I will preface this month's article by pointing out that I am speaking to Edmonton cat owners. It is your responsibility as a pet owner to look into your local jurisdictions regarding the laws about licensing your pet. It's the law in Edmonton, and can result in a $250 fine per incident that your cat is caught without a license.
Here are some numbers to think about:
- There are an estimated 65,000 feral cats in the City of Edmonton.
- Approximately 4,000 cats are admitted each year.
- Of these, around 600 are feral.
- Only 14%of cats are returned to their owner.
– -Approximately 30,000 cats are licensed each year.
(Source: City of Edmonton)
It was a lovely Saturday evening, this past April. The cafe was closed for the evening, and we were were just about to sit down for dinner, when my email went ding! I opened it to find this message:
“Hey, so, one of the cats at your cafe is actually my cat. He got out when he was in heat, and we've been looking for him. What do I do to get my cat back from you?”
I composed my response, and let the owner know that they would need to go through the adoption process, including paying the adoption and license fee, and also let them know that their cat is now fixed and microchipped, and that a license would be required to be purchased at the time of adoption. I never heard back from that owner, and the cat has since been adopted into his new home. We've had a few situations where the owners find their cats at our cafe, and they come in and re-adopt their cat. Most of them are a bit humbled because they learn there are things they could have done to keep their cats safe.
For the love of all that is holy, FIX AND MICROCHIP YOUR CAT!
Nicole Niska,
Owner, Paws the Cat Cafe
Diploma in Feline Behaviour and Psychology