Three abandoned cats, found in crates placed alongside a road in the North Okanagan, are available for adoption after being rescued.
The Okanagan Humane Society says a daughter and her dad were driving in Vernon when they spotted the three crates. Each one contained a cat: a black and white female, a male tabby and a male with long, white fur that was matted.
“It’s hard to say how long these helpless cats had been waiting to be saved, but their crates were in bad shape, so it is believed it was a while,” said the Okanagan Humane Society, a volunteer and non-profit group.
The cats were first brought to the BC SPCA in Vernon, but were turned away as the branch permanently closed on Nov. 17 due to safety concerns with the building.
The cats were then brought to the Okanagan Humane Society, which has foster homes throughout the valley.
One of the crates had a note attached, saying the black and white female “has a heart murmur. Please take care of my cats.”
All three cats were taken to a local veterinary clinic in Vernon and were vaccinated, dewormed and microchipped. The long-haired cat also got a haircut.
It was discovered that all three had been previously fixed.
“This is something we are seeing more and more in our communities: animals being abandoned, left behind or dumped,” said Romany Runnalls, volunteer president of the Okanagan Humane Society.
“Thankfully, these animals were safely contained, and presumably left by their owner to be hopefully found and cared for. We don’t know if they also tried to take them to the (SPCA) shelter that week.”
The cats — now named Alex, Minnie and Scramble — are currently at a foster home in Kelowna, awaiting adoption.
At any time, OHS says it will have 100 to 200 animals in foster homes, and that it has helped spay or neuter more than 27,000 since its inception in 1996.
“While we may never know their story, we suspect that their abandonment was a result of a possible eviction or moving and not being able to find housing for their family (including their animals), or some other crisis,” Runnalls said.
“Sadly, this is becoming more and more common across the valley, with an inflationary economy and desperate housing shortage.”
Runnalls noted that OHS helped rescue more than 1,500 local animals in 2022 — a record year — and that 2023 is on pace for even more.
She added that the average cost per animal rescue is approaching $400.
Also, Runnalls said it’s only been a week since the SPCA shelter closed, and OHS is already receiving more calls for help.
“There is a huge service gap in the North Okanagan for other (animal rescue groups) like OHS to fill,” Runnalls said.
More information about the Okanagan Humane Society, including how to adopt or donate, is available online.