With winter weather closing in, 36 northern cats from Kenora made the more than 1,700-kilometre journey to find loving homes through the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society’s adoption program.
The cats and kittens came from Kenora Cat Shelter and will be placed up for adoption at Ontario SPCA animal centres in Midland, Muskoka and York Region. Cats adopted from the Ontario SPCA are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and they go home with food from Royal Canin to help them transition into their new home.
To help even more animals, the Ontario SPCA delivered 750 pounds of cat food donated by Mars Canada that will provide 3,000 meals to animals in the north.
A lack of access to basic animal wellness services, such as veterinarians and spay/neuter services, has contributed to an increase in animal populations across northern Canada. The Ontario SPCA and its partners work alongside communities to deliver much-needed resources, such as food and mobile wellness services, and to manage animal populations through spay/neuter and re-homing initiatives.
“There are more adoptable animals in the North than there are homes, which is why we are working together to bring these animals to areas of the province where there are families waiting to adopt,” says Arista Wogenstahl, the OSPCA's Northern Outreach Services regional manager.
“These rehoming initiatives help ensure our partners in the North have the capacity to help animals in need during the cold winter months ahead.”
Kenora Cat Shelter board member Lisa Lyle said the operation's ability to continue to support the increasing amount of stray, abandoned and homeless cats in the area means it needs to rely heavily on its partnership with other animal rescues, including the Ontario SPCA.
“Transferring some of our many adoptable cats to areas in southern Ontario with fewer stray cats, and a greater population of adopters, allows for more room in our shelter to continue taking in the rising number of cats in our area that need our help.”
To learn more about adopting, check out the OSCPA's adoption page here.
