Langley’s animal shelter started taking cats in early during its second Kitten Roundup event on Saturday, March 7.
The first two kittens were dropped off at 9:59 a.m. for the event set to start at 10 a.m., said Jayne Nelson, manager of animal welfare for the Patti Dale Animal Shelter.
Before 10:30, two pregnant females had also been dropped off. A Brookswood resident had also called ahead to say she was hoping to bring in another pregnant cat that’s been living in her neighbourhood.
The Langley Animal Protection Society is trying to keep people from simply abandoning cats to the elements. In the last year, LAPS staff and volunteers have, with the help of the public, rescued cats found in sealed boxes, in plastic bins, and in garbage cans.
The Kitten Roundup is an opportunity for anyone to bring in cats or kittens, no questions asked.
The society, along with volunteers like Shelly Roche of www.tinykittens.com, has brought together a sizeable group to foster any kittens and litters that come in.
There were 13 foster homes lined up for this intake of cats.
“I think we’re better prepared this time,†Roche said.
Once cats and kittens arrived, they were whisked away to a room where staff and volunteers gave them thorough exams, including checking their teeth and trimming claws.
Many of the cats and kittens will eventually be adopted through the shelter.
Nelson is pleased that there will soon be a dedicated building for new cat intakes and isolating sick cats.
Langley Township council has included funding – spread over the next two years – to allow LAPS to build what’s been called an ISOasis facility. It’s an isolation ward for felines alone. Much of the animal shelter is based around caring for stray dogs.
“It would be a lot easier today if we had ISOasis,†Nelson noted.
In the long run, volunteers working with LAPS are hoping that programs like this, along with trap-neuter-release programs, can reduce the estimated 20,000-plus feral cats thought to live around the Langleys.
