The manager of the Greater Moncton SPCA says the cat population has exploded in recent months, and she doesn’t see an end in sight.
She says the animal shelter is overrun with cats and she has never seen the situation so dire.
“It’s terrible. It’s as bad as I have ever seen it,” says Karen Nelson. “We are full. Our foster homes are full. Other shelters are full. Carma is full, Abandoned Cat Rescue is full, we are full…cats are in a terrible crisis.”
More than 180 cats were recently surrendered to the shelter over a 13-day period. Nelson says not enough owners are spaying or neutering their pets and adoptions are down.
“I guess it’s disrespect for the cat. Oh well, it is just a cat and cats have become the disposable animal and that is so sad,” she says.
The situation is a bit better at the Oromocto SPCA, but the shelter doesn’t take surrendered animals. They say the influx of cats seems to be cyclical.
“Typically in the early summer we start to see, well, it’s kitten season, so we will get in the pregnant cats and the kittens as well so that tends to be every year that we see that,” says Charlotte McInnis of the Oromocto SPCA.
Nelson says euthanasia is a last resort, but sometimes it’s an ugly necessity.
“That is the hardest part about working in animal welfare, is that when we get into a crisis like this, we just don’t see any way out,” says Nelson.
She remains optimistic that more people will consider adoption, and that many of the cats will be saved.
With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell
