Citizens of Bas-Saint-Laurent go so far as to pay thousands of dollars to feed, and sometimes even sterilize, stray cats that end up on their property.
Several organizations and citizens strongly denounce the inaction of municipalities and governments.
Same situation in Mont-Carmel, in Kamouraska. Janette Bossé feeds around ten cats, sometimes in bad shape, who come to her house every day.
“They are hungry, they are hungry, they are injured. These are cats looking for shelter,” says Ms. Bossé. “When people understand that everything involves sterilization, we will have half the problem solved”
A problem for farms
Farms also constantly find themselves with abandoned cats.
“I think it’s a big problem that cannot be resolved,” says an agricultural producer, who preferred to remain anonymous, for fear of being forced by the MAPAQ to get rid of her twenty cats.
Throughout the year, especially on July 1st, new animals are left on her doorstep.
Out of love for animals and to have peace of mind, she has chosen to pay around $5,000 over the past five years to sterilize a good number of the felines on her farm.
“I invested from my own pocket. Many people think I’m sick of doing this, but at some point you don’t have a choice. Overpopulation doesn’t take long for people to mate. It’s two and a half months gestation, a cat. If she has six kittens, in a year, it adds up quickly,” she says.
“I am the only resource in the area”
A lady from Tourville has spent thousands of dollars in recent years to save around a hundred cats.
“I’m the only resource in the area. Everyone is calling me. If I don’t go, they say they will get rid of it the old way,” says Manon Deschênes. She captures them, has them sterilized and socializes them if necessary, before they are put up for adoption at the CARA store in La Pocatière.
“I sounded the alarm several times, because I have no resources,” says the woman, who says she is out of breath.
She also has to fight against MAPAQ, because she does not have the permits to be considered a refuge. In the past year, she received two fines of $2,500.
“Instead of giving me resources and helping me find a solution, I have fines,” laments the lady.
The Quebec government challenged
A reform of animal management in Quebec is being called for, in particular by the Organization for the Protection of Cats.
“We have passed animal welfare laws, but we are in a bit of limbo because the municipalities are not even equipped to respond to them. There are no regulations, for some, regarding stray cats,” declares the president, Sarah Gauthier Kirouac.
Located in Quebec, the non-profit organization tries to raise awareness and wants to raise the voice of animals, more particularly those of stray and abandoned cats. Those responsible provide valuable help, in particular to Manon Deschênes, from Tourville.
“It’s bigger than us, the shelters, the rescuers and the organizations right now…we need help from the government,” she continues. “Behind all this, there is also a lot of human distress, citizens who are without resources. We see distress on the ground. »
“There are laws that exist for stray cats, but why are they not enforced? It hurts my heart, it really hurts my heart, that no one can do anything,” adds Janette Bossé.
“It’s a collective problem,” says Manon Deschênes.
Everyone has the same message: municipalities and the government will have to invest and find solutions.
“I want to send an SOS. It’s not just one person who will take care of it. It must be the entire population and all the municipalities,” implores Ms. Bossé.
“Who’s going to help me help them, if everyone’s throwing the ball around? », asks Ms. Deschênes.
Many are also sorry that the SPA project which was to see the light of day in Rivière-du-Loup was abandoned, due to lack of support from the municipalities. The promoters wanted the organization to serve the entire KRTB.
