or sheriff’s department for your area after hours.

Bastrop County Animal Services:

If your cat is lost, immediately begin a thorough search of your home and the surrounding area, including your yard and neighboring properties. If the cat is not found, contact local shelters, animal control, and veterinary clinics, and post missing cat flyers in your neighborhood and on social media. If your cat is microchipped, contact the microchip company to update their records.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of steps to take:

Immediate Search:

  • Thoroughly search your home: Double-check every room, under furniture, behind appliances, and in any enclosed spaces.
  • Check the immediate exterior: Look under decks, porches, in garages, sheds, and any other potential hiding spots.
  • Ask neighbors: Politely ask neighbors to check their properties, including sheds, garages, and under bushes.

Contact Local Resources:

  • Call and visit local shelters and animal control to report your missing cat and inquire if any have been found.
  • Alert your veterinarian and any local vets, as they may have received your cat or have information from clients.

Create and Distribute Flyers:

  • Photo and Information: Create a flyer with a clear photo of your cat, a description, the area where they were last seen, and your contact information.

Local Distribution:

  • Post flyers in your neighborhood, at local businesses, and in community centers.

Utilize Online Platforms:

  • Social Media: Share the flyer and information on social media platforms like Facebook, Nextdoor, and PawBoost.
  • Lost Pet Websites: Consider using websites like Petfinder, PetFBI, and Tabbytracker to submit a lost pet report.

Utilize Scent Cues: Leave Familiar Smells:

  • Leave out a dirty blanket/bedding or your dirty clothes that smells like your cat and you, to attract them back home. DO NOT put a litterbox outside; this can draw other cats or predators to the area that could scare kitty away. you should leave food and water out, but pick that up at night when other animals are out.

Consider Humane Trapping:

Contact us: If you believe your cat is in a nearby area but is reluctant to come home, consider contacting your local shelter for advice on setting a humane trap.

We are most easily reached through Facebook Messenger; we are all volunteers and not always immediately available so please be patient. We know that you are worried, and we will do what we can to assist. You can also email us at help@bastropcats.org (this email is monitored by a volunteer and may not be checked daily).

Be Persistent:

  • Continue Searching: Don’t give up! Cats can be difficult to find, and it may take time to locate them.

Keep Posters Fresh:

  • Update posters and keep the search active, even after several days

Bastrop CATS has a focus on Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR). We secondarily help, as we can, with medical cases of sick/injured or unweaned kittens found in the community. We do not have an adoption program and so rarely have cats or kittens available for adoption. We strive to get the kitties better then send them to a partner organization with a robust adoption program and reach for the adoption process. We do occasionally have adoptable kitties available, and we will post them on our social media page when we do. We also occasionally facilitate rehoming of animals in need by allowing them to be posted on our Facebook page — Bastrop CATS Network.

Please check out the following shelters and rescues for adoptable cats and kittens:

*Please note that MOST of the kittens from any of the following organizations have kittens that have been raised indoors only and many have never been outside. This means that they are often NOT suitable for an outdoor life as they do not know how to survive outside.

**Please do not adopt a kitten as an outdoor cat that has been hand raised and doesn’t have the skills to survive outside the home.

***Please note the below is not an exhaustive list of nearby groups — There are many in the central Texas area.

Cats are a part of the community they live in, and they deserve to be protected as the community members they are. You have the power to transform your community to save cats’ lives and speak out for cats and kittens around the world.

Find ways that YOU can advocate for cats and make a lifesaving difference.

  • Advocate and promote Spay/Neuter to friends, family, and neighbors.
  • Educate your community. If you see a new cat in the area, please check around and see if your neighbors know or own the cat to be sure they are unowned.
  • Post on local social media sites as a sighting/found. If the cat is unowned and unaltered, reach out to a TNR group to ask about an appointment for the new cat to be altered.
  • Donate — time (volunteer), money, supplies, become a foster; donations come in many forms! It takes a community effort to make a difference.

Supporting your area rescues, TNR groups, shelters, and advocacy groups in some way can save many current and future animals’ lives.

Alley Cat Allies Exposes Misrepresentation of TNR in The New Yorker: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/defendtnr/

TNR Works – Read this article from Alley Cat Allies: https://www.alleycat.org/community-cat-care/tnr-works/

The research: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/trap-neuter-return-researchcompendium/

Cats and dogs can have a variety of symptoms that may or may not need immediate evaluation and treatment by a veterinarian. It is helpful to know which cases need to be seen right away vs. which ones can wait until the next day or until an appointment can be made with their primary care veterinarian.

Please note:

This list is not exhaustive, nor can any one pet be definitively diagnosed based on one-line descriptions as provided below.

Before making any determination to keep your pet home or to bring them to the ER, please call a veterinarian for advice (or Poison Control when appropriate).

It is always better to err on the side of caution. If you are at all concerned that your pet needs to be seen despite the possible minor or benign symptoms that are being described, never hesitate to just bring your pet to be seen at an emergency veterinary hospital.

Go to the ER:

The following symptoms are possible signs of a true emergency and should be evaluated by a veterinarian right away.

