A microchip in every cat: A good plan to cut down on strays

Dogs are truly our best friends. They’re often the member of the family that is happiest to see us when we return home. You get the feeling your dog would be with you all the time, if it were possible.

They’re a big enough part of our lives that it only makes sense that we would register them and buy a licence every year. But what about cats? Whoever it was who first said: “Dogs have owners, but cats have staff ” got it absolutely right.

Many cats are free spirits who regard their owners as lucky beneficiaries of their occasional affection.

They turn up their noses at the food you put out, and walk away when you try to pet them.

Have you ever let a cat outside, only to see it meowing mournfully a moment later to be let back in? And then it takes a sip of water and jumps on top of the book you’re reading so that you’ll get up and let it out again.

But even though the bond may be more tenuous with cats than with dogs, it’s not a bad idea that cat owners should have to get licences for them, the same as they do for dogs.

The idea has been suggested by Kitchener Coun. Frank Etherington, and it makes sense.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society, which provides animal control services locally, has been dealing with soaring numbers of unclaimed cats. Earlier this month, it was sheltering 158 cats even though it has room for only 105.

Very few of those cats are ever claimed by their owners. Less than 12 per cent of cats at the Humane Society are claimed, compared to about 62 per cent of impounded dogs.

“We’ll get cats in here that are beautiful” and obviously well cared for, said Kathrin Delutis, executive director of the shelter. “You know they’re owned, but nobody claims them.”

Delutis said that may be because people place less value on cats than dogs.

Meanwhile, the shelter has struggled financially the past few years. As part of the negotiations around that situation, the City of Kitchener agreed to an 89 per cent increase in the fee it pays the shelter for animal control.

Starting in 2018, that fee will be almost $630,000 a year, up from just over $330,000.

Etherington said he was “shocked” to see “the massive amount of money” that the city spends on the needs of animals when there are other priorities like helping low-income residents.

Certainly, it makes sense all around that people who acquire pets should contribute to a greater part of the cost of making sure they are safe.

Plenty of other cities already require that cats be licensed. The City of Calgary is one. Toronto, Peterborough, Stratford, Ottawa and Sudbury are a few of the others. Guelph has a voluntary $25 cat licence which will become mandatory in 2018.

Kitchener council hasn’t yet discussed this issue. There is usually a public outcry when cat licences become mandatory.

The Humane Society officials are suggesting an alternative, which is to get the cats microchipped. Owners would pay about $20 for this and it would be just once, not every year.

The chip, about the size of a grain of rice, goes between the cat’s shoulder blades. It will allow officials to identify the owner and cut down on shelter costs. It’s less of a financial commitment than a dog licence, but still recognizes the owners’ responsibility.

It’s an eminently sensible idea, one that Kitchener council should start discussing right away.