A local cat rescue is currently overwhelmed by calls.
Vice-President for the CARMA Moncton Kathy Prosser says it’s kitten season.
She adds it appears there is even more demand this year, “We’re seeing a large volume of calls coming in, but unfortunately because of the number we have in care we are currently closed for intake. We have 25 foster homes at the moment for the 89 cats and kittens, but we desperately need more.”
Finding foster homes has been a challenge for the organization, “We’ve been trying to recruit but it’s a challenge. There’s no cost to foster. We supply the litter, the litter box food toys, and cat beds, and we cover all the veterinary costs. We’ll bring the cat to you and we’ll pick it up, and take it to the vet. You just need a spare room that has a door on it and some time and affection to give to the cat and kittens,” Prosser adds.
CARMA held its major fundraiser over the weekend, with money raised going towards vet bills, cat food and other items supplied to the fosters. They also take financial donations as well.
Prosser says it appears kitten numbers have been up so far this spring, “They’re a little bit higher, but every year in the spring we don’t know until kitten season is over whether our numbers are much higher. At the moment with our call volume, it seems to be up. Sometimes, you don’t know if a cat comes in and it’s pregnant, how many kittens it is going to have. All of those kittens need to be spayed or neutered so that eats up a lot of our funding. One week this month, we had 13 calls for help and we couldn’t bring any of them in.”
One thing Prosser stresses is pet owners should be getting their pets spayed or neutered, to help reduce overpopulation.
“There’s a reason why we have five cat rescues in Moncton alone. There is a problem. People are just not understanding that it’s important that you spay or neuter. It doesn’t matter if the cat has always been an indoor cat. When the cat goes into heat, it will find a way out of your house. And then when they find a way out, you may not find your pet again. We hear that all the time, the cat got out. If it’s not spayed or neutered, that’s the first thing it’s going to want to do,” Prosser adds.
If you are interested in fostering, send CARMA a message through their Facebook page. Prosser adds there are other ways you can volunteer as well, aside from being a foster.
“Through helping us with things like setting up a book sale, delivering flyers, donating or helping out with their upcoming yard sale on July 15. There are various ways to do it. We tend to have one fundraiser a month, “Prosser says.
CARMA is also a registered charity, so they issue tax receipts, for cash donations over $20. Prosser says they don’t receive any municipal or provincial funding, and they rely strictly on donations.
