THUNDER BAY -- Although an estimated 8,000 cats live homeless in the city, a local program's volunteers believe they’ve made a dent.
The Superior Street Cats' Trap, Neuter and Release program is designed to target the free-roaming cat population in an effort to reduce the number of feral cats impounded and euthanized at the Animal Services Centre.
Over the course of the six-month pilot project that began in September 2015, the number of cats brought into the shelter decreased 36 per cent while it's credited for a 48 per cent decline in euthanization.
Over that time, the program has successfully spayed and neutered 103 street cats and they’re hoping to have at least 300 done within the next year.
“I know that the initial results of the program are very encouraging. Obviously it’s still a little early and we need a bit more time to see the true benefits that the TNR strategy can have,” said Animal Services Centre supervisor Jody Kondrat.
Superior Street Cats volunteer Lori Kriovshein’s focus is to prevent cats and kittens living on the streets from suffering.
Once a month the volunteers humanely capture cats and have them spayed, neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped and tattooed before returning them to the wild.
Strategically placed sardine filled traps are stationed in locations where cat colonies have been spotted.
Kriovshein explained patience is a virtue as volunteers spend hours observing each trap until the cats take the strongly-scented sardine bait.
“The minute the trap goes off, we have to cover it to calm the cat and take it somewhere warm,” Kriovshein explained.
“We don’t want to ever have a cat panicked or exposed to the elements of another animal coming along.”
The morning after the cats are captured, volunteers bring them to the veterinary clinic to receive treatments.
Kriovshein said the animals are kept for no more than two days and are brought back to their outdoor colonies.
The volunteers then provide the cats with winter shelters, water bowls and quality caretakers who feed and monitor them.
“One of our volunteers said 'you love it and you hate it.' You hate to see these poor cats and what has happened to them but you love that you are able to make them a little more healthier.”
The volunteers hope the program eventually goes out of business because there will be no feral cats left.
On May 16, City Council voted to allow TNR to be extended indefinitely, amending a bylaw so Superior Street Cats could access $25,000 from the Animal Services donation reserve fund that will allow the program to continue for another year.
