Dear Editor,
The cat abandonment crisis in Lambton County is too great for unpaid volunteers to handle on their own. Lambton County cat rescuers and donors work hard to respond, but too much is being asked of them. Support from local councils throughout the county is needed too.
Rampant cat abandonment and cats not being spayed or neutered while still in homes have created a homeless cat crisis. Spay/neuter surgeries are hard to afford for too many citizens. Spay/neuter subsidies are sorely needed for the cat rescue groups, as well as for cats living in lower-income homes. Some wonderful veterinarians already do so much to help rescue groups and animals, but some clinics still do not, and more help is needed. Cat abandonment is a long-standing community problem that will take a community response to address.
Abandoning cats outside inflicts suffering on the cats, as well as more work and distress on the cat rescuers, creating waves of misery for cats and the people who can't turn away from their suffering.
With no paid staff, no buildings to work out of, Lambton cat rescue volunteers spend numerous hours away from their jobs and families to rescue cats in difficult locations, in all kinds of weather. Donors are constantly pressed for funds. Lambton County rescue group, Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals, have been alerted to yet another large group of homeless cats in urgent need. This new discovery follows a difficult summer where that group worked hard to care for around 65 cats from one location, many in poor condition. That was followed by yet another crisis location. And now another. Reports of cats in distress pour in.
This is too big a challenge for unpaid volunteers only. I'm a cat rescuer in London where we’ve greatly reduced our homeless cat population through spay/neuter subsidies. Our city government started with small spay/neuter subsidies available to cat rescue groups, then expanded it for cats in lower-income homes. Later, the spay/neuter subsidy program developed further, and there are now far fewer homeless cats. Cats who are sterilized while still in homes are less likely to be abandoned or lost. Subsidy programs could start out small. Any amount would help. Local businesses could also donate. Several businesses already provide supports, understanding that the human/animal connection makes communities happier and healthier.
People are affected by animal suffering too. Neighbourhoods are demoralized when seeing homeless cats suffer. Children can be distressed when the cat they care about 'disappears' from the home when the adults remove the cat to be abandoned. Spaying/neutering helps keep cats in their original homes, and people are lifted up when they see animals being helped.
Readers can ask council members to establish spay/neuter subsidy programs, even if small, and to support Trap/Neuter/Return programs. More veterinary clinics can offer reduced rates to rescue groups, and lower costs of spay/neuter surgeries. Please don't leave this work to the unpaid, overworked volunteers who already do so much. Our communities are stronger when we respond to suffering with action.