They’re calling it a cat crisis.
“We literally can’t take any more in,” said Terra MacLean with Second Chance Animal Rescue Society.
Still, the phones are ringing daily and the emails don’t stop.
“‘I found a cat – I don’t know what to do with it.’ Well, we don’t know either,” she said.
Cats can have litters multiple times a year, often producing more than half a dozen kittens each time.
“There’s an explosion to the cat population because most cats cycle at the same time, therefore most cats have their litters at the exact same time,” MacLean explained.
“You don’t fix the cat, the cat goes outdoors, the cat automatically causes a litter of kittens, boy or girl.”
The problem isn’t unique to Edmonton, in fact, rescue groups are used to seeing the population boom twice a year. But this summer, that’s been coupled with fewer adoptions.
“Right now we have over 500 cats at our facility,” said Jocelyn Wady with the Edmonton Humane Society. “So what that means for us is we cannot take in any healthy stray cats or any owner-surrendered cats at this time.”
“Just because of the sheer numbers, we can’t give the best possible care,” said Corey Mowles – also from the Edmonton Humane Society. “They’re here for a longer time and chances are they might get sick.”
Even foster homes are full to the rafters. Volunteers, like Cecilia Yaworski, have opened their doors to cats they don’t really have room for.
“I’m already having my own four guys, so I’ve got my max number of pets at home,” she said.
But she doesn’t want to see cats turned away at a dangerous time of year.
“We’re heading into winter and this is the biggest concern. You will have animals that are outside that will perish because of the change in the temperature,” Yaworski said.
The solution is two-fold. The cats need good homes, but they also need to be fixed. The cost is generally between $60 and $90, with subsidies for low-income families.
“Yeah, it’s nice to have a free kitten, but be a responsible pet owner and take that free kitten and get him fixed,” Yaworski said.
Cat lovers say spaying and neutering can also be better for the pet.
“A fixed cat is more likely to stay at home than an unfixed cat because they go out looking to make babies,” MacLean explained.
It’s not just pet cats contributing to the issue. Mousing cats on farms or industrial properties have litters too.
“We have barn owners that started out with a few cats and now they have 30 – we can’t take that many,” MacLean said.
Feral cats also add to the population.
Some rescues, like Little Cats Lost, capture the wild cats, take them to the veterinarian for a checkup and to be fixed, then put them back out where they found them. The process is called trap-neuter-release.
Yaworski started volunteering to help stray cats 10 years ago, when she heard about a feral colony in a southeast industrial zone.
When she started working with Little Cats Lost to fix the wild cats, there were around 300 there.
Now, a decade later, Yaworski said many of the colonies have died off – as no kittens are being born to replace ageing cats.
“From my perspective, the trap-neuter and release program actually does work,” she said.
Yaworski said she hopes the city does more to promote and fund the program, which currently runs solely off donations and the good will of volunteers.
“It’s impossible to keep taking animals and euthanizing them. That is not a solution to the cat population.”
If you find a cat or kittens, you’re asked to care for them until space is available at shelters or foster homes.
Groups like Second Chance will provide free food and litter – but they’re also looking for donations and volunteers.
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