Tens of thousands of cats and kittens in B.C. live outdoors and suffer from illness, injury or starvation, according to the BC SPCA.
Some of these unfortunate felines are strays, former pets living outdoors on their own, and others are feral, never having been socialized and living in colonies, according to Marika Donnelly of BC SPCA Squamish.
Colonies aren’t common in Squamish, because outdoor cats in the district fall prey to predators – usually coyotes – so feral colonies aren’t given much opportunity to establish, Donnelly said.
But there is at least one local feral colony on the Squamish Nation Brackendale reserve, according to Lorrie Cole of the Squamish Neighbourhood Animal Partnership and Protection Society (SNAPPS), a rescue organization run by Squamish Nation members.
Cole said the Brackendale colony is made up of about five or six feral cats.
“We have spent days upon days trapping for trap-neuter-return (TNR) up there near one particular home,” Cole said by email.
“There are more colonies that we have heard about, but have yet to get to them. We are all volunteers… but we do our best to visit, assess the living conditions and then be proactive on calming the colony,” she said.
The TNR method of dealing with feral cats involves capturing the animals, sterilizing and vaccinating, and returning them to where they were found.
According to Cole, TNR helps keep the colony population from ballooning and thus mitigates the issues of illness, injury and death that can occur in a more rampant population.
A feral cat is likely an ancestor of a stray, lost, or abandoned cat that was once a pet.
A female cat can have up to 18 kittens a year, and a kitten can have a litter of its own within a year.
Colonies of feral cats form around available food sources, thus feral cat colonies are found near human activity.
“It has been proven that if a colony is removed, cats from surrounding colonies will and do move in to take advantage of the newly available food and shelter. The cycle of reproduction and nuisance behaviour begins all over again,” Cole said.
TNR is the most effective and humane way to deal with outdoor, ownerless cats, both Cole and Donnelly agreed.
A recently released American survey shows that most people value outdoor cats and 69 per cent agree with using the TNR method also used throughout B.C. to deal with feral and stray cats, according to a BC SPCA news release last week.
But it isn’t cheap to control the cat population.
Even though SNAPPS gets a vet discount, the average cost for one unspayed female is more than $230, Cole said. This includes a laser spay, tattoo for identification, all vaccinations, de-fleaing and deworming.
“Feral colonies are actually more expensive to do because of the extra attention needed. There is no one to look after them once they are returned,” Cole said. “Once they leave our care and are returned, they can survive.”
SNAPPS handled more than 100 cats in 2014.
Cole said SNAPPS does not euthanize cats, unless it has become obvious through medical intervention, that the cat is beyond help.
Donnelly said it is important to know the difference between feral and stray cats. Strays may show interest in human activity, vocalize towards people and may sometimes be approachable, she said. Feral cats on the other hand, usually show no interest in humans, she said.
Feral cats should be left for experts to handle.
Though colonies aren’t common in Squamish, Donnelly said it is still important that pet owners spay and neuter their cats.
“Year after year, we still have many unwanted litters of kittens coming through our doors. We urge the public to spay or neuter their cats before six months of age,” she said.
Squamish Nation members can contact SNAPSS about any stray or feral cat sightings, at 778-384-3226 or by email at [email protected].
To contact the BC SPCA Squamish Valley Branch call 604-898-9890 or email [email protected].
