Dog's life for tens of thousands of feral cats in Vancouver
Spay and neuter program to raise awareness of issue
Herding cats may be near impossible, yet volunteers still managed to trap and transport a record number of pussycats to the B.C. SPCA for its annual free clinic for feral and unowned felines.
In all, 100 cats were spayed or neutered Sunday by volunteer vets and veterinary technicians at the SPCA hospital on East 7th Avenue.
“These are cats that would never have seen a veterinarian and could have had 1,000 unwanted kittens,” Dr. Jamie Lawson, chief animal health officer for the B.C. SPCA, said.
That’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Metro Vancouver’s feral cat population, which may be in the tens of thousands.
Industrial areas are a prime hot spot for cat colonies, with plenty of hiding spots and a constant supply of mice and rats.
Living outdoors, however, is no picnic.
“Being a feral cat is a very short, brutal life,” Lawson said. “People have this idiotic idea that a cat can survive on its own.
“I’ve trapped cats and I’ve seen the bodies of the young kittens that have starved to death and the mangled adults that have been hit by cars.”
The cats treated at the SPCA clinic were trapped by organizations like the Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue Association, which will release the cats once they complete their recovery.
Lawson hopes the event will raise awareness among cat owners who allow their cats to roam free, or who feed homeless cats in their neighbourhoods.
Feral cats should be trapped and neutered to prevent more unwanted kittens from roaming city streets, Lawson said, while cat owners should keep their own pets indoors.
“People just need to make their friends and family aware that cats belong in homes, not fighting for their lives out on the street,” he said. |
發表於 2011-2-21 07:25
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