The BC SPCA is currently overwhelmed with cats and kittens in dire need of a home. (Kendra Crighton / News Staff)
BC SPCA overwhelmed with cats, kittens in need of a home
A large number of cruelty investigations as well as the normal “kitten season” are to blame
While it may be the dog days of summer, it is the cats that need the attention.
The BC SPCA is currently overwhelmed with cats and kittens in dire need of a home.
BC SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk says this is always a busy time for the organization, but this summer has been particularly busy. “In addition to the usual” kitten season “when hundreds of abandoned and unwanted kittens are taken into our care, we have responded to a record number of atrocity investigations that have included cats and kittens frequently,” she says.
ALSO READ: BC SPCA offers a tour of outdoor cat enclosures known as “Catios”.
Chortyk says that when cats come out of neglected situations, they often need extensive behavior changes and grooming before they are ready for adoption, which means animals are in SPCA care for much longer. “We face the challenge of finding space in our facilities and creating foster homes for other cats,” she says.
ALSO READ: BC SPCA cuts the cost of adopting a cat in half
The BC SPCA currently has 1,283 homeless cats – 485 adult cats and 798 kittens – across the province. Last year the SPCA took 9,649 cats and kittens into new homes.
“Many of our shelters across the province are under overwhelming pressure to take in more animals in need,” Chortyk urges people to visit their local SPCA office or view adoptable animals online at adopt.spca.bc.ca .
The BC SPCA also reminds pet owners to spay and neuter their pets to stop pet overpopulation.
kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
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