Every year around this time it seems that more and more cats are getting dumped out at Rainbow Lake.
So far I have trapped a few and taken them to the SPCA and adopted one of them. Two days ago lo and behold another cat showed up at the doorstep. He was a beautiful smoky color and looked pretty healthy. I ended up taking him to the wildlife shelter, the only place that would take him and they generously lent me a cat cage to get him with. I went to the SPCA to see if i could borrow a cat cage and was re directed to the city, who charges a $150 deposit for the cage as some of the cages have gone missing in the past. I did not want to go that route so was happy for the help from the shelter and hope this cat gets a new good home.
I know he was not lost by accident and he was not dirty or mangy looking. That day quite a few cars drove by and then the cat showed up.
I can’t understand why people don’t put their cats up for adoption if they can no longer keep them. I know at times they do get away from people but I am certain this was not the case. Leaving unwanted animals out there just puts them at risk for getting eaten by other animals and victim to the upcoming winter, without food or shelter. I know there is a huge cat problem in town with many of them running around wild. This cat was friendly, he would not leave me alone and just wanted some attention. I imagine he was scared and wondering what had happened that he was left behind. If I could have taken him in I would have. So very sad really.
I applaud you for your efforts and the TLC you gave to the cat ! I have noticed also the increasing number of cats in my area that seem to be homeless and it breaks my heart. It seems that many people are leaving town, some owners can’t afford them anymore and of course, some just don’t care. Sadly, the SPCA is full and has been for a long time with cats and are doing their best to adopt them out and transfer them to more populated area shelters. Still, often the girls find cats, sometimes with a litter, in a box outside the shelter doors in the morning. They have just been left alone with hopes that someone will bring them home. It happens with dogs also but not as frequently as they are more liable to be picked up by the by law officer. The SPCA and the wildlife shelter are doing the best they can and owners need to be more diligent and responsible with the care of their pets. If you can’t keep them, please don’t leave them outside, they are not accustomed to that and they will suffer. I have two of my own, they are indoor cats, spoiled rotten, as it should be as I chose to make them a part of my family but I often wish I had the means to open a shelter of some kind for surrendered or found cats . Thank you again Moon_Goddess on behalf of those little fellas who can’t speak for themselves…
Those cats are so lucky for people like you, I just moved to a new area in town and I think the people that used to live in this house left their cat, I have a cat of my own but this one cat is always hanging around my door and meowing to get in, he even walked right in my house and looked around. He’s a really friendly cat, the lady next door feeds him and he goes in her house too. This town does really have a cat problem, in the area I lived in before a neighbor of mine had like 3 cats that were never in their house, then they got a puppy, once the puppy was big they got another puppy then they got another cat, then I didn’t see a few of the cats anymore, they even watched one of the cats get stuck under the building during a reno, and didn’t tell anybody about it until a few days later and they had to dig under again to get him out. People shouldn’t get pets if they don’t want a family member, that’s what a pet should be these days, not an item anymore.
Welcome to HTMF, Baabs! 
Thats cool that you make the effort to find them somewhere to live…I end up keeping the damn things!! I now have 3 cats that are allowed in my house, plus I feel compelled to feed the 4 strays in the neighbourhood
The feeding of strays and ferals will only add medical problems for your house cats and, unless they are already fixed, create a bigger feral cat problem.
I love all critters, however the “tough love” stance is, in the end, more humane.
nothing humane about a starving cat or any animal. I feed numerous cats that visit my shop in the Cow Bay area, I also have three rescued cats that are inside only cats at home. I can not and will not walk by a animal that is suffering. Many communities up and Down the BC coast are having to deal with feral cats and have community programs to deal with the situation. Cats are trapped, fixed, released back and fed regulalry. The issue of feral cats is something that I think we will have to live with untill all humans cease to abandon thier pets. I will continue to feed starving cats untill humans stop dumping them.
Cheers
I dont know if Im a proponent of the ‘tough love’ stance…but to feed theses cats just enough to keep them strong enough to breed endlessly is IMHO wrong as hell.
If you have extra money in your budget to feed strays…please think about pooling that money until you can pay to have one spayed or neuterd.
That would be the humane thing to do in my mind.
Feral cats exist in areas where there are no humans to feed them, and all are descendants of domesticated cats. They even live in areas of Australia where there is no water.
If you’re not taking them into your home, leave them. Nature will take care of itself. All you do by intervening (feeding) is create a larger and more disease ridden population. That is not humane.
Stop it!
Why are people so bothered by this? Big whoop these feral cats. They are nothing more than mammals surviving in both the near wilderness and the “urban” jungle here in Prince Rupert.
We also have a mice problem. And these mice eat holes into our drywall and cereal boxes, poop on our floors and scratch all night long. Yet there are no threads about this.
The best course of action is to re-think these loose cats as nothing more than a part of the wild population like we do with mice. Suddenly you won’t cry when the exterminator glues their feet to a board.
As for feeding them, I don’t think you are inhumane either way. It’s the person who tells me that chopping off a male cat’s testicles as “humane” who needs to rethink his or her humanity.
if you’re going to be a bleeding heart, and want to feed the damned feral cats, then take them in instead. It’s retarded to feed them and leave them to the elements. And by taking them to the SPCA, you’re just giving them more work. Yes, it’s sad, and disgusting when someone just decides to give up a pet and leave it somewhere. But the truth is, it happens, and unless you are willing to take up the responsibility to feed it and give it a warm place to sleep, shut the fuck up, you’re just as bad as them.
By feeding these cats, you are ADDING to the problem, not helping it along. These cats don’t WANT to be around humans. They are wild, they were born in the wild, as were their parents, and their parents parents. They’re usually afraid of humans, and freak out whenever you try to pick them up or get anywhere near them.
