Picture the scene …
You enter someone’s home and you’re greeted by two friendly cats. They look healthy and well fed as they rub their heads against your leg. Then you see another cat. Then another. And another. And another …
As you walk through the home, you’re soon overwhelmed by the sight of cats everywhere.
Including two litters of kittens – over 30 animals in all!
That’s the scene our Peace Officers saw one day when they responded to a call.
It was clear the owner cared about the cats and was doing the very best they could with very limited resources. The cats were fed, their litter boxes maintained but many suffered from a nasty upper respiratory infection. This was a clear case of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of cats in the home which caused a level of distress to both cats and humans alike.
In fact, the owner had been actively seeking help from the community to deal with a situation that had quickly grown out of control for one person with limited means.
But how did it start?
Your generous donation today will go far this year far in helping us to make sure animals are treated humanely.
Pretty simply, in fact.
Originally, the owner rescued five strays and they became dearly beloved pets. But the problem with cats that haven’t been spayed or neutered is rapid and uncontrolled population growth, like we had here.
And it was clear that things would only worsen as more cats produced more litters.
Thankfully, with your support you’ve ensured the Alberta SPCA has the resources to step in and take action to enhance the well-being of animals throughout the province.
Every year we receive thousands of calls from people who’ve seen animals in trouble, whether it involves livestock or companion animals. We often work with other agencies to provide animals with the best care possible. And this case really called for it.
With so many animals in need of help, we turned to our partner agencies throughout Southern Alberta.
We began removing animals and arranging for spaying and neutering. The cats were transferred to one of our placement partners as space became available.
The owner willingly surrendered most of the cats and opted to keep the original five, now spayed and neutered.
The rest of the cats needed rehoming and we worked with a number of placement partners to ensure all the cats found loving homes.
All in all, it’s been a happy ending to a story that could have progressed into a nightmare.
Thank you for your support so our Peace Officers can work with animal owners to improve the well-being of their animals. With your help we can educate the public and promote compassion and empathy for all animals.
Together, with you, we can make 2023 a safe and happy year for Alberta’s animals.