FAQ cats

When you find a cat and you are not sure if the cat has a home, it is important to first check if the cat is microchipped. You can have this done at the veterinarian and at the animal shelter. Here at DreamCATchers, we can also read the chip of found cats. 

When the cat is microchipped, the cat can be returned to its owner. If the cat is not microchipped, the cat may be taken in by the animal shelter. 

You can also start your own search for the owner by putting up posters in your neighborhood. Not every owner has their cat microchipped, although this is legally required.

If you have questions about street cats in your area, you can contact various organizations. Local authorities such as those of the City of Ghent have a special information line where you can ask questions about specific topics that concern you, including the street cat policy. Through the contact form of Gentinfo you can ask a specific question.

We never directly take in street cats ourselves. The cats we have in our home come either from Animal Shelter Ghent, Cat Seeks Home of Catpower. 

The animal shelter will only take in street cats if they are found in the public domain or cause a nuisance on the public road. In some cases, the animal shelter also takes in house cats that are in a crisis situation. 

The animal shelter will never take in street cats that are on private property. Individuals can borrow traps from the animal shelter to catch stray cats on private property and bring them to the veterinarian for sterilization. In this last case, it is intended that the stray cats are returned to the private property.

In addition to the animal shelter, cats are also caught by the green service cats . Cats are only caught in cooperation with the caretaker who voluntarily feeds street cats weekly. They are then returned to the location where they were caught. Feeding street cats in the public domain is only allowed if you possess a feeding pass.

If the green service receives a report for catching stray cats, but there is no known regular caretaker, the citizen is referred to the animal shelter. This is usually the case when cats are being fed on private property, whether intentionally or not, by (neighborhood) residents.

Just like with questions about the street cat policy, you can also go to the Gentinfo point. 

For reporting urgent and dangerous situations or cases where the owner is not known, it is advisable to always contact the police . Additionally, animal abuse and neglect (e.g. offering cats and dogs for sale via social media, purchasing sick animals from licensed breeders, and animal abuse in homes, fairs, shelters, zoos, ...) can also be reported via an online form from the Flemish Government.