Author: Amber Cabell, Director of Operations

What to do when you find a cat.

Did you know that only about 3% of cats brought to shelters are reunited with their families? It is more likely that a cat will be reunited with its owners if left alone.   In fact, most of the cats that you see outside are not in need of intervention and should be left where they are. Whether they are friendly neighborhood cats or unsocialized community cats, they are likely to have a caretaker or owner nearby that is providing care for them. 

Friendly neighborhood cats most likely have owners in the neighborhood that allow them to roam outside. These cats may wander off to hunt, play, and socialize with other neighborhood cats and people, but almost always return home when they are done. If you are concerned that you may have found a lost cat, the bottom line is that it is just not likely to be returned to their home if brought to a shelter and are, in fact, 13 times more likely to find their home using alternative methods such as utilizing methods that can be found on our lost and found pets page

What is a community cat?

Unsocialized community cats, also known as feral cats, typically have members of the community that provide them with food and help keep an eye on them. These cats live full, healthy and happy lives in their outdoor homes. They have lived the majority of their lives outside and are naturally skilled to find resources such as food and shelter on their own. Studies show that cats that have not been socialized by the time they are 4 months old are less likely to become socialized afterwards. Bringing these cats to a shelter, bringing them indoors, or relocating their outdoor home can be detrimental to their physical and behavioral health. Removing them from the environment they know can cause extreme levels of stress making them more susceptible to illness and more likely to exhibit unwanted behaviors such as hissing, swatting and, in some cases, even biting!  

The most humane solution for unsocialized community cats is Trap-Neuter-Return or, TNR for short. There are many resources in our area to help provide TNR services for unaltered cats in your community and our Spay Neuter Clinic offers lost cost spay/neuter for TNR services.

We will always take in found cats that are sick or injured, needing medical care and kittens found in the City of Lynchburg. 

As we draw further into kitten season, all shelters will become overflowing with cats and kittens. Having a community that understands why we do not take in stray cats and supports our mission allows us to focus our lifesaving efforts on those that truly need saving: the cats and kittens that are sick or injured, neonate kittens and cats and kittens at risk of euthanasia at other shelters. 

To learn more about LHS policy on taking in stray cats and what to do if you’ve found one, please visit our website at https://lynchburghumane.org/i-found-an-adult-cat-now-what/

Author: Senior Manager of Operations, Amber Cabell

Did you know residents in the City of Lynchburg are required by city ordinance to obtain a license for all dogs aged 4 months and older?

And did you know that you are able to purchase a city license for your dog(s) at Lynchburg Humane Society? You can simply swing by the Center for Pets anytime during our normal hours of operation and let us know that you would like to purchase a city license for your dog and you will receive your tag the same day. All you need to have is proof of your dog’s current rabies vaccination and the fee for the tag. Fees for Lynchburg City licenses are:

One year unaltered Female or Male Dog – $10

One year neutered Male or Spayed Female Dog – $5

Lifetime license is now available – $15

Duplicate License – $1

What if your dog doesn’t have a current rabies vaccination? LHS also offers rabies vaccines for the low cost of $15! To schedule an appointment, simply email us at [email protected]. 

You can find more information or request to have a city tag mailed to you by scanning this QR code

Barn Cats available for Adoption

Working cats, also known as barn cats, are cats that prefer to have an independent life from human friends. They would much rather be the guardian of a shop or a barn than be a house cat for a family. At LHS we have many of these cats available for adoption! 

A few working cats available for adoption at LHS:

Cheese Puff is an eight year old gentleman that is looking for a place to call his own! Cheese Puff is not doing well in the shelter environment and would much rather be living his best barn or working cat life. Do you know of someone who needs a handsome orange and white hard working boy in their life?

Meet Fawn, this beautiful lady came to LHS summer 2022 with her kittens who have now found their families and she is waiting for her match. Fawn prefers independence and space from people but really enjoys the company of other cats so would do great with other pets. She LOVES her porch room buddy, Jason. More about Jason below!

Jason is a big, handsome cat that loves himself some other cats! Just because Jason prefers space from people doesn’t mean he can’t fall in love. Jason has had a couple of cats in his time here at LHS that he’s become very close to. His current best friend is Fawn! Our staff loves to walk by the porch room and see Fawn and Jason cuddled up together or following each other around. This pair would be perfect for a space that could use multiple cats like a large barn, store, or farm!

All our working cats can be found on our website with a “working cat” attribute on their profiles. Many of them also live in the Porch Room on the adoption hallway so you can come by and visit them any time.