Would you take in a deer, because it was cold, and he looked hungry? No… What about a mouse, or a rat, or a crow, Shall I go on? Cats are only domesticated because we made them so. I’m all for animal rights, and I do care about animals, I just recently took in a cat that my friend didn’t want anymore. But this constant bitch about these feral cats is driving me batty. They’re wildlife now. Leave them be, they can and do, fend for themselves.
And stop taking these things to the shelter, if you aren’t willing to take them in yourself. Then leave it be. You honestly are, just as bad as the people who have left it outside to the elements, you think that cats life is going to be any better in our shelter???
Give your head a shake people.
Isn’t there a big difference between the people that dump domesticated cats and leave them to fend for themselves and feral cats who have never been domesticated. They are normally either petrified of humans or if you try to pet one, they will rise up on guard and scratch you. I am all for helping look after the ones that people abandon. They hang around my house, I can’t take anymore in, I have called wildlife and they have taken a couple and the SPCA is full and I agree with Bubbasteve735, what kind of life is that. But at least they are fed, there is a hope they will get a home and they are safe. I have gone up to Digby towers in the winter as many owners seemto dump their animals there and a few of us put out boxes for them and blankets and make sure they are fed. There are feral cats around but they don’t bother with the others. There should be a TNR Program in Rupert for feral cats but there isn’t so we do the best we can with what we have and hope we save one from hunger or dying in the cold and I don’t see anything wrong with that. So call me a bleeding heart, I am sure I could be called worse!
[quote=“BakerWriter”]
As for feeding them, I don’t think you are inhumane either way. It’s the person who tells me that chopping off a male cat’s testicles as “humane” who needs to rethink his or her humanity.
Thanks BakerWriter, you just left me sitting with a coughing feeling .[/quote]
well…its not so much a ‘chop!’ as it is a small incision and tiny couple of slices…but your right of course…the inhumanity of neutering pets needs to stop right now I say!!
Let them all stay unaltered!..breed at will!!! Cuz that will solve everything !!!
mumbles all grouchy like and decides to switch to decaf
Sorry but I can’t sit there and watch an animal starve. The cats I feed are friendly, I’m sure at one point in time these were someones pets, but instead of bringing them to the shelter, or finding them homes they just left them to the elements…its pretty sad that people do that. I’d like to bring them to the shelter, but they dont take cats…even when they have none - like you said it makes to much work for them. So you should shut the fuck up, some people have respect for animals - some dont, obviously you fall into the later.
I have yet to meet anyone that has successfully surrendered a cat in Prince Rupert.
I doubt I have to defend Bubbasteves post but I see she said giving a cat to the SPCA would give them MORE work, not it would make TOO MUCH work for them. Big difference and I happen to know that Bubbasteve is a big animal lover and I will leave it at that 
As for the shelter, maybe it is not the best place for an animal but it is a safe place, a warm place and the staff work their asses off up there and as for not taking cats when there have been NONE, when has there not been any cats? They have had to clean out 2 rooms upstairs to take in the overload of cats and kittens. They are FULL! But I do agree with your first statement, I also cannot watch an animal suffer and do what I can to try and make a difference out there as I agree that most of these cats are friendly and were probably someones pet at one time and it disgusts me that they would leave them like that. I have 2 of my own from the shelter, one is diabetic, the other is just a bitchy old tabby and they are totally indoor cats as I do not believe in letting them outdoors as they are not aware of what is out there. So, please, before you make blanket statements about a HTMF member or the SPCA, know the facts but thank you for your TLC for the ones left out there. BTW, my diabetic cat was a surrender to the shelter,and since I love her bunches, I’d say that was a success story 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I enjoyed reading the feedback on this post.
There is a huge ‘cat’ problem in Prince Rupert and yes it is unfortunate that some people take it upon themselves to just ‘dump’ their pets for whatever reason they may have.
I hope the cat I brought to the wildlife shelter finds a good home. I too have seen the large amount of cats that are homeless here and I feel sorry for them especially with winter coming around.
I agree with the person who said that ‘we domesticated the cats’.
When a cat has had a home and all of a sudden is dumped somewhere and left to fend for themselves is a sad situation.
I could easily see myself becoming a ‘cat lady’ because if i could i would take in the strays but realistically speaking it would not be possible to do so.
I guess all we can do is try to help and do our best and try to find homes for them.
and dont forget Nancy and Gunther out at the wildlife shelter…they are ‘our’ ‘wildlife’ shelter and this past year they are taking in more and more cats and even the occassioinal dog. Not at all what their purpose is but they do it anyway.
Might be nice to drop off some much needed cat food and/or other supplies to the good couple.
They have a great website and it will tell you what they need out there. I know they need blankets for sure. I have also called them when I couldn’t find room at the shelter and they came down and picked up an injured kitten at my house. Such a dedicated couple and they do everything mostly by themselves. It is the Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter, I’m sorry but I don’t know how to link and all that fancy stuff 
We should call this topic a stalemate and agree to do whatever we can for those with no voice, please…
Sorry darling, but I’m not going to let a cat sit outside, while I feed it and just leave it there. As it sits outside, in the cold, and yearns to come into my house. That, to me, is more cruel than just not feeding it and having it go away and find another home, one that will maybe take it in, when I can’t. Cat’s go to the places that they’re fed, and they stay there. So why would I feed it, if I can’t take it in??? It’s not like they can’t fend for themselves, food wise anyhow. There’s enough mice, and small birds out there, and table scraps. What they need, is a warm place to go. You’re just as bad as the people who give them up, by not taking them in, and feeding them so they expect a loving home… Obviously you don’t understand felines very well…