KAWARTHA LAKES – Since 2013, The Bobcaygeon Friends of Ferals have spayed, neutered or placed 900 cats into forever homes.
With assistance from various charitable organizations as well as shelters, the group has offered a trap, neuter and return program since 2014.
And for President Marla Jaques, her love for animals inspired her to start the organization in hopes of creating a better life for hundreds of feral cats that roam the streets in Bobcaygeon and beyond.
“It was a few ladies that started this, we all care about cats, in my case, I’ve always been an animal lover,” said Jaques. “I acknowledge and appreciate everyone that has worked on the group with me, it wouldn’t be possible to have done what we have done, without all of us.”
This year, the organization has successfully sprayed and neutered 30 cats while 38 cats and kittens have been placed for adoption, through other groups and organizations.
According to Jaques, cat colonies are quite common in Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls. Groups of stray cats congregate in one area where they are often fed and they continue to reproduce.
And while there are approximately six to seven colonies in Bobcaygeon, the Friends of Ferals has greatly minimized the number of cats in each.
“Since we started, the numbers have been drastically reduced,” Jaques said.
When the group was initially formed, they started with the intent of trapping, neutering and assessments. According to Jaques, if the cats or kittens in the group were friendly, they would be spayed or neutered and be transferred to various organizations in hopes of finding a forever home. Cats that were untamed would be spayed and neutered and brought back to their colony.
The cats that are trapped, spayed or neutered require before and after care post surgery, they also often need a foster home for differing amounts of time. But unfortunately, volunteers are hard to come by.
“It’s been a struggle to get volunteers,” said Jaques. “It’s hard to get people that are like minded, where we put the cats welfare before our own thinking.”
And while this is an ongoing issue, Jaques encourages all cat owners to spay and neuter their animals immediately.
“Keep your cats inside, have them spayed and neutered, we as a society, we should be able to get this solved,” she said. “There are low cost clinics and people need to think about it, we could so easily solve this problem, various vets offer spay or neutered programs at low cost and people haven’t taken advantage of it. I have to think, where is your mentality?”
The organization often receives calls regarding wondering cats that are believed to be strays but according to Jaques, finding out if the cat has a microchip should be first priority. If a microchip isn’t present and an owner cannot be found, the cat should be brought to the humane society or another local shelter.
And even though it may seem like a simple solution for such a wide spread problem, Jaques believes too many pet owners fail to spay or neuter their pets.
She also noted that hoarding is an issue that contributes to the problem as well. Often colonies form on residential properties where they are fed by the homeowners. As a result, reproduction intensifies and speeds up and homeowners cannot tend to the needs of multiple cats.
“Not a lot of people can afford it or they don’t budget for it,” she said.
In 2015, Friends of Ferals removed up to 80 cats from one household in the Kawartha Lakes.
According to Jaques, The City of Kawartha Lakes does not offer many trap, neuter and return programs either, which could have a positive impact on the problem.
And as the amount of volunteers has dwindled, the group will be slowly shifting gears to a less hands on approach. The organization will be available to advise, lend equipment and help with trapping.
The group is in need of volunteers to trap, foster, provide before and after surgery care and more.
“We are limited in what we can do,” said Jaques.
According to Executive Director at the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes, Henny Venus, every year the shelter takes in 500 to 600 cats. He also believes that there are currently over 50,000 stray cats wandering through the Kawartha Lakes.
“Maybe we have more,” he said. “It is a ton of stray cats and I am not over estimating.”
This year alone the Kawartha Lakes Humane Society has rescued 734 cats, he said.
“I know there is a lot of feral cats and it is a big problem in the Kawartha Lakes,” Venus added.
He also noted that the lack of bylaws regarding licensing or responsibilities for feral cats contributes to the ongoing problem.
But as it takes a village to conquer this crisis, Venus credits the Friends of Ferals organization for making a difference.
“It makes me very happy, it is great to have an organization like them,” he said. “We work closely with them, we do our best to help where we can.”
Feral cats that are incapable of becoming domesticated are always returned to their colonies. Venus said locking them in a shelter setting is cruel as they’re only familiar with running wild, outdoors.
In the next three years, the Humane Society will implement a strategic plan with a key focus on helping and improving the feral cat population in the Kawartha Lakes.
“We are really going to have more of a focus on it,” said Venus. “It’s an important thing, we need to start doing something for our feral cat population.”
For more information, the Friends Of Ferals Bobcaygeon group can be found on Facebook. Donations can be made by visiting Three Island Veterinary Services in Bobcaygeon, 115 East St., or Fenelon animal clinic, 474 Kawartha Lakes County Rd 121, Fenelon Falls.