Trouble Breathing:

  • Defined as a respiratory rate of 50 breaths per minute or greater that is NOT panting. Open-mouth breathing in a cat is always considered an emergency
  • Exaggerated, loud, or noisy breathing in brachycephalic cats or dogs that is new (smushy-faced breeds)
  • Abdominal heaving noted with every breath
  • Neck extended to breathe

Weakness, Staggering, Shaking, & Mobility Issues

  • Sudden and profound weakness or collapse.
  • Inability to walk or suddenly staggering as if drunk or unsteady on their feet, sudden trouble going up or down the stairs.
  • Acting disoriented and/or mentally inappropriate.
  • Shaking abnormally, restless, pacing, inability to get comfortable or rest.
  • Seizures or Tremors
  • Sudden limping or loss of motor function in one or more limbs — ESPECIALLY in a cat.

Inappropriate Urinating, Defecating, Diarrhea, and Vomiting

  • Straining to defecate or urinate — ESPECIALLY in male cats
  • No urination noted in more than 24 hours
  • Diarrhea that has progressed to pure liquid, blood, or black and has happened 2 or more times in 24 hours with loss of appetite and/or decreased energy and/or vomiting.
  • Retching/trying to vomit without producing anything, or distension of the abdomen where it is noticeably larger and more firm and/or tense than usual.
  • Vomiting 3 or more times in 24 hours with loss of appetite and/or decreased energy and/or concurrent diarrhea.

Bleeding, Wounds, & Trauma

  • Ongoing bleeding- ESPECIALLY bleeding that occurs with every heartbeat (i.e. spurting).
  • Bite or puncture wounds along the neck, chest, or abdomen.
  • Severe trauma such as being hit by a car, falling from a high surface, being stepped on.

Abnormal Appearances or Behavior (Skin, Gums, Eyes, and Noises)

  • White or blue gums in presence of acting lethargic or weak
  • Sudden appearance of bruises along the body without any history of trauma
  • Excruciating pain or vocalizing
  • Facial swelling or hives
  • Bulging eyes or sudden blindness
  • Squinting eyes suddenly
  • Fever at home (temperature > 102.8) in presence of other symptoms (ie lethargy, anorexia for > 24 hours, etc.)

Suspected Exposure to any Toxin or Medication (Always Call Poison Control First!)

  • Xylitol — dogs
  • Lilies — cats
  • Grapes/raisins — dogs
  • Chocolate (dose dependent) — cats and dogs
  • Antifreeze — cats and dogs
  • Insulin overdose
  • Over-the-counter or prescribed medication that has not been specifically prescribed for your pet — call Poison Control for advice on whether your pet needs to be seen
  • Human medications such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) can be safe for humans, but deadly for cats
  • Rodenticide/rat poison

May Be Safe to Wait for Appointment

The following are symptoms that MAY be safe to wait until morning to see your regular vet oran urgent care vet or can see an emergency hospital if the symptoms have not improved by the next day.

CAUTION: no single symptom can universally be defined as a true emergency or nonemergency without a veterinarian to evaluate the patient directly. If you are at all concerned or unsure of how serious your pet’s symptoms may be, always err on the side of caution and have them evaluated sooner rather than later.

  • Coughing without signs of labored breathing and able to rest (i.e. cough is not affecting quality of life at home)
  • Sneezing, runny nose
  • Not eating anything for less than 24 hours
  • Vomiting once or twice within 24 hours, but acting normal
  • One or two episodes of diarrhea within 24 hours but acting normal
  • Limping (NOTE — some forms of lameness are more serious than others, especially in adult cats, so please call a veterinarian depending on more specific details pertaining to your pet at the time) Itchy skin or ears, or thickness/fluid pocket within an ear

Can Be Safely Monitored at Home

Some symptoms can be safely monitored at home, treated at home, or can wait several days to see a veterinarian. Again, this list is not exhaustive, and sometimes seemingly minor symptoms can be a sign of a more serious problem. Please always ask the advice of a veterinarian prior to making decisions about waiting to have your pet seen.

Symptoms that have more specific recommendations based on condition:

  • Torn toenail with minor to no bleeding
  • Small wound or abrasion
  • New lumps or bumps identified on your pet (that do not resemble hives, which is an emergency
  • Ticks found on your pet — this does NOT need to be seen by a veterinarian and can be gently removed via tweezers
  • Fleas
  • Worms seen in stool in the absence of other clinical signs (especially in puppies, kittens, and outdoor cats)

You know your pet and if you see anything out of the ordinary, please don’t hesitate to call or go to your veterinarian or the nearest ER. We hope you won’t need our ER services, but if you do, we are here.

What do I do with a kitten(s) I found? They’re cute, cuddly, and desperately in need of your help. Or are they?

If you’ve found kittens, first determine if they have a mother cat nearby. If the mother is present, observe from a distance and ensure the kittens are safe and warm. If the mother is absent, assess the kittens’ condition and age to determine if they need immediate intervention. If they appear healthy, monitor them from a distance for a few hours to see if the mother returns. If the kittens are in distress or the mother doesn’t return, contact the local animal shelter for assistance.

Please click here for more detailed information.