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Urgent Situations

  1. My cat is sick! Which veterinary clinics are open for emergencies?

    The following clinics are available for emergencies. Call first to ensure they are equipped to handle your specific emergency. If the clinic has its own website, you can click on its name to go there. Click on the address for a map or driving directions.

    Name Address Phone
    Adobe Animal Hospital 4470 El Camino Real
    Los Altos CA 94022     		(650) 948-9661
    MedVet Campbell 905 Dell Ave
    Campbell CA 95008     		(408) 371-6252
    MedVet Mountain View 601 Showers Dr
    Mountain View CA 94040     		(650) 494-1461
    North Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic 227 N Amphlett Blvd
    San Mateo CA 94401     		(650) 348-2575
    SAGE Centers (Campbell) 907 Dell Ave.
    Campbell CA 95008     		(408) 374-1180
    SAGE Centers (Redwood City) 934 Charter St
    Redwood City CA 94063     		(650) 417-7243
    United Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Clinic (San Jose) 5440 Thornwood Dr, Suite E
    San Jose CA 95123     		(408) 578-5622
  2. I have lost my cat! What should I do to get him back?

    If your cat is permitted outdoors, please have him microchipped. Microchipping is an inexpensive way to ensure that he'll be reunited if he's found. In general, cats that are wearing a form of identification, such as a collar or a collar and tag, are held a bit longer for owners to come forward.

    Here are some steps you should take as soon as possible:

    • Don't panic. Cats are territorial, and generally do not wander far from their home. If they are outdoors for the first time or outside their territory, they'll be scared by their new surroundings and will hunker down until they feel it's safe to move about. Cats generally will NOT move around during the day, but will search for food and move about at night, when it is cool, and they won't wander far if food and water are close by.
    • Confirm that your cat's microchip registration information is up to date. Your cat's microchip is only a number and must be associated with you through a microchip registry:
      1. Visit petmicrochiplookup.org and look up your cat's microchip number. Microchips may be registered in multiple databases, so make sure your's is the most recently updated listing.
      2. If your pet's microchip is not found, register it immediately. The Michelson Found Animals Registry is free to register and update. Note: Not all registries participate in petmicrochiplookup.org, so for the best chance at recovering your cat make sure the microchip is registered with a participating registry.
      3. If the microchip is found, login to the microchip registry and confirm that your phone numbers and e-mail address(es) are current.
      4. Contact the registry (online or by phone) to report the cat as lost—and to report when your cat is found.
    • Anchor your cat to your home by putting canned food and fresh water outside your back door (away from the street!). If possible, leave food in your adjoining neighbors' yards also. If ants are a problem, put the bowl of food in a larger bowl filled with water. Also put out a towel or blanket with your cat's scent on it and leave a light on at night.
    • Check hiding spots. Cats occasionally get shut into places that are open temporarily, so check your neighbors' garages, sheds, storage areas, and crawl spaces.
    • Alert your neighborhood by posting on Nextdoor.
    • Make up flyers with your cat's picture and a font large enough to be read from a passing car. Use our free form to make the flyer or create your own. Print the flyers on bright colored, eye-catching paper. If it is likely to rain, put the flyers inside sheet protectors that you can get at any office supply store. Be sure that the opening in the sheet protector is at the bottom so water doesn't get to the flyer.
      • Start close to home, then distribute the flyers in an ever-widening radius. Post the flyers where people will see them from their cars when stopped, or while out walking.
      • Hand-deliver flyers to your neighbors, and enlist their help. If they have indoor cats, your cat may be drawn to their house.
      • Put flyers in mailboxes or at front doors. It is possible someone nearby has been feeding your cat and is unaware that he is lost -- this happens quite often.
    • File a missing cat report with your local, public animal shelter. It's best to go there in person (take a flyer with you and ask them to post it). Shelters also maintain lists of cats that have been found, and those that have been picked up injured or dead. To locate your local, public animal shelter: For cities not listed, do a Google search using the search terms "animal control" and your city.
    • Post your missing pet on PawBoost.com.
    • WALK your neighborhood late at night when it is quiet and call for him. While walking, tap the edge of a can of cat food with a fork or rattle a bag of dry food. Lost pets often hide during the day.
    • Slowly DRIVE around your neighborhood late at night -- cats often recognize the sound of a car. Important: When calling for your cat, wait for a lull in any traffic so that your cat is not tempted to run to you and into the path of traffic!
    • If someone contacts you and says they've seen your cat, ask if you can put canned and dry food in THEIR backyard to anchor him to that location. Then hang out and call his name -- he won't wander if he has food and feels safe.
    • Post flyers at local vet clinics. Someone could have picked up your cat and taken to a vet.
    • Talk to your neighbors, and especially children! Children are often outdoors and ride their bikes around, and thus know what's going on in the neighborhood. They are often the first ones to notice a stray.
    • Post ads in:
    • BE PERSISTENT! Someone recently emailed us about their lost cat. They followed the above steps and found their cat 4 WEEKS later -- a neighbor down the street had been feeding their cat, and didn't know he was lost. Another family had lost their cat, and found it by walking the neighborhood at night while calling their kitty's name. So please continue leaving food out, posting flyers, and canvassing your neighborhood. Persistence is key—hang in there!
  3. I have found a cat! What can I do to locate his owner?

