Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue trying to help thousands of feral cats
Non-profit said it's looking for money, volunteers to act as fosters
An organization that deals with Ottawa’s feral cats is looking for volunteers and donations to help keep up with demand.
Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue said its work trapping, treating, releasing and adopting cats living in outdoor colonies across the city is funded entirely by donations,.
Veterinarian Katie Jones, who runs the non-profit, said the 130 or so cats they treat per year doesn’t even scratch the surface of the problem.
"There's thousands (of them)," she said.
"I couldn't even give you a number because individual colonies vary from let's say five ... to over 100 in trailer parks. And there are quite a few trailer parks around Ottawa who have 100 to 500 cats."
Jones said they spent $18,000 last year on medical costs alone.
Fosters needed
With no formal space, the organization relies on foster families to take in cats before they’re released back into the wild or put up for adoption.
"No one's being paid, no one's receiving any monetary gain, it's all about the cats. Every dime that we collect, fundraising, everything, goes to the cats."
Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue said it currently has 68 cats looking for a permanent home. Anyone wanting to know more can visit their website or Facebook page.