SASKATOON – Bob the cat has just been handed a 10th life.
He’s one of more than 50 cats who have found new homes with farm families, thanks to a fledgling program run through the Saskatoon SPCA.
The farm cat program, the only one of its kind in Canada, began earlier this year and finds homes for cats which would have otherwise been destroyed, said SPCA’s education co-ordinator Linda Galbraith.
“These cats are less desirable than others we have in the shelter,” Galbraith said. “They may be a bit older, or have a few behavioral problems. As far as the general public is concerned, they fall to the bottom of the list.”
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Cats selected for the program are usually more than a year old, are already neutered or spayed and have all the needed vaccinations – although the SPCA will neuter a cat and absorb the cost in special cases.
Farmers must sign a contract in which they agree to keep the animal’s vaccinations up to date, and allow the SPCA to visit their farm and check on the cat.
But what really sets this program apart from the SPCA’s regular adoption procedure is the cost – $15 per cat, compared to the standard $53.50 plus neutering fees.
“If farmers are willing to take mature cats and guarantee that they’ll give it adequate food and shelter, we want to send them home with a cat at a minimal cost to them,” Galbraith said.
The low cost enticed Cheryl Fraser to adopt one-year-old Bob and eight-year-old Snoopy for her Birsay-area farm.
“When you think about how much it costs to get all the shots and have the cats fixed, I probably saved myself over $150 by getting these cats,” Fraser said.
She added that mature cats have a better chance of survival than kittens on a farm.
“I had kittens before, and one was sick when I got him and the dog mauled another one. Kittens don’t work.”
Bob has already been put to work catching mice, while Snoopy is still adjusting to his new home, Fraser said.
Each year, the Saskatoon SPCA shelters about 2,700 cats. Nearly 60 percent of them must be euthanized.
“People have to realize that they can’t let their cats keep having kittens,” Galbraith said. “Those kittens have kittens … farmers bring us in cats by the bagful.
“This program will help adopt out cats that would not get a home otherwise,” she said.
Farmers interested in the farm cat program can call the Saskatoon SPCA at 306-374-7387.
