The Ottawa Humane Society is Now Finding Homes for Feral Cats
May 31, 2019 - The Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) is now placing cats not suited for a traditional home environment for behavior reasons into safe alternative environments through a program called the Working Whiskers Cat Program. While the majority of cats can easily live as indoor pets, some cats in the care of the OHS are unsuitable for homes, but will flourish independently in other locations, keeping busy controlling rat and mice populations. For the small cost of a bowl of cat food and water daily, along with veterinary care, they’re ready to get to work.
“If you have a barn, stable, auto repair shop, wood working shop, winery, brewery, greenhouse garden centre, storage facilities or warehouse, a natural mouser and working whisker cat could be perfect for you” says Bruce Roney, President and CEO of the Ottawa Humane Society. “It’s a win-win situation because not only will cats find a safe place to live a happy life, but these cats will also help those who could benefit from having a working cat. And, all cats are vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered and tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).”
The first working whisker cat was adopted in January, as a pilot, with the Beyond The Pale Brewery at City Centre. Nearby construction had increased their mice population so they wanted to see whether a working whiskers cat could help. “Small mouse nibbles on large bags of grain were costing us thousands of dollars” says Al Clark at the brewery. “Since having our working whiskers cat, Cici, we have not lost a bag of grain. She is definitely a feral cat – we seldom see her and only know she is around because she eats her food twice a day and uses her litter box. Cici is working hard – exactly as we had hoped.”
Owners of working whiskers cats, are expected to provide all the necessary care to keep the cat happy and healthy, including fresh food and water daily. Owners must also be willing to continue veterinary care as required and provide shelter from the weather at all times, with insulation and heat during the cold months.
For more information on this program, call the OHS at (613) 725-3166 ext. 258.