Even reading from this post one can see that no one wishes to work together , then you have one who choose to write a journal confirming with themselves they have done something . Work with one another , learn to communicate with one another . Stop this territory crap and think of the main subject you wish to help . If you choose to write your memoirs then get your own site , there must be at least one out there.
Finally something that makes sense… people get into this territory crap and I agree there must be sites other than this to write memoirs! I will just keep feeding the out door cats and stay out of this because as you say no one wants to work together… seems a common theme with this and other community issues…
I think you are mistaken. Perception however, is a personal thing. The reality is a different story and that does prevail.
The candle light vigil is to show unity.
Did you know many elders are scared to say how many cats they feed? They are afraid the city will come and kill their cats.
I just received a copy of a letter, a lady who is feeding 30 who is on an old age pension.
Other elders have come forward who feed upwards of 45 cats.
This was brought up at council. Neighbours complaining. This is why they are afraid.
How dare we treat our elders this way.
They are not only feeding, but spaying and neutering when they can.
With the aide of other organizations we have been able to help only a handful of those who have been doing this.
We know this is not enough.
This is why we have united. This is why a sanctuary is needed, Pr Rupert is in crisis.
I would not want to be a councillor right now, the opinions on the nay side are so strong and so ignorant in their voices.
If they understood that trap neuter release does work then they would think differently.
In our unity, we are going to work with council. We are going to work with the various businesses in town.
We shall see a beautiful sanctuary built, we shall see change.
Mostly, life …all life should be able to live and die with dignity. This is why we unite.
No cooperation will come from anger, nor dislike of one another.
The movement is going forward now, only because of our joining together.
Please join us as our goal is to help those without voices end suffering.
You guys are just being mean now. This thread is all about education IMHO. The people helping the cats are working together collaboratively and what does it matter if they are organized or not, as long as there is help in some form out there for these poor creatures? For years many people have been doing what they could, out of their own pockets. We all know who we are and we know we aren’t alone. We have always supported each other, used our personal networks to help each other find the families of cats stolen & relocated to some god-forsaken place out the highway, or to find new homes. We have shared our successes & heartbreaks. We help each other where we can. Many times I have come home to find a huge box with selections of food, treats, blankets etc. from someone who is aware of my family’s effort and wants to help. We know that when despite our best efforts, one of our ‘charges’ dies alone, cold & suffering from the neglect and abuse they were subjected to, there are a group of people out there who encourage our discouraged and heartbroken spirits, to go forward & keep helping. Perhaps we don’t make an immediate difference to the entire feral/abandoned feline population, but we do make an immediate difference to one at a time. Perhaps in the process the human starts to evolve as well - this benefits the community. Everything starts with the first step & it starts with just one.
It takes a village to promote change and now the village people are starting to work together in public forums. The SPCA manager has applied for funding & anyone who has been paying approximately $200 per cat for spay/neuter & shots, out of their own pocket, is well aware of the cost and only to happy to support her in a spay / neuter program.
This is not about the human, despite being caused by humans. This is not about any group assuming territory because nothing could be further from the truth. This is about a number of concerned citizens who are dedicated to the cause of educating the public while attempting to control Prince Rupert’s population of feral & abandoned cats. In that process, ensuring they are treated in a safe, compassionate and humane manner. Perhaps along the way, people will start to understand that we started this mess in the first place and now we must step up to the plate. I see it as a chance for our community to evolve in a positive manner - maybe even be a leader - set a positive example, for once.
For clarification, prior to going to the council meeting I approached the various people and organizations involved in rescue here.
I sought advice from many people about our presentation.
In the end, unity was the issue brought forward the most.
As indivudual groups or people, it is much easier to turn one down at the council level.
However as a unified group, this is a different story.
I phoned Nancy and Gunther from the Wildlife Sanctuary and asked if they would stand by our side, she said she would, but she is afraid to leave her cats as somebody is killing them, but she would show her support. I phoned Kim St Pierre but she said no. She stated she pulled away from the public because she had a young child, I had to respect this as this is very very time consuming. We have already joined with the PR SPCA, and this has been a very successful union. As we were going forward not only for their request, they were not going to be present at the council meeting. I phoned Kim once again, 1 hour before the meeting. I do not know the ins and outs of the historical aspect in Rupert which she has been a part of, she finally agreed.
In the future, I am hoping that we all form an affiliation so that a Registered Society can be formed…but that is the future.
