Toronto's Cat Crisis   By Abigail Pugh Over the past few months, the trial of cat torturers Jesse Power and Anthony Wennekers has horrified local animal activists and attracted a storm of media attention. The pair, who sliced up a live cat on videotape for an art school project, were sentenced late last week in front of a courtroom full of outraged onlookers. The case has also been singular for a wider reason: it's one of the rare occasions that anyone's talked much about the welfare of the city's cats. Toronto Cat Rescue (TCR), a non-profit community group, says there could be as many as half a million unwanted cats living on the streets of Toronto. Those animals have generally very short lifespans and multiple health problems; they're frequently sick, frostbitten and emaciated. Their food consists of garbage, poisoned rodents and even antifreeze. Residents who find feral cats in their backyards or alleyways are often frustrated by the lack of help they get from the city or the Toronto Humane Society. In the last few years, several cat rescue groups have been started in the city, but their volunteers have only shoestring resources and can cover only selected parts of the city. "There are tens of thousands of feral cats in the city that are a few generations removed from being anyone's pet. They are more wildlife than domestic, yet are not (even) given as much protection as wildlife," says Michael Milne, of Annex Cat Rescue (ACR), who thinks the city's feral cat problem deserves better solutions. The cats fall into two categories: strays are former pets that have been lost or dumped. Feral cats are born into non-domestic situations and are normally untamable unless they're trapped as kittens. Being naturally nocturnal and excellent at hiding, they're all able to keep a low profile. Although it's difficult to prove, the evidence is that the stray and feral cat problem is increasing. As the city grows, and cats become more popular as domestic pets, the number of animals living rough increases. Numbers are also increasing partly because there's now more garbage, and thus larger rodent populations, out on city streets. Cat "colonies" vary in size from three or four animals to around 20. In the winter, finding fresh, unfrozen water is one of their biggest challenges, and many cats are badly dehydrated. Fight wounds and skin infections go untreated and become chronic sores. "We hear about many colonies every year and never have the resources, people and money, to keep up," says Milne. "The city ignores the problem. The Humane Society does very low-cost fixing of feral cats, but only a small number, and they have to be trapped by groups like us." Cats are astonishingly effective breeders, and spaying one female can prevent the birth of 36,000 kittens within just five years. Despite this, the city's animal services department does not proactively fix and re-release street cats. Neither they nor the Toronto Humane Society trap feral cats unless an animal is in observable distress. Callers to either organization reporting feral cats on their property are likely to be told that if they want the cat brought in off the street they must bring it in themselves. Very few city dwellers are willing to go to the trouble of catching a wild cat, which is a dangerous exercise anyway. Since the Toronto Humane Society no longer holds the City of Toronto licence to house stray animals, the only publicly-funded option once a cat is caught is to take it to the nearest municipal pound, where it will be euthanized if not claimed after five working days. Fern Sinkins, president of TCR, says that just a few days ago her agency had a call from a woman who had found an older male cat in obvious distress. "She called the Toronto Humane Society and was told there was nothing they could do for him. She called vets and pounds, and nobody could come and get him. She felt totally helpless. Eventually she got our number from a bookmark and called." TCR, ACR and Kensington Market Stray Cat Rescue are volunteer groups that are trying to fill the care gap by taking a long-term perspective. Their members, who range from professionals to students, proactively trap and spay or neuter feral cats and then return them to a colony to live out their lives. They also find new owners or foster care for stray felines in distress. "The bottom line," says Sinkins, "is we help when no one else can." Many volunteers find room in their own homes for cats with nowhere else to go. Six, 10 or even 12 cats in a household isn't unusual at a busy time of year. ACR also gives advice on how and when to remove feral kittens from the mother so that they can be domesticated. They will send volunteers to a site to assess the situation and take animals to the vet if necessary. Milne, for example, goes out once a week to feed and monitor the feral cat colonies in Chinatown. He reports that of the 30 or so cats he sees regularly, the vast majority have already been spayed or neutered using ACR funds. On a recent visit, most of those animals appeared well-fed and not visibly sick or injured. Veterinary care is not cheap, so the cat-caring work carries a hefty price tag: ACR spent $32,000 last year, and TCR spent around $60,000. The groups are supported by donations and adoption fees, and vet bills are about 75 per cent of their expenses. To adopt a cat or kitten, or get more information, go to GTA Adoptions. For info on how you can help GTA feral cat relocation programs visit AVA and MARS. This article copyright eye.net