    Bless you for taking the time and caring enough to rescue the little fella. He could very well live just down the street, and could have gotten out by mistake, or the owners may be away and their petsitter is unaware that he is lost.

    Please do the following to help reunite the him with his owner:

    • Do NOT take him to the shelter -- most all shelters are overwhelmed with cats and kittens, and he will most likely be euthanized (put to sleep).
    • Take him to a local vet clinic (if possible) and have them check him for a microchip.
    • Bring him indoors, or keep him confined to a garage or room to protect him and prevent him from wandering off.
    • Feed him, and make certain he has access to fresh water. This will anchor him to the area, and prevent him from wandering further and possibly getting injured.
    • If you have other cats or pets, do not let them mingle. Cats are territorial and your cats may defend their territory and initiate a fight or frighten the cat off.
    • Blanket the neighborhood with flyers immediately; make the font large enough so that it can be easily read by a passing car. Start close to home; then, spread them in an ever-widening radius, hundreds of them. Post them where people will see them from their cars when stopped, or out walking. Include a photo if you have one. Print them on bright, eye-catching paper. Also drop them at people's doors or mailboxes. When you have a digital picture of the cat you have found, click here to create a flyer you can print.
    • Go door-to-door and talk to as many neighbors as possible, enlisting their help.
    • Contact your local public shelter and file a found cat report. It's best to go there in person (take a flyer with you and ask them to post it).
    • Place an ad in LOCAL papers. Check the Lost and Found classified ads in those papers for found cats.
    • Talk to your neighbors, and especially children! Children are often outdoors and ride their bikes around, and thus know what's going on in the neighborhood. They are often the first ones to know who has cats.
    • Post flyers at local vet clinics.
  4. How can I tell if my cat is ill?

    Please print and keep this list of 10 signs of illness in cats.

  5. My cat ate something and is acting ill! What's poisonous to a cat?

    If you think you cat has been poisoned and is exhibiting the following symptoms:

    • Lethargy or sluggishness
    • Vomiting
    • Lack of appetite
    • Stumbling or staggering
    • Breathing difficulty
    • Seizure

    contact your veterinarian immediately. You can also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. There is a $65 consultation fee for this service.

    When you call for help, be ready with the following information:

    • the species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of animals involved
    • the animal's symptoms
    • information regarding the exposure, including the agent (if known), the amount of the agent involved and the time elapsed since the time of exposure.

    Have the product container/packaging available for reference. If you suspect your cat has eaten a plant or flower, take the plant and the cat to the vet ASAP. Don't hesitate: Plants can always be replaced, but your cat cannot! See the answer to the next question for information about plants which are toxic to cats.

    Please note: If your cat is having seizures, losing consciousness, is unconscious or is having difficulty breathing, telephone ahead and bring your him/her immediately to your local veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic. If necessary, the veterinarian may call the Animal Poison Control Center.

  6. I've heard some plants are poisonous to cats? Which ones are they?

    Many common houseplants and flowers are toxic to cats when eaten; lilies in particular can be fatal. Here are several lists you can consult:

Medical Care

  1. I need to take my cat to the vet. Can you recommend a good veterinarian?
  2. What shots do cats usually get?

    For indoor-only cats only we recommend only the 3-in-1 FVRCP vaccination (FVR – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, C – Calicivirus and P – Panleukopenia). This vaccination is given to kittens from the age of 6-8 weeks every 4 weeks until they are 16 weeks old and then again at 1 year old. After that the vaccination has been found to be good for 3 years in cats with low risk of exposure.

Spay/Neuter

  1. Where can I get my cat fixed?

    Private veterinary clinics can charge an arm and a leg to spay/neuter an animal (females are spayed, and males are neutered). The Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA), located in Santa Clara, operates an excellent low-cost spay/neuter clinic, and accepts Santa Clara County vouchers (see below) to defray the cost. SVACA is the shelter where strays found within the cities of Mountain View, Campbell, and Santa Clara are taken and sheltered, but SVACA's spay/neuter clinic is open to all.

  2. Where can I get help with the cost of spay/neuter surgery?

    Financial assistance for spay/neuter surgery is available in the form of vouchers that cover some or all of the cost of the surgery. Except as noted below, vouchers do not usually cover vaccinations, FeLV/FIV testing, or any other treatment the cat may need.

