HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt SPCA is asking residents to keep their cats inside after their shelter has been completely filled with an influx of cats – some requiring medical attention.
“We just wish everybody would keep their cats in the house for the winter, because people see them out and they want to bring them here or take them to a rescue or something because they’re scared they’ll freeze to death,” said Wanda Price, the Humboldt SPCA’s shelter manager.
“[We’re] turning away lots, trying to find other places for them.”
The shelter has 22 cats in the building, a mom and five kittens in foster care and a list of cats and kittens waiting to come in once the shelter has room.
Price said the worry about the animals dying from the cold isn’t an overreaction because if they are left out, that is what may happen.
“We just got an orange one in that was running around in the Humboldt area and all his pads were frozen, not so bad that we had to treat him or anything, but you could tell they were frozen.”
Another cat they have in their care, Bean, lost the tips of his ears due to frostbite.
“He’s cute how he is now, but it isn’t fair how he had to lose the tips of his ears. He was so frozen that he was a feral cat when he came in, but she could pick him up and bring him to us because he was so cold and starving.”
In addition to suffering from the effects of the cold, Price said the cats brought in often suffer from an upper respiratory virus.
“We lost one to complications to his lungs that started with the upper respiratory,” she said. “Most stray cats have it, most outdoor cats that are around other cats have it. Once they have it they have it forever, it goes dormant.”
Price said while kittens will die if not treated for the illness, adults will usually just suffer flu-like symptoms unless their immune system is compromised.
Applications for adopting their animals can be found on the Humboldt SPCA website or Facebook page. Cat adoption applications can be sent to Sharon Barker at sharonbarker15@yahoo.ca.
