2011: Year of the Cat
2011 has been declared “Year of the Cat” by Care for Cats, a broad network of cat welfare advocates that includes the CFHS. We’ll use this year as a focal point to bring attention to what governments, animal welfare organizations and individuals can do to improve the lives of Canada’s millions of cats.
Let’s make 2011 the beginning of the end to the homeless cat crisis!
The biggest problem that threatens cats in Canada is homelessness. Cats are a domesticated species that need human care to survive and stay healthy — especially during cold Canadian winters. But every year, the population of homeless cats grows, and more and more cats flow into already crowded animal shelters. It is estimated that less than half of cats admitted to shelters are adopted. The majority are euthanized. Many never make it to a shelter, and die painful deaths outside.
The homeless cat crisis affects nearly every community in Canada, urban and rural.
To learn more about the homeless cat crisis, what fuels it, and why it’s so hard to solve, click here.
More than one way to SAVE a cat
The good news is that every Canadian can take action to save cats’ lives. To re-phrase an old anti-feline saying, there is more than one way to save a cat. Here are six:
- Adopt. Adopt a cat from an animal shelter or animal rescue group. Remember: kittens are cute, but adult cats are the ones whose lives are most at risk.
- Foster. Give a temporary home to a cat in need by volunteering to foster cats or kittens for your local humane society, SPCA or cat rescue group. By fostering, you save two lives: one of the cat you foster (who might not have survived in the stressful shelter environment), and one of the animal who benefits from an extra space freed up in the shelter.
- Spay or neuter your cat. Help cut off cat overpopulation at the source. If your cat isn’t spayed or neutered, ask yourself: can you guarantee that each and every kitten your cat might produce will end up in a secure, permanent home?
- ID your cat. Even indoor cats can escape and end up lost. By giving your cat permanent identification like a microchip and a tag with your address and contact information, you dramatically decrease the risk that she could become lost and never found.
- Donate money, supplies or your volunteer time to humane societies, SPCAs or cat rescue groups. Your contribution will help these groups rescue, spay, neuter and find permanent homes for more cats.
- Advocate for cats by writing letters to your local government representatives. Ask them to pass by-laws that encourage or require residents to register, ID and spay or neuter their cats. Local governments can also prohibit residents from letting cats roam outdoors, keeping cats (and birds) much safer.
To download a pdf copy of this list, click here.
Please forward it, post it online, print copies, and distribute or post them in public places to help raise awareness of the stray cat crisis and its solutions!
More resources
For cat owners and owners-to-be
Follow the link above for resources that cover topics like helping a new cat adapt to your household, understanding your cat’s scratching behaviour and keeping your cat safe and happy indoors.
For humane societies and SPCAs
Check out this page for resources on keeping cats happy and healthy in shelters, increasing adoptions, using volunteer fosterers to increase capacity, advocating for cat-friendly municipal by-laws, spay-neuter initiatives and more.
For those who want to help feral cats
“Feral” means a cat who was born as a stray and has never been socialized to humans. Increasingly, caring people are learning how to help these vulnerable cats survive outside while also having them spayed or neutered, to halt the vicious cycle of overpopulation.
