Two weeks after adoption blitz SPA again swamped with cats
Just two weeks after an aggressive campaign saw a record number of cats adopted from the SPA Estrie, the organization’s shelter is full once gain.
"Just as we were beginning to catch up, we unfortunately got sent back to square one," says SPA communications officer Cathy Bergeron. “In less than a month, we have actually reached our full capacity once again; More than 210 cats are currently in the shelter and 50 per cent of these are animals voluntarily abandoned for various reasons." Leading among those reasons are too many pets in one household and unwanted litters.
Bergeron says that Estrie SPA staff sometimes admits that they are discouraged. "After years of arguing about the importance of thoughtful adoption and sterilization of feline companions, we feel that the situation is not improving. It's time for people to take responsibility for their pets," she insists.
"For example, when you adopt, it is for the entire life of the animal and endof-life is approaching, you follow through and go to a veterinarian and don’t abandon the animal in a refuge."
As for the problem of overpopulation, Bergeron explains that it is important to consider it as a whole. "Treated on a strictly individual basis, we can’t actually see where there is a problem. One, two or three cats abandoned at the shelter, what difference can it make? But when several people think the same way and don’t try to find alternatives to our shelter, the situation becomes dark. The addition of all these cats, which, moreover, are not sterilized on arrival, forces us to live in an endless state of starting over. In addition, how many litters did these cats produce before they ended up at the shelter? And how many of their offspring will find themselves here, in turn? Having a large population of unsterilized cats only perpetuates the problem."
Bergeron says that the solution to the problem of overpopulation is simple the sterilization of cats. "The more cats that are sterilized, the fewer will be abandoned and ultimately euthanized. People know this already and it is up to each of them to sterilize their cat, whether male or female. But as long as mentalities don’t change, the problem will remain."