Grappling with Hawkesbury’s cat “crisis”
For
more
information,
visit
possible to the vet’s clinicwhich is about an
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
www.friendsofferalcats.weebly.com.
hour or so away to have the cats spayed or
H AWKESBURY
Funds are needed to cover veterinarian and
neutered, then they have to return by the
feed bills.
end of the day to pick them up and release
The organization replenishes daily about
them once they return home with them.”
About two years after it was formed to
ten feeding stations on approved private
tackle a feline overpopulation “crisis” in
property.Eachstationhasaninsulatedshelter,
Hawkesbury, a group of volunteers is
Dalkeith
built by Groupe Convex with materials
beginning to get a leash on the number of
donated by businesses.
feral cats in town.
Thegroupnotesthatthetrap,spay/neuter,
Todate,about150catshavebeensterilized
celebrates
release system has been recognized as being
and released by the Friends of Feral Cats, “a
the most humane, economical and ultimate
group of highly dedicated volunteers
newsroom@eap.on.ca
solution for controlling the overpopulation
working in collaborationwith the Cornwall
D ALKEITH
of stray and feral cats. Other attempts at
OSPCAtohelpthestrayandferalcatsofour
controllingcatcoloniesfailedsimplybecause
community by trapping each individual
the cats were not sterilized. By spaying the
A $6,800 federal government grant will
homeless cat and have them spayed or
females they no longer come into “heat” and
help the village of Dalkeith celebrate its
neutered in a desperate attempt to help
can no longer give birth to multiple litters of
bicentennial this year.
controltheextremeover-populationofstray
kittens. Neutering the males helps by
“Dalkeith is an important community
and feral cats that has in the past years
eliminating the stress and fights between
witharichhistory.Celebrationssuchasthis
reached a crisis level in the town of
males especially during the mating season
one bring pride to our rural communities
Hawkesbury.”
and it controls odour caused by urine
and I am glad to be contributing to this
Thesterilizationof77maleand70female
marking.
important anniversary,” said Glengarry-
cats in 2009 and 2010 has meant that there
“By controlling the vast amount of non-
Prescott-Russell MP Pierre Lemieux, who
are 500 fewer unwanted kittens in town.
sterilized stray and feral cats, we are helping
announcedthegranttotheDalkeithHistory
The organization hopes that within ten
our community by preventing unwanted
Club. “This funding is a big thing for our
years there will be no feral felines left in
kittensfrombeingbornundersheds,garages,
small town. Dalkeith is 200 years old and
Hawkesbury.Buttoachievethisgoal,several
porches and even inside some buildings and
the celebrations of the bicentennial give us
things must happen. The first is a change in
wood piles. Most kittens that are born in the
a wonderful opportunity to highlight our
attitude, the volunteers say.
wild have to live the life of a feral cat for its
community,ourpeople,andthegreattalent
Obviously, all cat owners must take
entire life,” the group says.
in the area,” points out Club Chairperson
responsibility for their pets by ensuring that
The volunteers were fortunate to find a
Frances Fraser. The celebrations running
they are sterilized, cared for and identified.
veterinarianwho has agreed to provide low-
from April through November, 2011 will
Stricter enforcement of anti-cruelty laws
costspay/neuterservices. “Wedependsolely
feature commemorative activities such as
would send a message to those who falsely
on fund-raising events and donations to pay
re-enactments,presentations,heritagetours
assume that domesticated cats can fend for
for the sterilization services and any other
and musical entertainment by local
themselves. Many of those animals rescued
necessary medical expenses that might be
historicalheritageperformers,artisansand
by the group have been abandoned after
deemed necessary for the health of the cats.
artists, and the unveiling of two
their former owners moved away.
In addition, the Friends of Feral Cats will
commemorative plaques. The Dalkeith
The Friends of Feral Cats also needs to
support a veterinarian’s recommendations
HistoryClubisagrowinggroupofresidents
Submitted photo
continue its sterilization program. To do
committed to the preservation of the rich
for euthanasia of a cat whose health is either
This is one of the 150 feral cats a
that, the volunteers need more members
history of the area. The group takes care of
unrecoverable, in extreme pain or poses
Hawkesbury group has helped since it
and people to adopt cats, give money and
a collection of donated archival documents
immediate jeopardytoothercats.Volunteers
began tackling a feline overpopulation
donateitemsthatcanbeusedinfund-raising
and artifacts.
must transport up to 14 cats whenever
“crisis” in 2009.
events.
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Pour plus de renseignements, communiquez avec Gilles Normand au 613 632-4151.
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