Animal advocates declare 2011 “Year of the Cat”, vow to make this year beginning of the end to Canada’s stray cat crisis
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
January 5 / Ottawa – 2011 has been declared “Year of the Cat” by Care for Cats, a network of Canadian cat welfare advocates that includes the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS). Throughout 2011, the CFHS and other collaborators such as shelters, animal services, vet clinics and retailers will deliver educational messages and events across Canada to bring attention to the major problems facing cats. The biggest problem of all? Stray cat overpopulation.
“Many people do not realize it, but when it comes to cat overpopulation and the resulting burden on animal shelters, municipalities and communities, Canada is in crisis,” says Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien, a veterinarian and spokesperson for Care for Cats. “The nation’s animal shelters are overflowing with abandoned, lost and feral cats. Every year tens of thousands of healthy cats and kittens are euthanized because there are not enough homes for all of these cats.”
Coincidentally, a new documentary exploring Canada’s cat overpopulation crisis, called “Cat Crazed”, is set to premiere on CBC Television’s Doc Zone this Thursday, January 6 at 9:00 pm, and will re-run on CBC News Network Friday and Sunday. The CFHS urges Canadians to watch the film to gain a better understanding of the stray cat crisis – and the solutions.
The Year of the Cat campaign will also promote a higher level of care for the 8.5 million cats living in Canadian homes. A study conducted in 2008 found that less than half of these cats received annual veterinary care and regular vaccinations. Less than 25 per cent had permanent identification.
“The message we need to get to the public is not only about the importance of spaying and neutering cats as a means of population control,” concludes Dr. O’Brien. “We also have to try to change attitudes about the intrinsic value of cats in our society. In a nutshell, we need people to start treating cats like dogs!”
The CFHS and other Care for Cats partners will promote theme weeks and months throughout 2011, including:
- May: The PURRfect month for cat awareness and adopt-a-thon
- Sept. 23 to Oct. 2: Cat ID Week (focus on permanent identification, licensing and registration)
- December: Hoping for Fur-ever Homes adopt-a-thon
For background information on the problems facing cats and what all Canadians can do to help save cats’ lives, see the CFHS website at /athome/2011_year_of_the_cat/
For more information:
- Care for Cats contact: Dr. Liz O’Brien, Committee Chair – 905-570-4145, drliz@careforcats.ca
- CFHS contact: Lori Waller, Communications Coordinator – 613-224-8072 ext. 12, info@cfhs.ca
About the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) – The CFHS is the national voice of humane societies and SPCAs. Since 1957, it has worked on behalf of its member societies to educate Canadians about animal welfare and advocate for the humane treatment of animals in communities, on the farm, in the lab and in the wild. www.cfhs.ca
About Care for Cats (CFC) – CFC is a long-term project that will increase the value of owned, homeless and feral cars in Canadian communalities. CFC has a model of ‘free of charge’ distribution of impactful public education programs and support materials that can be used by anyone working in the companion animal industry, including shelters and rescue organization, municipalities, pet stores, veterinarians and more. One purpose of the initiative is to encourage community collaboration across all industry sectors; providing accurate resources; and the collection and evaluation of national metrics to measure success. www.careforcats.ca
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