    Vouchers are available from a number of sources, but each program can run out of money before the end of its fiscal year.

    • Santa Clara County

      Santa Clara County has a voucher program. For feral cats who will be returned to their colony, the voucher cost is $10 and covers spay/neuter surgery, FVRCP and rabies vaccinations, and an ear notch. Vouchers are available at county clinics, e.g. Palo Alto Animal Services (see Which clinics accept spay/neuter vouchers?).

      For domestic cats, the coupon deducts $20 from the cost of the surgery. Funding for this program can be exhausted before the end of the county's fiscal year.

    • San Mateo County

      Vouchers may be obtained from San Mateo County Health Department.

    • Palo Alto Humane Society

      The Palo Alto Humane Society has a voucher program. For members of their CatWorks program, the cost is $12 per voucher. For individuals on a fixed income, vouchers are provided at no cost.

  3. Can I get help with the cost of other treatments?

    We may be able to provide the FVRCP vaccine and medication for worms, ear mites etc. at cost. Palo Alto Animal Sevices will adminster these for a nominal fee if we provide them when the cat is taken in for spay/neuter surgery.

  4. Which clinics accept spay/neuter vouchers?

    Vouchers are accepted at the following veterinary clinics. If the clinic has a website you may click on its name to go there. Click on a clinic's address to get a map or driving directions. Some clinics may charge a small additional fee in addition to the voucher for the spay/neuter surgery.

      Vouchers Accepted
    Name Address Phone Santa Clara County PAHS
    Animal Medical Center 1820 Hillsdale Ave # 20
    San Jose CA 95124     		(408) 267-7387 Yes  
    Animal Medical Clinic 1405 N. Milpitas Blvd.
    Milpitas CA 95035     		(408) 262-7190 Yes  
    Bascom Animal Hospital 2175 S. Bascom Ave
    San Jose CA 95008     		(408) 371-5630 Yes  
    Bay Cities Veterinary Clinic 16 Corning Ave
    Milpitas CA 95035     		(408) 262-2518 Yes Yes
    Cat Hospital 137 East Hamilton Ave
    Campbell CA 95008     		(408) 866-6188   Yes
    City of Palo Alto Animal Services 3281 E Bayshore Rd
    Palo Alto CA 94303-3213     		(650) 496-5933 Yes Yes
    For Paws Spay and Neuter Clinic 40501 Fremont Blvd
    Fremont CA 94538     		(510) 573-4660   Yes
    Humane Society Silicon Valley 901 Ames Ave
    Milpitas CA 95035     		(408) 262-2133 Yes  
    Pacifica Pet Hospital 4300 Coast Hwy
    Pacifica CA 94044     		(650) 359-3685   Yes
    San Jose Animal Hospital 940 Berryessa Rd
    San Jose CA 95133     		(408) 453-2524 Yes  
    San Jose Spay/Neuter Clinic 1780 Old Bayshore Hwy, Unit F
    San Jose CA 95112     		(408) 436-1740 Yes  
    Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority 3370 Thomas Road
    Santa Clara CA 95054     		(408) 764-0344 Yes Yes
    Spruce Avenue Pet Hospital 135 South Spruce Ave
    South San Francisco CA 94080     		(650) 873-6880   Yes
    St Francis of Assisi 12000 Murphy Ave
    San Martin CA 95046     		(408) 683-0866 Yes  
    The Animal Clinic 45 Cronin Drive
    Santa Clara CA 95051     		(408) 241-8200 Yes  

Pets

  1. Can you help me find a new home for my cat?

    First of all, do NOT surrender your cats to ANY public shelter. It is now kitten season and the shelters are SWAMPED with abandoned cats. Kittens are in demand now, and mature, adult cats willl be euthanized first. Your cats are older, and it is always a challenge to find good homes for older cats.

    Adopt a Pet Rehome Service

    Second, did you adopt your cats through a private rescue group such as Pets in Need, Homeless Cat Network, or another local rescue group? If so, when you adopted your cat you signed a contract stating that if you could no longer keep your cat that the organzation would take the cat back, thus preventing the cat from being surrendered to a shelter. They will honor your contract, so please contact the rescue group.

    AdoptaPet.com offers rehoming assistance. Just click the graphic.

    Peninsula CatWorks offers courtesy (aka "Community") listings on the website which makes the cats available through Petfinder.com and AdoptaPet.com.

    Unfortunately Fat Cat Rescue does not have a shelter and cannot take owner-surrendered pets.

  2. I live outside your area (California's Santa Clara County). Where else can I find a cat?

    Please take a look at both Petfinder.com and AdoptaPet.com. Both are likely to have adoptable animals from shelters and rescue groups near where you live.