DarkWingedAngel
January 24th, 2009, 10:12 AM
THE FIXER
TheStar.com | Fixer | Wild cats destined for vet care, thanks to human friends
Wild cats destined for vet care, thanks to human friends
http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/af/87/fed14c5745edb02f11203beb4c24.jpeg JACK LAKEY/TORONTO STAR
A feral cat, part of a colony living in derelict vehicles on Evans Ave., crouches in a tree on the Etobicoke property.
Jan 24, 2009 04:30 AM
Be the first to comment on this article... (http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Fixer/article/576551#Comments)
[/URL][URL="http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/177184"]Jack Lakey (http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/177184) (http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/177184)
STAFF REPORTER
Members of an Etobicoke feral cat colony have doctors' appointments to keep, thanks to the generosity of Star readers and the diligence of cat lovers.
We've twice reported on a group of about 20 untamed cats living in abandoned vehicles behind the Queensway Truck Service Centre, on Evans Ave., east of The East Mall, after Magdalena Farysej contacted us to say she feared the cats would die in the bitter cold.
Toronto Cat Rescue, a volunteer group that traps feral cats and takes them to veterinarians to be spayed or neutered, got involved as a result of the stories and has received about $2,000 in donations from readers.
Ferne Sinkins, who's in charge of the group, said the first of the cats was trapped yesterday and taken to a vet, where it will be neutered and receive vaccinations for diseases and a drug to ward off parasites before it is returned to the colony.
"This is a colony that's doing very well, but that's because a lot of people have taken an interest in them and are feeding them on a daily basis," Sinkins said.
One of the group's volunteer trappers is trying to catch the males first, she said, noting males require less shaving than females in preparation for neutering and spaying. With the weather so cold, the cats need to keep as much of their fur as possible.
Trapping of the females will begin in early March, she said, noting the group has worked out a discount rate that averages about $100 a cat for spaying, neutering, vaccinations and a checkup.
Last weekend Sinkins and other members of the group went to the truck centre to check on the cats and observed that most appeared well-fed and in good heath.
They brought two "cat houses" made from large plastic storage containers with a small door cut in the side. They are lined with towels and other material to insulate them from the cold, she said.
We went there again yesterday and found the new cat houses, along with bales of hay stacked to block the wind around the bottom of an abandoned truck. We also found containers of cat food and water left by local residents.
TheStar.com | Fixer | Wild cats destined for vet care, thanks to human friends
Wild cats destined for vet care, thanks to human friends
http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/af/87/fed14c5745edb02f11203beb4c24.jpeg JACK LAKEY/TORONTO STAR
A feral cat, part of a colony living in derelict vehicles on Evans Ave., crouches in a tree on the Etobicoke property.
Jan 24, 2009 04:30 AM
Be the first to comment on this article... (http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Fixer/article/576551#Comments)
[/URL][URL="http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/177184"]Jack Lakey (http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/177184) (http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/177184)
STAFF REPORTER
Members of an Etobicoke feral cat colony have doctors' appointments to keep, thanks to the generosity of Star readers and the diligence of cat lovers.
We've twice reported on a group of about 20 untamed cats living in abandoned vehicles behind the Queensway Truck Service Centre, on Evans Ave., east of The East Mall, after Magdalena Farysej contacted us to say she feared the cats would die in the bitter cold.
Toronto Cat Rescue, a volunteer group that traps feral cats and takes them to veterinarians to be spayed or neutered, got involved as a result of the stories and has received about $2,000 in donations from readers.
Ferne Sinkins, who's in charge of the group, said the first of the cats was trapped yesterday and taken to a vet, where it will be neutered and receive vaccinations for diseases and a drug to ward off parasites before it is returned to the colony.
"This is a colony that's doing very well, but that's because a lot of people have taken an interest in them and are feeding them on a daily basis," Sinkins said.
One of the group's volunteer trappers is trying to catch the males first, she said, noting males require less shaving than females in preparation for neutering and spaying. With the weather so cold, the cats need to keep as much of their fur as possible.
Trapping of the females will begin in early March, she said, noting the group has worked out a discount rate that averages about $100 a cat for spaying, neutering, vaccinations and a checkup.
Last weekend Sinkins and other members of the group went to the truck centre to check on the cats and observed that most appeared well-fed and in good heath.
They brought two "cat houses" made from large plastic storage containers with a small door cut in the side. They are lined with towels and other material to insulate them from the cold, she said.
We went there again yesterday and found the new cat houses, along with bales of hay stacked to block the wind around the bottom of an abandoned truck. We also found containers of cat food and water left by local residents.