FRFound a kitten or a stray cat?: what to do in the first few hours
A kitten on their own is not necessarily abandoned: the mother is often close by. If the kitten is cold or weak, warm them up and get them seen right away; no feeding before that, and never cow's milk. Here is what to do and who to call in Montreal.
This guide helps you decide; it does not replace an exam. When in doubt, call us at 514 223-1197.
Go now: a kitten has no margin
A kitten is not a small adult cat: with any of these signs, you do not wait. Stop looking for the mother and do not feed the kitten. Pick them up with a thick towel or gloves, never bare-handed, settle them in a box with a towel-wrapped bottle of hot water, and head out without waiting for morning, calling on the way: us during our opening hours, a 24/7 centre if we are closed. If there are several kittens and the mother is not there, bring the whole litter.
- Cold to the touch (ears, belly, paws), limp, or barely reacting when picked up.
- Not trying to nurse or eat, or crying nonstop even when warm.
- Breathing with effort, with an open mouth, or noisily.
- Seizures, or a swollen, painful belly.
- Injured, bleeding, limping, or possibly hit or attacked.
- Flies, fly eggs (tiny white specks) or maggots on the kitten, around the navel, the anus or a wound. Do not remove them yourself.
- Eyelids still sealed but swollen, bulging, or leaking pus. Do not try to open them.
- Diarrhea or vomiting.
- Covered in fleas, with pale or white gums.
One is enough. You do not have to work out which of these matters most. If one of them speaks to you, go. If you are unsure, call anyway: triage is our job, not yours. Outside our hours a 24/7 emergency centre answers, and describing the situation on the phone commits you to nothing.
And if the kitten's eyes, already open, are glued shut with crusts or running, or the kitten is sneezing with a runny nose: this does not wait until tomorrow. Call us during our opening hours, and outside our hours a 24/7 centre. Do not force the eyelids open or put anything in the eyes.
An adult cat that is injured or acting strangely: keep your distance, and see An adult cat.
Three questions, in order
Answer in order. None of the answers means everything is fine, and a warning sign (the list at the top of the page) always takes you back to question 2.
Is it a kitten or an adult cat?
- An adult cat: do not pick it up. See An adult cat.
- A kitten: question 2.
Is the kitten showing a warning sign, or in danger? Danger means a road, a construction site, a dog, rain, freezing cold.
- A warning sign: go now, calling on the way.
- Danger, but no warning sign: see Is the mother around?
- Neither: question 3.
Is the mother looking after them? Even if you cannot see her: clean, plump, warm, asleep in a pile.
- Yes, or you cannot tell: step away and watch from a distance. See Is the mother around?
- No, or she has not come back in time: pick them up, warm them, call. See Warmth first and Who to call.
Is the mother around?
The mother may be off finding food, hiding from you, or moving her litter one kitten at a time. For a healthy kitten, the place to be is with her.
Watch from a distance, out of sight
As long as you are there, she will not come back: move out of her sight, and check back now and then. Proanima, Montreal's animal services, advises calling if the mother has not come back after 5 hours. If it is cold or raining, or the kitten's eyes are still closed, do not wait that long.
When not to wait
The kittens are dirty, thin, cold or wet, or crying nonstop; it is raining or very cold; the mother is dead nearby. Pick them up, warm them, call. If the nest is in a dangerous spot (road, construction, dog) but the kittens are fine, call Proanima before moving the litter; if the danger is immediate, move it to shelter close by, where the mother will find it.
A kitten that hisses and runs away is frightened: do not chase it, and do not pick it up bare-handed; call Proanima.
If the mother is there
Keep the family together: the kittens need their mother until at least 8 weeks of age. Report the litter to Proanima, which checks whether the cats belong to someone and, if not, points you toward spaying, neutering and adoption. And do not feed them outdoors (see the FAQ).
Warmth first, food second
Without the mother, a very young kitten cools down fast: they cannot keep themselves warm yet. And a cold kitten cannot digest: food can come back up and go into the lungs.
Warming gently
- If the kitten is wet, dry them right away by rubbing gently with a dry towel. No bath, even if the kitten is dirty.
- A box or a carrier, lined with a soft towel.
- A plastic bottle of hot (not scalding) water, or a hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel, on one side of the box only, so the kitten can move away from it. Never against the skin.
