Cat crisis has Quinte Humane Society worried

Some of the cats in the shelter roam free, and are very friendly towards people. Photo by Becky McMullen

By Becky McMullen

BELLVILLE – Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too many cats.

That’s the situation the Quinte Humane Society faces at the moment. It’s caring for 237 animals, and 187 of those are cats. There are 160 cats and dogs currently living in the shelter, and the rest are in foster homes and adoption agencies. The number of pets there is double the capacity limit.

Some of the cats are in the shelter but are not yet up for adoption. Photo by Becky McMullen

“We don’t have enough space for all of them right now,” said Frank Rockett, executive director of the Quinte Humane Society.

The QHS is running a campaign for the next few weeks to try and raise awareness that pet owners should get their cats spayed and neutered, especially if they’re outdoor cats. Cats don’t know how to practice safe sex.

“It’s heartbreaking knowing that there might be cats on the street that need a warm place and we are the warm shelter – the safe place where they’re supposed to be able to come,” said Rockett.

The recommended amount of time spent caring for each animal in a shelter is 15 minutes, according to the Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. In a single person’s work day this leaves times for the care of 40 cats if the employee takes no breaks, lunches or does anything else in the shelter.

The cost of care for each cat is $485, according to Rockett. This includes vet bills, vaccines, microchipping, and anything else the cat will need while staying at the shelter.

“The challenge is we only receive $140 when we adopt a cat and so that gap is basically made up by the community and the fundraising we do,” said Rockett.

“Kitten season” is twice a year: late spring and early winter. This is when cats are reproducing and when they require shelter the most.

“That’s what we’re in fear of. We’re going to get a cold snap in the next few days and when that happens we’re going to get [overwhelmed] with requests for help,” said Rockett.