TRURO, N.S. – It was all princes and princesses in royal finery at the Wayward Cats Society’s annual fundraiser.
But behind the suits and gowns was a mission to spay, neuter and release cats in a bid to control a feline population explosion. The society has already treated 600 cats and tackled colonies up to 40-strong.
“Myself and all the rest of us are very dedicated to this cause. Everyone involved loves cats and we all want to see this overpopulation crisis come to an end, so every cat we trap, spay/neuter and release is a wonderful feeling, “said fundraising co-ordinator Sara Delaney. “You know that you’re helping the cat and the person who’s getting overwhelmed.”
Society members collect cats whenever they receive a call, entering properties after people with cats sign a form. Once cats are spayed and neutered by a vet, they are released back to their caregivers if it is safe to do so.
Otherwise, cats are given food and shelter if a caregiver is unavailable and are then relocated to barn homes. Feral cats cannot easily live indoors with people.
When barn cats are rehomed, they are usually placed in a large cage or kennel inside the building that will be their new home.
Food, water and a litter box are provided. After two or three weeks, cats can be let out of the cage, which can be taken away after another fortnight or so as the felines adapt to their new surroundings.
The goal is to slowly acclimatize a cat to its new home and prevent them from wandering off back to their old home, which can often end up with felines killing themselves. Cats are known to be highly territorial animals.
“It’s all volunteer-based, nobody gets paid a dime for this,” said Delaney of her society’s operations.
At time of writing, the Wayward Cat Society had sold between 105 and 110 tickets at $35 a head, raising just under $4,000 in funds.
Looking ahead, the society will be hosting its second annual Game On 2018 fundraiser on Aug. 12 at 14 Lorne Street in Truro. Delaney said that board games, video games such as Nintendo and a Nerf gun shooting area will be on offer.
