Why doesn’t Waltham Animal Control have a policy to take stray cats?

Under Massachusetts General Laws, municipalities are only obligated to impound dogs and to hold them for 7 days.  Currently, there is no statutory obligation for municipalities to house cats.  The City of Waltham no longer has a shelter and has contracted out it’s impoundment with the Natick Animal Clinic. 

We do not just pick up "stray" cats, because many people still allow their cats outdoors. Although we wish people would keep their cats indoors due to the many dangers they can face outdoors, there are no laws or regulations requiring it. We can not "cat" nap a healthy stray cat that may belong to another family in the area. Feeding a stray is also going to make it less likely to leave and go home, so please do not start feeding a stray.

If you have a cat that is hanging around and you believe it to be lost, check the Animal Control Facebook page. That is where we will post any reported lost or found cats. You can then post to the Animal Control timeline a picture of the cat, a description of the area it is hanging around, for how long, and a good number to reach you at for anyone that may be looking for the cat.  You can also check The Cat Connection for any reported missing cats. Give us a call when the cat is there and we can attempt to scan the cat for a microchip.

If the cat was hit by a car or appears to be injured or sick, we evaluate it and seek treatment at a vet if necessary.