Local society seeks help to deal with feline overpopulation
By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor
Photo Courtesy of Michelle Shave
Since the Happy Cat Sanctuary (HCS) was established in 2003, the rate of feral and stray cats has outnumbered the pets being surrendered.
The society took action and managed to trap, neuter and release roughly 30 cats in the downtown to help combat the overpopulation situation. Recently, the situation has supplanted, as a 30 per cent increase in cats being surrendered now has society members and volunteers concerned, where conditions of severe distress and malnourishment are raising red flags over recent months.
With a total of 35 sanctuary cats that are unadoptable, and anywhere from 30 to 50 cats in need of homes, the founders, volunteers and foster homes have reached capacity, resulting in the placement rejection of over 30 cats and kittens since Oct. 1 of this year.
“We are growing and there doesn’t seem to be anything that’s growing with the animal control, and we are doing as much as we can,” said Michelle Shave, co-founder of HCS who literally has a cat living in every room of her house and a facility housing another 30 cats on her private property.
“It’s a constant rotation of cats coming and going. We don’t have unlimited resources. We don’t have enough time and we’re not able to do it all ourselves. So I think the town needs to step up and look at what we’ve started and maybe assist in helping it grow.”
HCS co-owners Shave and Barb Stefanich, along with nine foster homes, two full-time volunteers and four part-time volunteers, are battling an influx of pleas for help. Since Oct. 1, there’s been 26 phone calls requesting the help with 43 cats in total, as well as another 20 emails requesting help with another 26 cats. Since the beginning of the year, the society has also taken in over 75 kittens.
While the Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program has resulted in favourable results in the past, the members question recent economic activity for a surge in Strathmore’s cat population.
“It’s an ongoing problem, it just seems that there have been a lot of people in that area with the campgrounds that there’s been a lot of dumped cats,” said Stefanich. “But we’ve done a lot of TNRs in that area through the campground and the Ag society grounds. We started in 2003. We’ve been very strong on that. We need the community to help us. Number one to spot the wild cat, and number two to help us trap. There aren’t enough of us to trap. To try to get the cat trapped before she has kittens or get her trapped and trap the kittens at six weeks or we can’t tame them.”
Over the years, the society has branched out into Wheatland County, specifically Gleichen, Carseland and Hussar, and has received much-needed support and care from Falconridge Animal Hospital, Sevick Veterinary Services, the Animal Care Centre of Strathmore and Strathmore Veterinary Clinic, which all worked together to provide strays with free examinations and medicine. However, some folks wonder whether Strathmore and surrounding areas need a humane society.
“Before Happy Cat Sanctuary set themselves up, we used to be inundated with cats. Since they started, the number of cats being turned into the vet clinics has drastically dropped,” said local veterinarian Karen Sevick.
“I think (HCS) has done a wonderful job bringing awareness to the community and helping pets, and I think it’ll be a question of are we actually at the point of possibly considering a humane society. That I don’t know, but it would be an interesting endeavour to investigate.”
Besides the need for more foster homes, Stefanich and Shave also want to see the creation of a humane society within the town limits. Yet the Calgary Humane Society is also struggling at capacity with cats, dogs and rabbits. According to Calgary Humane Society Communications Manager Sage Pullen McIntosh, last year they dealt with 5,379 animals.
While expensive veterinary bills, economic hardship and landlords unwilling to allow animals may contribute to the problem, those dealing with the animals ask pet owners to not expect a tamed pet to fend for itself. The Calgary Humane Society will accept any stray animal for free.
“When we started, a lot of the cats that we were helping were wild outside strays. The cats we’re taking in now you can tell that they belonged to somebody at some point and they did not fare well outside; they’re coming in in bad conditions,” said Shave. “All the little communities in Wheatland County are having just as much trouble with cats as Strathmore is, and we can’t do it all.”
Residents are asked to contact the Town of Strathmore regarding any trapped strays to ensure the cat isn’t being missed by a pet owner before being placed elsewhere.
The Happy Cat Sanctuary is run completely by volunteers and relies on monetary donations to cover the cost of food and veterinary bills. Donations can be made at the Red Carrot in downtown Strathmore.
Some of the society’s cats are on display at PetSmart in Sunridge and PetValu in Strathmore. To report a stray, contact a bylaw officer at the Town of Strathmore at 403-934-3133.
For more information or to foster a cat, contact the HCS at happycatsanctuary@gmail.com.