Over Twenty Displaced Cats Find their Safe Haven at the GTHS
By Sonya Reichel, Shelter Manager for the GTHS
It is morning at the GTHS Animal Shelter and as I do my morning rounds I take a few minutes to say “Hello” to a special resident named Little Lady. As soon as she sees me, she jumps up and trots across the Front Cat Adoption Room, eager for a snuggle and a head rub. I take a moment to hold her and scratch her favourite places before continuing on my journey through the shelter. I feel confident that this little affectionate cat will find a loving home any day.
Little Lady is one of twenty two cats that have recently been taken in by the GTHS adoption program. They were part of a major project led by grassroots local charity group, Feral Cat Rescue. Feral Cat Rescue received a call from local authorities at the end of January 2015 when the property was first discovered.
“On January 31st 2015 we attended a call dispatched to us through the OPP. Our primary concern was the care and well being of the animals on the property. Once we attended, we immediately requested the assistance of the OSPCA to help with the situation.”
– Holly Hynes, Municipal Bylaw Enforcement Officer for the Municipality of Meaford.
The property, in the middle of the Meaford countryside, was discovered with only the burned remains of a house left behind. The remaining stone foundation was surrounded by approximately 40-50 hungry and displaced cats. In the depth of winter and the middle of the countryside, these cats urgently needed help.
“When we heard the story of these cats we knew we had to help. It was obvious the cats were scared, hungry and cold and once the authorities gave us the go-ahead, we set to work trapping and feeding. Our primary concern was finding animal welfare facilities that could help us fix them and place them into adoptive homes. We immediately reached out to the GTHS Animal Shelter for help. This project was by far, the largest project we have undertaken…all without funding.”
– Sharon Morden, founder and administrator of Feral Cat Rescue.
The dedicated team at Feral Cat Rescue began trapping on a bitterly cold morning on February 7th.
Feral Cat Rescue and the GTHS connect often on cat issues. Their partnership is based on each organizations respective area of expertise. The Feral Cat Rescue facilitates the trapping, transportation and initial assessment of the cats, while the GTHS uses their facilities and manpower to quarantine, provide veterinary care and place cats for adoption into large communal viewing rooms. For these displaced Meaford cats, it was the perfect recipe.
When Sharon called the GTHS, the staff and volunteers set to work preparing for a few weeks of high volume feline intakes. All the cats had to be quarantined upon entry to ensure they were free from infectious disease. Each cat from the site received their spay/neuter surgery (all of the cats were unfixed), their microchip, viral testing, vaccinations and necessary parasitic treatment in preparation for adoption. On Wednesday March 25th the last cats were trapped and transferred to the GTHS, ending an almost two month long project.
To date, four of the twenty two cats have found their new families. As suspected, Little Lady was one of the first! On March 17th, a family from New Lowell visited the GTHS Animal Shelter and they knew that Little Lady was the perfect match for their family.
“Little Lady, now Hope, is such a warm and loving cat. She deserved a home that will give her as much love as possible! If it wasn’t for the GTHS stepping in to rescue her we would have not had this wonderful precious cat in our family. We feel so blessed!”
– Susan M. , adoptive mother of Little Lady
To view the other eighteen cats that are available for adoption from this project please visit www.gths.ca/cats-for-adoption/
Donations are being gratefully accepted to help cover the cost of this project. To donate please visit;
Georgian Triangle Humane Society www.gths.ca
Feral Cat Rescue www.feralcatrescue.ca