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How to deal with stray cats in Toronto
Toronto has a significant problem with stray and feral cats, as I've recently learned in a firsthand capacity. Although it's nearly impossible to pin down the population of these animals, some estimates run up to six figures. Until a couple weeks ago, such a number would have struck me as spectacularly high, but now, as my neighbourhood experiences its own stray cat explosion, it doesn't seem so far fetched.
It all started when two sympathetic looking cats started hanging around the house in which my partner and I rent an apartment. At first I would see them only once in a while, but as these street-savvy creatures learned that our multi-tenant home produced some pretty fantastic garbage (an incident with hardly eaten pork ribs comes to mind), I'm pretty sure they set up shop underneath our front porch.
As garbage day came and went, the two cats made more regular appearances at our back door looking for food. For a few days we resisted the urge to feed them. But, sure enough, the sight of these skinny things eventually broke us down and we started giving them some of the "treats" we feed our own cats. This too lasted a short while before we starting buying extra bags of cat food at the grocery store.
This seemed to make everyone happy for a few days. We felt like good solid people, and, judging by how voraciously they devoured the new food, the cats were at least a little less hungry. A few days later, however, things got a bit more complicated. For one thing, leaving cat food outside overnight in an area where raccoon visits are frequent isn't a particularly smart thing to do. Not only do they power through whatever food's in the dish, but they scare the living shit out of the cats -- both stray and otherwise -- in the process.
But beyond the raccoons, the problem with leaving out food is that it can attracts loads of other strays. I naively thought that there were only the two that we'd regularly seen in the area, but since the initial sightings, at least seven others have made an appearance in our backyard.
This presents a number of problems. Having two outdoor cats, one of whom is particularly aggressive, the increased interaction with strays got me worried about fights and the subsequent vet bills. Then there's the cost of the food itself. Given that it's difficult -- both ethically/emotionally and pragmatically -- to feed just one or two, we found ourselves going through food at an alarming rate.
So what to do? Well, to avoid dragging this little narrative out beyond the point of interest, here's are some options. First, we started doing research, which was better late than never, I suppose. Calls were made to the Annex Animal Hospital (our local vet), the Toronto Cat Rescue and the Annex Cat Rescue. Visits were made to Toronto's lost pet listings. Through so doing, we decided that because one of the initial strays that we encountered was very friendly, we could bring it into our home so as to arrange for it to be neuter/spayed.
With the feral/stray population what it is, this is action that the various rescue agencies recommend concerned citizens take. The life of these cats is pretty brutal, especially in the winter, and reducing the possibility of breeding is a humane act. Although the TCR, who we ended up dealing with, can't help with trapping strays, should one be able to do so, they will guide him or her through the process of sterilization and potential adoption.
The little black cat in the lead photo has recently been returned to us after being spayed by a vet recommended by the TCR, and we're now actively looking to find her a home. The cost of doing this was about $260, but only because we hope someone will adopt her as a pet and thus paid for additional services. Included in these costs was the operation, a few days of boarding at the Birch-Dan Animal Hospital, a variety of vaccines, de-worming, the application of flee medication, a test for FIV and Leukemia and a microchip scan just to make sure that this wasn't someone's lost pet. If one is planning to trap/spay-neuter/release, it costs about half that.
Although this doesn't help with the other cats, they have yet to prove friendly enough to attempt such a thing. The tortoise shell cat (also depicted) has steadily warmed up and may prove a candidate for this as well, but that's where we've decided to draw the line. You can't help them all find homes, after all, and the effort already invested in this situation has been considerable.
To manage the increase in stray visits to our yard, we only put out a limited amount of food and fresh water in the morning and resist being too accommodating with new arrivals. This isn't always easy to do, but insofar as it's not currently feasible to trap and spay/neuter them much less find them homes, it seems like the best course of action. There's much debate about whether or not it's a good idea to feed ferals/strays in general, but given that we've started, stopping outright doesn't seem to make much sense.
We've learned the hard way with the stray cats in our neighbourhood, so I post this in the hopes that it might be at least a little helpful to others facing similar situations as the weather gets progressively colder.
Here is a collection of informative links I've consulted over the last couple of weeks.
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Thank you for your compassion towards the animals. Let's face it, humans are probably the cause of such high numbers of strays, who likely were bred for household pets in the first place.
I've seen the wonderful work that the Annex Cat Rescue does in person, and I support them whenever I can. I've also supported several grass roots organizations' work with feral colonies in the city and again, it's awe inspiring.
I sincerely wish that some pet owners would be more responsible. If you are thinking about adopting a cat (or dog), please keep in mind that you are committing yourself to an average of 15 to 20 years for a cat, and slightly less for a dog. This commitment includes spaying or neutering your baby, regular check-ups with a vet (including shots), and giving them the love, shelter and devotion they deserve. If you can't commit to that, please don't adopt.