- Check often: the heat should stay gentle, and a weak kitten may not have the strength to move away, so never leave them alone with it.
Nothing by mouth, then a call
No milk, no water while the kitten is cold. Once they are warm, call before feeding: what is right depends on age and condition, and we will tell you whether the kitten should be seen first. A kitten found cold needs to be seen, even if they seem better once warm.
Never cow's milk
Not whole, not watered down, not goat's milk either: it is not right for a kitten and often causes diarrhea, which dehydrates them very fast. A very young kitten needs a kitten milk replacer, a formula made for kittens (never baby formula), sold in pet stores, and never drinks lying on their back. Around 4 to 5 weeks, a kitten already eating on their own can have kitten wet food and water.
At night, when everything is closed
A very young kitten cannot go through the night without eating. If we are closed, keep the kitten warm and call a 24/7 centre: say it is an unweaned kitten found tonight, and ask whether to bring them in now. Describing the situation commits you to nothing. In the morning, call us and report the kitten to Proanima.
How old is the kitten?
These milestones give you an idea of age; the exam narrows it down.
An adult cat: leave it, report it or take it in
A cat outdoors is not necessarily lost: many have a home close by, and others have lived outside for years.
Three cases
Do not grab
Even a gentle cat scratches and bites when frightened: never take a cat by force, and do not push it into a carrier. Call Proanima, which can come to pick it up.
What about rabies?
Raccoon rabies is spreading in the Montérégie region, south of Montreal; in 2026, a stray cat from that region was infected. Bat rabies, a different form of the virus, is present in every region of Quebec, Montreal included (Québec.ca, situation as of October 8, 2026). The Quebec government asks people to avoid approaching, touching or feeding an unfamiliar animal, even one that looks harmless. If a cat or kitten bites or scratches you: Info-Santé, at 811, as soon as possible.
If you bring them home
A found animal can carry parasites, ringworm or a virus without showing it: they share nothing with your pets until the exam says when they can.
- A separate room, door closed, with their own litter box, bowls and blanket; no contact with your cats or dogs, not even under the door.
- Wash your hands after touching them and after cleaning the litter box. Patches of hair loss with crusts can be ringworm, which spreads to people: avoid cuddling the animal against you.
- Anyone pregnant or with a weakened immune system should not care for a found cat or kitten themselves: someone else handles them and does the litter box, and they talk to their doctor.
The exam
Call before coming in and tell us the animal was found outdoors: we will tell you how to come in, to protect the other cats. We examine them, and we decide together which tests are worth doing before any contact with your pets: checking for parasites, and testing for feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), see Feline viral disease screening. A first negative test may need to be repeated: introductions come when the exam says so (Introducing a new cat).
Give no home medications
Fleas, runny eyes: you want to do something. Cats are a species apart: their liver does not detoxify like ours, or like a dog's, and several utterly ordinary products kill them.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Fatal to cats, even a single tablet. There is no safe dose. If they swallowed any, it is an immediate emergency.
Ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), aspirin.
Toxic: digestive ulcers, kidney damage. Never a human anti-inflammatory, for any reason.
Dog flea products.
Several contain permethrin, a violent poison for cats (tremors, seizures). Never a "for dogs" product on a cat, even a small amount, and watch the cat who rubs against a freshly treated dog.
Flea shampoos, powders and collars, over-the-counter dewormers, essential oils.
None of these on a found kitten before the exam: many are not suitable at that age, and cats tolerate essential oils poorly.
Leftover prescriptions, another animal's medication.
Never without a veterinarian's go-ahead: what relieves a dog can kill a cat.
If they swallowed or licked a product, it is an emergency: call us during our opening hours, and when we are closed, a 24/7 centre. First steps by product: Toxic foods and dangerous plants.
Who to call in Montreal
Checked on October 9, 2026 on montreal.ca and proanima.com; when in doubt, 311 will point you in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions
If I touch the kitten, will the mother reject them?
Can I give the kitten cow's milk, even watered down?
How can I tell if a cat has a family?
I want to keep the cat. What do I do first?
A stray cat or a kitten scratched or bit me. Am I at risk of rabies?
Am I allowed to feed a stray cat in Montreal?
How can I help a stray cat get through the winter?
Also worth reading
Updated October 16, 2026
Worried about a kitten you found?
A kitten goes downhill fast and does not always show it. Call us during our opening hours, and when we are closed, a 24/7 centre.