Stray cats in Centretown are out in the cold, suffering from poor health and malnutrition. The Hungry and Homeless Cat Rescue, a volunteer-run group dedicated to saving injured stray cats in downtown Ottawa, is urging people to help with what its founder says is an escalating problem.
Strays in Centretown face unique problems because there is less space and more traffic in the urban area, says HHCR founder Valerie Froud, she adds that they risk being hit by cars and they must be competitive for survival.
Froud says that within one particular block in Centretown more than 40 stray cats are currently fighting for survival. Likely, there are hundreds all over Centretown. She won’t disclose the cats’ location for their safety, she says.
Cat adopters echo Froud’s fears. “There are a lot of cruel people in the world and a lot of people who couldn’t give a darn about a cat,” says Sandy Caldwell, who recently adopted three kittens rescued by the HHCR.
Overpopulation appears to be on the rise due to human neglect and cats not being spayed or neutered, she says, adding that economic problems may be leading some pet owners to abandon their cats.
“They were showing up at my doorstep or just in the streets. They’re really everywhere,” she says.
Despite the appearance of population growth, there is no way to calculate the population of strays in a region with any certainty, says Mandy Chepeka, communications manager at the Ottawa Humane Society.
Since she started the rescue organization in 2009, Froud says that her rescue organization has become overwhelmed by calls to take in strays.
The Humane Society has a higher capacity having about 275 cats currently in their care with room to spare, says Chepeka.
They do not, however, actively seek out pets to rescue, says Chepeka; instead they take in strays brought in by members of the public or by bylaw officers.
The HHCR’s website says its goal, at the very least, is to get stray cats healthy and spayed or neutered.
While the HHCR would ideally like to find fosters and permanent homes for the cats, the rescue group is also asking for community donations of products such as cat food, carrying cases and towels, as well as time donations to take a cat to the vet or to host one overnight.
As the weather gets colder, stray cats have a hard time getting water because much of it is frozen, says Froud. In the winter, cats chip their teeth on frozen water or food and the tips of the ears freeze off from frostbite, she adds.
“We had one little sad kitten last winter whose tail probably froze to the road somehow and when she got up it ripped off. It was so badly infected that she had to have her tail amputated,” she says.
Caldwell says she worries rescued cats may seem intimidating to people considering adopting because of the images of injured cats posted online, she says.
To find out more about volunteering, adopting and donations, contact the HHCR at 613-231-6839.