WHITEWATER REGION (Cobden) — Neighbours on Crawford Street are fighting over cats. While some neighbours are feeding and trying to save stray and feral cats, other neighbours are upset about the damage they are doing to their gardens and porch furniture.
The fight got so bad, it was taken to Whitewater Region council chambers for a decision – but none was made.
However, the neighbours fighting to save the cats from annihilation have banded together and formed the group WoW (Whiskers of Whitewater).
It was at last Wednesday’s council meet that neighbours Nancy Rantz and Karen Doherty told council their side of the cat story.
First to speak to council was Ms. Doherty.
“The delegation form I submitted is self-explanatory,” she said, adding, “There is a cat population problem in Cobden.”
Ms. Doherty is concerned for the health and safety of residents.
“Feral and stray cats are not vaccinated, nor do they receive rabie shots,” she said.
The feral and stray cats are not pets – they are nuisance cats, she said.
“They are causing a great deal of damage,” Ms. Doherty said.
To deal with the problem, Ms. Doherty is hopeful council will establish a feral and stray cat control bylaw.
Councillor Chris Olmstead acknowledged there is a problem, explaining that he was “sarcastically thanked” for the construction on Truelove Street – because it scared the cats to the other side of Main Street.
“In behind the Legion, a number of cats have left (the Truelove area) and gone across the road and finding rooms, one in the attic of a garage,” he said. “The other one is living underneath their porch. There was a cat fight under the porch, and it didn’t happen before the construction started.”
A village resident for more than seven years, Ms. Rantz said she has come to learn there is a difference between feral and stray cats.
“Strays will interact with people, they are a domesticated animal that wander and roam, whereas ferals are usually not seen, wild, uncivilized, brutal and area afraid of humans,” she said.
The stray cats she knows that are fed are healthy, provide enjoyment and interest to humans and help keep the rodent population down, she added.
Ms. Rantz began working on the stray cat problem as there was no where to turn to in the county, that she was aware of.
“Many animals went to a registered shelter where they were vetted, spayed/neutered and adopted out,” she said. “Today, approximately 39 cats and kittens have been helped.”
However, this past summer, cats were trapped and released at Kelly’s Corners and elsewhere under the assumption they were going to a sanctuary – which wasn’t true, Ms. Rantz noted.
“It was a covert, deceitful and unauthorized act,” she stated. “This is not human and I respectfully request for this practice to stop.”
Another story is that a lady on the Queens Line is taking them, she added. Ms. Rantz wants to know who the woman is, because there are people who will help her with the expenses of taking care of the cats.
Ms. Rantz said another bylaw is not what’s needed – it’s expensive to draft up and expensive to enforce; it can be inhumane to have feeding bans, send them to pounds or have them euthanized – all of which are no longer a popular way of handling stray animals.
A volunteer organization to take care of the stray cats is what’s needed, she said.
“It’s a win-win situation,” she said. “Everyone gets what they want, animals find homes, taxpayers dollars are not spent, no timely council meetings are held or bylaws to draft, cat lovers see animals humanely handled and in homes and cat haters see the cats off the street.”
It would be much better if the community worked together to solve the problem, rather than be pitted against each other, Ms. Rantz said.
Mayor Hal Johnson said if a bylaw were created, it would have to be for the whole township, not just Cobden.
“I’m hearing we have a problem and we need to do something about the problem,” he said. “We need to deal with them, but how we deal with them is the question.”
He suggested that staff work with the people to come up with an answer and bring back to council.
“It would be fair to everybody to give our staff time to work on the situation,” Mayor Johnson said. “I have heard over the years from different parts of the municipality, and not just a policy or bylaw for just Cobden, it would have to be all of Whitewater Region, we don’t do part and parcel anymore. It would take some consideration and thinking and evidence and so forth.”
Councillor Charlene Jackson said the animal control officer can be consulted and he can do research on the problem.
“He should have special knowledge of the situation, whether it be stray or feral cats or whatever, and determine how to deal with each individually and make recommendations to council,” she said.
Coun. Olmstead said this is not a unique problem to Cobden. In past years there have been cat problems in Haley Townsite and Foresters Falls.
Mayor Johnson said, “We will come up with something in the future and it will come to council and it will be on our agenda.”
Whiskers of Whitewater
Ms. Rantz and a few people gathered at her home several days after the council meeting, realizing they wanted to be pro-active. They decided instead of focusing only on Cobden’s cat problem, it should be a municipal-wide discussion.
Not knowing the problems in other areas of the township, they decided to call the group they formed Whiskers of Whitewater. While not all their questions were answered, they did decide on a plan of attack.
Ms. Rantz is hopeful area veterinarians will give them a deal on getting stray cats neutered or spayed.
Foster homes are also needed for quick-fixes, as well as adoptive homes, she said.
To create a presence, they decided to get onto social media with a facebook page.
There were a few fundraising ideas proposed, but nothing has yet been decided, Ms. Rantz said.
If anyone is interested in helping WoW, call Ms. Rantz, 613-401-6713 or attend a meeting at 40 Crawford Street at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24.
