Fewer feral cats calling Dartmouth business park home, says SPCA
Jenny Cowley | CBC News | Posted: August 24, 2018 10:00 AM | Last Updated: August 24, 2018
Animal rescue organization introduced its trap, neuter and return program more than 2 years ago
A Dartmouth business park that has long been a favourite spot for stray cats is seeing fewer homeless felines roaming its streets more than two years after the SPCA introduced a program to trap and neuter the animals.
Auto shop owner Ron Peters, who's worked in the Burnside Industrial Park for more than two decades, said the stray cat population has exploded in recent years.
"We had seen the occasional cat, but in the last five years we see them regularly," said Peters, owner of City Collision and a cat owner.
While there are still many cats who call the park home, the SPCA said the Burnside population is now better managed.
'Drastic improvement'
The organization launched its trap, neuter and return (TNR) program 2½ years ago in an effort to manage the large number of feral cats in Halifax.
"Years ago, the situation was quite bad where we'd find stray cats behind businesses or kittens on the side of the road," said Heather Woodin, the SPCA's provincial co-ordinator of programs and administration.
"There's been quite a drastic improvement."
The SPCA has also seen a decrease in stray cats and kittens from Burnside being brought into the shelter.
Halifax has been described by the SPCA as having a "cat crisis," with an estimated 60,000 feral cats in the municipality alone.
Last year, municipal council passed a motion to put $50,000 into the TNR program each year for five years, for a total of $250,000.
'Labour of love'
At City Collision, there are dishes filled with water and food out front for hungry cats. There are four regulars, said Peters.
Customers know about the shop's affection for animals — it's "a labour of love," said Peters — and even bring in cans of food to donate. Woodin said once the animals are spayed or neutered they're more likely to stay near the businesses that feed them, which is safer.
At the side of Peters' shop, a small shelter is filled with hay for warmth in the cold winter months. He has also built a few structures in the woods behind his office, which are inhabited by two colonies of cats.
The SPCA recommended leaving the colonies in the woods alone since they don't like humans interacting with their shelter.
Regular visitors
Peters said some of his visitors are friendlier than others. He's even given some of the regulars names.
"Marmalade was here three times a day for four years in a row," he said, describing an orange and white tabby cat.
"They tore a building down across the street, and I thought I hadn't seen him since then. I figured he got trapped in the building and unfortunately passed away.
"Two months later he strolls up our walkway [to] a bowl of food by our front door. He smells the food, gives me a dirty look, and took off. So he must be getting better food somewhere. He may have a boyfriend or girlfriend down the road."
Peters said he knows the cats have been spayed or neutered because they have a small "V" cut in their ears — a sign veterinarians often use to mark a sterile cat.
"I love animals. I feel bad for them. They got no home," he said.
"Don't abandon your animals, please. That's all I can say."
Woodin encourages people who find stray cats to call the SPCA, which can help determine whether the animal is owned, abandoned or feral.