By Anna Piekarski
The Ottawa Humane Society is providing veterinary care for the pets of low-income residents as part of a new educational program aimed at reducing the city’s stray cat population.
“When you’re concerned about feeding your children, you can’t afford to pay a vet. The high cost of keeping a pet is one of the main reasons they are surrendered,” says Sharon Miko, an outreach manager at the humane society.
The humane society began providing training and vet care to residents living in the housing project on Heatherington Road after they were told there was a stray cat problem in the area.
“They don’t have the funds to get their pets vaccinated or spayed or neutered, and the population gets out of hand,” says Carolyn St-Denis, the housing support worker who contacted the agency.
St-Denis says she was concerned about the growing animal population, because many residents would give their cats to a friend if they couldn’t look after them. As a result cats changed owners frequently and many strays were wandering in and around buildings.
Around 300 people live in the homes St-Denis manages, and she says most pet owners can’t afford to feed their animals. Consequently, they are forced to give them up.
The humane society decided to run a clinic for the residents. In March, four workshops were offered for 20 pet owners.
Participants have to attend three of the four sessions, and upon completion of the program, the animal is spayed or neutered, receives vaccinations and is identified with a microchip.
The full cost of these services is subsidized by the Humane Society.
Miko says attendance at the clinics has been excellent, but the ultimate success of the program will be determined if the number of stray cats decreases.
Stray cats are a problem across the city and large groups of the animals are living in wild colonies in the community, says Linda Anderson, manager of enforcement and inspection for the city’s bylaw services department.
Anderson says one of the most well-known wild cat colonies is on Parliament Hill, but there are many others wandering in the city, including a few in Centretown.
Anderson says many animals in these colonies are sick, and even diseased.
Miko says the society decided to run the educational program because they declared 2005 the Year of the Cat, so are trying to raise awareness about cat-related issues.
Miko says many people believe cats are strong animals that can survive in the wild, fall from balconies and never get hurt. She says this is not true. Cats should be kept inside and should be leashed if taken outdoors.
Miko says owners who have participated in the program are very enthusiastic about the training they have received, and the Humane Society hopes to run two similar clinics later in the year.
She says women and youth would be targeted in the next programs.