C.A.T.-C.A.R.E. Program (for feral cats)

Cat Accountability Team - Capture, Alter, Rescue, Educate

The Feral Cat Program is a trap-neuter-return program for feral cats and colonies that is completely funded by the Northumberland Humane Society. A "feral" cat has had little or no human contact in its lifetime, though a cat colony (or single cat) may become friendly with a person who feeds them. Barn cats are friendly with people who frequent the barn but will run from everyone else. The program includes barn cats and feral colonies with human caretakers/feeders, living on private or city property. In order to be eligible the cats must have a human regularly keeping an eye on them.

The cats are humanely trapped, taken to the vet, altered, then returned to their territory. Each cat is given a 3 year rabies vaccination, a dose of revolution for fleas, and the tip of the left ear is removed to identify cats already neutered. Please be advised that in areas where cat by-laws exist, you may be referred to your local municipally funded Animal Control Service. By-lawed areas include: Municipality of Port Hope, Hamilton, Haldimand/Alnwick townships and any towns or villages within these municipalities.

Kittens, if possible, will be rescued from the colony and placed in a foster home to be hand raised and socialized. The kittens will stay in the foster home or go to the shelter until they are adopted, and will be altered at age 8-10 weeks. A barn may need to be found for rescued kittens that can't be socialized, as they will be run off by the other cats if returned to the colony. Occasionally we discover "friendly ferals" within the colony or on their own. These adults are rescued and placed into foster care until a home can be found.

Sometimes colonies have to be moved because of unsafe locations (high volume of people or traffic or both). In this situation we look for property with a barn or some type of small building that can be used for shelter, or shelters are made and provided. When it comes to sick colonies, we do what we can, but occasionally we do have to euthanize sick cats. Sick feral cats cannot survive in the wild and they will spread illness. They cannot be neutered in a sick state and they cannot go to a foster home for treatment as they cannot be handled to medicate, and they would be too stressed being indoors.

This feral cat program is designed to reduce the population of felines in the wild and in our backyards. No longer will the males fight over territory and mating, eliminating devastating injuries to both males and females. Females will no longer give birth to an endless amount of kittens that turn into reproducing cats. Over 850 cats have been spayed and neutered through the program since 2008. The veterinary clinics offering their services for the program are Ganaraska Animal Clinic in Port Hope, Northumberland Veterinary Services in Colborne, and Campbellford Veterinary Services in Campbellford. We thank them for their assistance in this mission.

We are always looking for foster homes for adults and orphaned kittens. If you like a challenge in hand raising or taming kittens or would like to open your home to an adult in need please call or email the shelter at north1@eagle.ca or 1-877-885-4131. We are also looking for donated items like plastic tote storage containers, straw for bedding, blankets and towels, live humane traps, cat carriers, cat food, dishes for food and water (electric water dishes for winter), and monetary donations. All can be made at the shelter, located on 371 Ward St., Port Hope. Please have a look at these rescued cats up for adoption on the Cats for Adoption page. They are all in foster care at this time. If you wish to meet any of them just call the shelter and a meeting will be arranged. The adoption procedure and fee is the same for these cats as it is for the cats in the shelter.