People have been posting on here about facts. One fact is this, there is NO proof at all that any cats have been killed at the Wildlife by neighbours or anyone else and I know that to be true. Please do not continue with that gossip as it is upsetting to nancy and Gunther and of no help to the town. Nancy and Gunther are the best people who like to chat but sometimes the stories don’t always ring true but that doesn’t matter as they are two of the most beloved people in this town.There have been threats and that is bad enough. Also, who said the city would come and “kill” the cats and as far as neighbours complaining, I love cats and feed them at variuos sites too, my complaint, the neighbours who let their pet cats out wandering, digging up flowerbeds , peeing in my yard and killing birds. What about their responsibility ?And when I do feed the “strays” I am feeding their cats as well. I agree this town is in a mess with the cats, a sanctuary I don’t think will help , we are not parliament hill.
I’d like to see some of the opposers come up with an alternative suggestion for a solution to this problem. I assure you this is a far cry from an unworthy cause. If you don’t stand with us, at least have the decency to quit wasting everyone’s time by trying to hinder our efforts. I understand people may have concerns and counter arguments, but if your argument is that it is a waste of tax payers money, then your focus needs to be redirected to a multitude of other areas where our money has been thrown away. Obviously ill equipt people have decided to take matters into their own hands by poisoning these innocent animals. This alone should be a sign that we are in need of a proper solution by professionals who know and are passionate about the issue. If you do not see this becoming a crisis then I believe you need to investigate further into the problems this could create for the ecosystem here. The main reason that negligent pet owners get away with what they do is because others turn a blind eye and choose not to be involved. If you are one of those people who ignore the situation, you have no right to complain when nothing is done to seek justice. This may not be an outright solution, but it is a step in the right direction. Justice is not served unless there is a community willing to serve it and by ignoring the issue then you are therefor enabling it. Yes, there are multiple organizations in the area, and infact they do work together at times, but are there also not multiple organizations for children and elderly too ? How about we all rise up a couple levels of maturity and stop bashing each other, then maybe we might get somewhere. And for those of you who dont realize how much hard work and effort goes into this cause, why don’t you stop by and volunteer stop time, I’m sure it will open your eyes.
I agree there are so many irresponsible pet owners who let their unaltered cats wander however, even the responsible people have trouble keeping determined cats, inside. Despite our best efforts to keep the cats inside, they weasel out … they get very creative and run out when you least expect it. Go to get them, they play keep away. We live in an area that has many rentals & non-discriminating landlords. It has turned into a slum so the only gardens are far and few. I’ve come up with safe, creative ways to keep the cats both mine & the neighbors, out of my garden. It takes some diligence but if you are a true gardener, then the steps become part of your gardening routine. Easy Peasy. These are the kinds of things we can use HTMF to discuss - helpful, positive ideas. Putting collars on cats is another difficult issue because some cats lose them (on purpose) as fast as they go on. At $4 a pop, that gets pricey. I don’t like the fact they kill birds and it troubles me greatly but the crows and ravens kill them as well, and it’s not usually a swift death. Mother nature can be ugly.
[quote=“alicek”]The candle light vigil is to show unity.
Did you know many elders are scared to say how many cats they feed? They are afraid the city will come and kill their cats.
I just received a copy of a letter, a lady who is feeding 30 who is on an old age pension.
Other elders have come forward who feed upwards of 45 cats.
[/quote]
That is a friggen problem to be feeding 30 cats as you say. These people have serious issues to be feeding this many. Just put the cats down so they don’t populate anymore. We should have a open pellet gun season on cats in this town. Same thing with the deer, as we should have a bow hunt for deeer.
That is a friggen problem to be feeding 30 cats as you say. These people have serious issues to be feeding this many. Just put the cats down so they don’t populate anymore. We should have a open pellet gun season on cats in this town. Same thing with the deer, as we should have a bow hunt for deeer.[/quote]
Despite trying to educate people, there are always going to be the ignorant that do not want to learn, understand or even try to be helpful. This mentality is why we have the social & feral problems in this community. It keeps our community in the dark ages & heaven knows, we are pretty backwards in many areas. So sad. I am sorry for you. Take good care.
That is a friggen problem to be feeding 30 cats as you say. These people have serious issues to be feeding this many. Just put the cats down so they don’t populate anymore. We should have a open pellet gun season on cats in this town. Same thing with the deer, as we should have a bow hunt for deeer.[/quote]
These people should be commended and confirm the need for a TNR program. Your attitude is very sad … and more than a little troubling.
