The Ontario SPCA Lennox and Addington Animal Centre in Napanee, Ont., is looking to find a forever home for one of its cats, Ingrid.
The one-and-a-half-year-old white and black cat has mobility issues and will require a dedicated family to care for her.
“Ingrid, we believe, has a genetic issue,” says Centre Manager Esther McCutcheon. “It’s something that vets have not been able to nail down completely and it’s one of those things where, short of a neurological work-up, we may never really know what’s going on with her.”
The special needs cat will need a special person, and that’s not lost on McCutcheon who is currently fostering her.
“She’s been at my home for several months now,” she says. “And it’s one of those things where you remind yourself that giving up the cat will be sad, however, in giving up that cat to someone who can want her for the rest of their lives, that means that I can foster another cat.”
Things are just starting to get back to routine at the Richmond Boulevard location.
“It feels great,” McCutcheon says. “We are back to normal operations now. Folks who want to adopt can make an appointment, they can call us, they can email us and we are also taking animals in from the public.”
The shelter was unable to operate back in January after a number of pipes burst, but the community rallied together to raise over $60,000 to help fix the issues.
“It just makes us feel so wanted and needed in the community,” says McCutcheon. “And it makes us feel so good that when people hear that we’re in trouble and we need some help that they really step up to help us and help these little ones.”
Experts say a connection to animals can be very beneficial.
“Pets increase your feelings of well-being,” says Queen’s University professor Lisa Carver.
“They lower your stress level. Petting an animal, especially one that you deeply love and think of as a family member, can actually help you to live longer, to visit the doctor less often, have a better heart rate, lower stress level.”
Carver says pets are good for people and people are good for pets.
“We don’t want to hoard all the love here, we want to share it with the community,” says McCutcheon.
If you think Ingrid is a match for you, more information can be found here.
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