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Cats taking over region

Animal control and rescue are asking people to be more responsible for their cats as the population spikes throughout the Athabasca area.
Army is a cat recently found abandoned near the Athabasca River. Animal control officer Vicki Stafford said this year has been the worst she has seen as far as abandoned cats
Army is a cat recently found abandoned near the Athabasca River. Animal control officer Vicki Stafford said this year has been the worst she has seen as far as abandoned cats in Athabasca.

Animal control and rescue are asking people to be more responsible for their cats as the population spikes throughout the Athabasca area.

Town of Athabasca animal control officer Vicki Stafford said the number of cats she is dealing with is probably triple that of previous years.

“This is probably the highest number of cats I've seen ever, and it really gets down to pet owners need to take responsibility, ” Stafford said. “[They need to] spay and neuter their pets, and ensure their pets are properly licensed by the town. ”

Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) president Sylvia Christiansen said that her society's numbers have doubled, and they have had to turn cats away.

“It's gross. There's just a lot. The requests are non-stop, ” Christiansen said. “There aren't enough foster homes in the world that can accommodate all the stray cats. ”

The reason for the boom in cat population is hard to say, Christiansen said. She added that the kitten season has had been longer than usual this year.

“Normally, kitten season is over by now, this time of year, and it's not, ” Christiansen said. “I wish people would treat them (cats) a little nicer, but they don't. ”

The problem is being felt province wide, according to Christiansen, with animal rescue societies across Alberta filled with cats.

Stafford said it has exasperated the problem from a town perspective.

“It's extremely difficult because a lot of the rescues that we outreach are full. Everyone across the province is in the same situation, ” she said.

Christiansen also stressed the importance of people spaying and neutering their pets, as well. She said that she primarily handles people from Athabasca County, a lot of whom do not want to spend the money on fixing cats.

“A lot of people don't put value on cats. They're disposable, they're just there to do a job. I hear it all the time for people. I don't think people want to put the money on a cat, ” Christiansen said.

With some not heeding the message to get cats fixed, Christiansen said people need to hear it from their neighbours.

“There needs to be some pressure from society in general, ” she said. “It's really difficult, because people have it in their head that they're just not worth getting done. ”

Stafford said the issue ultimately lies with humans, not cats.

“It's all about public education. What it comes down to is responsible pet ownership, ” Stafford said. “We don't have a cat problem, we have a people problem. People need to step up and take responsibility to help keep the population under control. ”

For more on the cat conundrum, check out our new podcast. ;


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