In a perfect world, all cats would be indoor cats. They stay clean, smell better, get injured or ill far less often, and are generally much more affectionate. I realize that there are those who think their cats are happier when they go outside, but trust me, it's not true.
I currently have 3 beautiful beloved furry monsters. One was adopted from the Humane Society some 17 years ago with her brother (may he rest in peace), along with two others that were adopted from the street. If I had the finances, time, space and more arms for hugs, I'd adopt more. Practicality states that we have a full house.
Please, if you adopt, spay or neuter your baby. As well, I would really like to see a ban on the selling of kittens and puppies at pet stores. One thing both the Humane Society and the OSPCA do well (along with the mentioned other charities) is screen potential owners. When you adopt, you are bringing in a new family member. It's not a diversion, possession or status symbol. It's a living, feeling, loving beastie who deserves your full love and attention and adoption should only be considered if you are willing and able to make that extended commitment.
Two of the male kittens were easy to catch (not to hold onto, however!) and put in the trunk of our car (a box would not hold them), but the 3rd kitten proved elusive, under the deck. The mother was friendly and could have cared less. A resident from the building promised to take in the remaining kitten and the mother.
We took the 2 male kittens home where they still remain today. Our 2 year old female cat is less than amused, but she is tolerating her surrogate motherhood. These two brothers are incredibly cute, even if we have had to nail down or put away everything we own.
The other resident reneged on his promise to take the mother and remaining kitten. After another week of complaints, we tried once again to capture the last kitten. The poor thing was so terrified that when my partner finally cornered it, it literally fainted! By now, the mother was pretty scratched and beaten up from whatever night marauders she had been fending off.
Again, I drove up to the building and had to recapture the kitten from the storage room where my partner had put it and the mother. I had to handle it with leather gloves: the poor thing snarled, snapped and peed all over me. Whatever had happened to it in that final week had mentally damaged it. The mother was more aloof and not in the best of health.
I convinced my sister to take the mother and remaining kitten, if nothing more than to let them recuperate. She already has 3 cats (although one is slowly dying of feline lukemia), 2, 3 year old Golden Retrievers and 4 boys: in a huge house, but a handful nonetheless. She normally has 4 cats: she temporarily has 5 until the one dies.
I am happy to report that the 3rd brother is coming around, playing with the other cats but still scared of my nephews. The mother is affectionate as heck with people, but is scared sh#tless of one of the other female cats my sister has, to the point where my sister is trying to find a home for the mother. I've suggested her getting the cat spayed first, to see if the other female cat backs off (all her cats have been 'fixed,') but she is unconvinced. It breaks my heart to think of the mother and last brother being separated, but I guess that's life.
Despite the bedspread being attacked as I type this, our 2 recent adoptees are fitting in well. They will soon be off to the vet to be neutered, because the one brother has begun humping the other. Ugh.
Farmers used to drown the babies when they found their barn cats had given birth. I guess we've progressed since then, but dealing with an explosion of feral cats is not a cheap proposition. Not everyone can afford to simply take them in. I would never wish for 3 cats, but that's what we have. We live in a condo, so these animals will be forever indoors. I don't understand people who let their cats roam loose. Ours have the run of the balcony and that is it. It's an ugly world out there, with cayotes and racoons in the night - and that's downtown! Cats should never be outdoors, unless you don't want them back.
Just because you don't care about these stray animals doesn't mean that everyone else is heartless as well. Most of the time, these poor animals are in this situation because of humans. I think this is a great article and hopefully people will help out if they can. Hendrix, just because you don't think an animal can contribute anything to your life, doesn't mean that it's a "cool new toy." A lot of people have pets to bring joy, happiness and companionship to their lives. I personally am a better person because of animals.
As a great author says, "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
I really encourage anyone who loves cats to get involved with TCR, or an organization like them.
(for the 2nd time,.... thanks for deleting it the first time BlogTO wimps!)
I am asking because I noticed a similar quotation on the wall at Vancouver's supervised injection site, Insite
My cats spend a lot of their time outdoors, so I'm not too concerned about them, but when winter comes is when I really feel bad for the strays...pretty amazing of them to survive in the freezing cold with obvious sources of food.
IN BAG
BAGS
IN
RIVER
1. "flee medication"
2. "tortoise shell cat"
3. "...we hope someone will adopt her as a pet and thus paid for additional services"
1. "flee medication"
2. "tortoise shell cat"
3. "...we hope someone will adopt her as a pet and thus paid for additional services"
Stop saying that.
If you can find it in your heart (and more importantly pocketbook) to at least get her spayed (you shouldn't have to do all the other tests/procedures), this will guarantee that you won't have kittens from her hanging around outside your home later on...
And thank you for your compassion and what you've already done!
LOL. KIDDDING!!!!!!!!
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