CBC reports that Lincoln County Humane Society has nothing but empty cages at it shelter on Fourth Avenue in St Catherines. They say that usually the shelter is close to capacity or overcapacity.
The executive director Kevin Strooband agreed that it was “a monumental day”. However, he did remind us that a lot of shelters do have a shortage of cats this winter and that the extraordinary predicament won’t last long since spring is coming and it will be the kitten season.
However, in the meantime the shelter is completely empty (as at February 19 as reported by CBC). Apparently they are bringing in cats from Windsor this week. The Hamilton-Burlington SPCA shelter isn’t completely empty but has about 30 cats at the moment compared to the usual 100.
This may be a trend due to the increased spaying and neutering of pet cats. In 2018 the SPCA adopted out 493 kittens and 440 cats which is a lot less than the year before when 736 kittens and 604 cats were adopted out. For international visitors, Hamilton and St Catherines is just inside the Canadian border at Niagara Falls. Over the border in New York state.
Low cost spay and neuter success
Low-cost spaying and neutering programs appear to be having the desired effect in reducing unwanted cat populations. It appears that more people bring in cats to the shelters for spaying and neutering rather than the shelters spaying and neutering resident cats. For example, in 2016, 2,272 cats were brought in whereas in 2018 the number was 2,989.
It appears that the message about unwanted cats and the necessity to spay and neuter has been received by the cat owning public and they really are bringing them in to be spayed and neutered at discount rates. It is making a difference.
The St Catherines shelter is reaching out to other shelters to take any overflow animals that there may have.
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