Cat crisis hits Okanagan

by Jennifer Zielinski CASTANET - Mar 10, 2015 / 6:00 am

The Okanagan has a feral cat crisis, animal advocates say. There are an estimated 13,000 feral cats in the Okanagan, from Peachland to Lake Country. In an effort to stop the number from increasing, concerned citizens, rescue groups and veterinary clinics have dedicated themselves to fighting the problem by creating the Okanagan Cat Coalition. A feral cat is not the same as a stray cat; feral cats are the offspring of lost or abandoned pets or other feral cats who are not spayed or neutered. A stray cat is a lost or abandoned pet. Coalition spokesperson Cheryll Gillespie says if action is not taken, the number of feral cats could reach 100,000 in the next two years. "This committee seeks to solve over population through humane programs including trap-neuter-release programs, public education campaigns, and colony monitoring.” The volunteer coalition is working in co-operation with the BC SPCA. “We are hoping to adopt a method of trap-neuter-release, and as part of our process will be asking the public where cat colonies exist and, if after they’ve been spayed or neutered, would the public be receptive to the cats being released into the same area," says Cam Buksa of the Kelowna SPCA. Buksa explains that spays will go through a behavioural analysis to see if the cats can be domesticated and adopted. However, feral cats are not adoptable and would not do well in a domestic living situation.