Prince Rupert’s BC SPCA branch successfully sterilized a feral cat colony in the community this year and hopes it will be able to do more in 2015.
The branch is undertaking a trap, spay/neuter and release program in Prince Rupert to address the community’s high feral cat population. The program has volunteers from the community and branch capture cats so they can be sterilized, with volunteers caring for them as they recover and then returning the animals to where they were found.
“It’s a long process because the cats get wise to the traps,” Anna Terebka, Prince Rupert BC SPCA branch manager, said.
“There has to be a really precise and coordinated effort between the caregiver, the SPCA and the vet.”
The branch received a grant of nearly $3,000 from the BC SPCA Community Animal Spay/Neuter Grant earlier this year, with McElhanney also contributing a few hundred dollars to support the initiative. This allowed for 20 unowned cats in a colony of about 25 to be sterilized throughout 2014.
With the help of volunteers, the Prince Rupert SPCA has identified six feral cat colonies within the community, with Terebka estimating there are 2,500 cats that are either feral or fed but without owners in Prince Rupert.
The branch has submitted another funding request in hopes of continuing on with the program, but Terebka said the branch needs community donations in order to obtain the grant.