Neighborhood cats: discover and report cats near you

Neighborhood cats are part of daily life in many streets and buildings.

With HoodCat, you can see cats in your area, share sightings, and help the community understand which cats live outdoors, which have a home, and which might be lost.

HoodCat is a community app available on iOS, Android, and the web, built to connect neighbors around a shared goal: looking after neighborhood cats and helping animals.

What is a neighborhood cat?

A neighborhood cat is a cat that is regularly seen in a specific area:

• a street
• a building
• a block
• a park or courtyard

It can be:

• a pet with an owner who roams freely
• a cat fed by several neighbors
• a known stray in the area
• or sometimes a lost cat

Identifying neighborhood cats helps avoid confusion and enables quick action when an animal disappears or seems in trouble.

See neighborhood cats on a local map

HoodCat lets you view reported cats around you on a local map.

You can:

• check recent sightings
• see where a cat is regularly observed
• recognize cats already known in the area
• avoid reporting the same animal multiple times

This local approach helps neighbors coordinate and build a shared memory of the area.

Smart cat detection and matching

HoodCat highlights cat recognition to make reports faster and more useful.

When you submit a photo, HoodCat can detect the cat in the image and compare it with nearby sightings.

This helps:

• reduce duplicate reports for the same cat
• surface possible "already seen" matches quickly
• focus local efforts on cats that are truly new or potentially lost

The goal is simple: better local decisions, with less noise, in less time.

Report a cat you see in your neighborhood

If you often see a cat near your home, you can report it easily on HoodCat.

A helpful report includes:

• a photo of the cat
• the precise location (street, area, neighborhood)
• how often you see it
• visible details (color, collar, behavior)

This helps neighbors know whether the cat is already known, belongs to someone, or might be lost.

Note: reporting a neighborhood cat does not mean it is lost, it helps clarify its situation.

Tell the difference between a neighborhood cat and a lost cat

One of HoodCat's main benefits is helping to distinguish a neighborhood cat from a lost cat.

A lost cat often:

• appears suddenly in an area
• seems disoriented or meows a lot
• hides or follows people
• does not match known cats in the area

Thanks to existing reports, neighbors can quickly confirm "this cat is known" or "we've never seen it here".

This distinction helps act fast when a cat really needs help.

A local community to help cats

HoodCat is powered by neighbors and animal lovers.

By using the app, you help:

• better protect outdoor cats
• avoid unnecessary alerts
• reunite lost cats faster
• strengthen local support

Every report, even a simple one, improves information quality for the whole neighborhood.

Available on iOS, Android, and the web

HoodCat is available:

• on iOS
• on Android
• directly in a web browser

The app is designed to be:

• easy to use
• fast
• secure
• adapted to local use

You can browse neighborhood cats or post a report in just a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions about neighborhood cats

Is a neighborhood cat necessarily abandoned?

No. Many neighborhood cats have a home but roam freely. Reporting is mainly to inform others.

Should I report a cat I saw only once?

If you saw it only once, it's not required. If it comes back regularly, reporting becomes useful.

What if a cat seems injured or in danger?

In that case, contact a local animal organization or a veterinarian, and inform your neighborhood via HoodCat.

Can I report a cat even if I don't know the owner?

Yes. HoodCat is designed to share sightings, even when the cat's origin is unknown.

Conclusion

Neighborhood cats are part of local life. By observing them, reporting sightings, and sharing information, neighbors can live alongside them and act quickly when there's a problem.