With Feral Cat Day on October 16 just around the corner, the Surrey Community Cat Coalition (SCCC) is hosting a food drive for homeless cats on Saturday, October 14.
The SCCC and its animal welfare partners rescue nearly 2,000 cats off the streets of Surrey every year, and that doesn’t reflect the actual number of homeless cats in Surrey.
“We have limited space for intake and recovery, so it can take months before we can trap at some sites,” says Mona Boucher, volunteer trapper with the SCCC. “We are focusing on the most vulnerable cats right now, such as pregnant cats, nursing moms, and kittens.”
The SCCC estimates 80% of the homeless cats it rescues are tame.
“Most of the cats we rescue have likely been abandoned by their owners”, says Lubna Ekramoddoullah, President, SCCC. “Our partners rehabilitate and foster them until they can be adopted. But there are some cats who have been living outside for so long without human contact that they are not suitable for adoption.”
It is these cats who, after being spayed and neutered, are returned to the site where they were trapped. They are fed and cared for by volunteers in the community. The SCCC is asking the public to donate wet and dry cat food to help feed these cats.
At this time of year, Boucher recommends kitten food. “During cold weather, I try to feed the cats as much kitten food as possible because it has extra fat, which they need to keep warm,” says Boucher.
The public can drop off food donations on Saturday, October 14 from 10 am to 4 pm at Pet Solutions in the Dell Shopping Mall at 10602 King George Hwy.