Unless you are practicing “catch and neuter” please don’t feed the cats. You are just creating a bigger problem and causing more to suffer.
This is one reason elders are afraid to come forward…the other is comments about the person who stated time to pull out the pellet gun!
If there is one place to bring them, then that is where people will bring them.
It is a problem…what would you suggest?
I have the deepest respect for Nancy and Gunther, she is in mourning because she is upset…her favorite cat or cats are missing. She has had threats and is sickened that they have been missing for so long, one is diabetic and needed medication. Ask her yourself if you think this is gossip.
If I had a place to help those people who are feeding those cats I would go and get them, we rescued from here from an elderly gentleman 15 cats, of which 5 gave birth. He would have had 30 cats. He could not afford them, but he could not turn them away either. He truly loved them, knew them all by name, when we rescued them he was adamant about their future, we had to guarantee they would not be euthanized. We did this with the spca.
Elders are afraid as the council has discussed euthanizing before, to solve the problem. I too am an elder, we have been brought up by the rod (most of us) and when the govt speaks or has the stick over us, we are afraid. The younger generation does not understand this about us, we were taught not to speak up and stick our thumbs up at authority. It is hard to explain.
This has become as passionate a topic as a discussion regarding religion. I won’t weigh in on any of the possible solutions as I really have no idea what would be of the most benefit, I leave that to the people in the know and respect that they know what is right. I can appreciate the hard work of all involved. That being said, my main “bugaboo” shall we say, and yes, I know I have posted this many times, is the problem of domesticated cats wandering outdoors. I have 1 that was abandoned by a neighbor and so does my fiance, have one. I have another who is diabetic and they are healthy and happy indoor cats. My neighbor got a kitten a little while ago and let it out, it had been returning home until about three days ago. It is now missing, the little boy has been wandering around crying and calling for it. I read the animal rescue sites and the pain of the owners that have posted as their cats and dogs are missing, a pain that possibly could have been avoided if the cat especially had been kept indoors. I only can hope they find them, it is heartbreaking and needless. As for feeding the cats? We feed them because we are human and have compassion for these poor animals, plain and simple! You say that causes more problems, more cats? I had a wonderful grandmother who used to feed, what back in the day were referred to as hobos. She would feed two, then 4 and so on. They had marked the curb in front of her house to alert others that a good meal could be had there. The difference? We are thinking beings, animals live partially out of habit. Same result, interesting! As for Nancy and Gunthers’ cats, I have visited up there many times and there has always been a cat or two wandering around. Sadly, as they are on the edge of town, I suspect that wolves are closer than in town. They have had threats from ignorant people, yes, but we can’t assume that they followed through. They are deeply hurt, I know, they are awesome people, but as a previous poster mentioned, nature can be cruel. I guess time will tell what happens in Rupert and hopefully as others have mentioned this will not be a topic that causes derision and hate as other issues in this town have. And, I will continue to feed the cats, in spite of what others say!
wow this thread has dragged every “crazy cat lady” or wanna be crazy cat lady out of the wood work.
i cant believe people are actually feeding strays down town. thats not doing to feral/stray population any favors.
i wouldnt mind some strays in my hood cause the nutty neighbour left town with her 2 cats and now the mice population has sky rocketed.
So my next question is or maybe touchie to some and if it is well tough . Someone asked me to check it out , first question : Is there a society and a board ?
Second Question: If there is a Society and if someone donate dollars , is there a tax number where we may recieve something to go towards our taxes ? If there is a board , how many positions are covered as well who are the players ? Where exactly is the Port Edward operation situated if someone cares to visit . Please whoever answers these questions it is important to know these facts. Thank you I look forward to these answers , each and every one .
Sorry cat people, can’t help myself.
We are a society, but a non profit…not a Registered Charity. Therefore no tax receipts.
I have gone over the papers and found them totally intimidating, time consuming and just really really scarry.
My board is really name only, when we went before Pt Ed council we were knocked down over and over and over.
Can’t blame the board.
We are the same as NARA in Terrace, they foster as they have no central location either. I have cats in my porch and living room.
When we went before the district I must admit I was pretty niave in thinking they would let us use the dog pound…no.
So, we foster and help people who foster.
I was folding the group when Val and Gary approached us from Paws & Claws, so here we are again.
My health is not so great and it took much time to convince me, I have had 25 cats in my porch and living room.
REally good for relationships, and I was so run down I had bronchistis for 2 months, I could not find anybody to foster for me.
That showed me how badly this is needed.