July 4, 2025
When Indoors isn’t Possible: Working Whiskers
We always recommend that cats stay indoors or that they enjoy the outdoors safely on a leash and harness with their owner or in an enclosed catio. The outdoors poses many risks to a cat, and a life of enrichment indoors can prevent heartbreak for the family and suffering for the cat.
I know we won’t be able to convince everyone that cats belongs indoors. If you do let your cat roam, please make sure they have been sterilized and have a collar, tag and microchip to help them return home if they get lost. Those steps can make a big difference for you, your cat and the community.
However, there is an elephant in the room with the indoor cat discussion: cats who can’t live comfortably with people. Some cats have never had contact with a person and are truly feral, some were once domestic pets but became stray and lost contact with humans. While the latter often may adjust to living indoors again, those that don’t are miserable indoors – often remaining in hiding, mistrusting of humans, and engaging in destructive efforts in an attempt to escape.
When the community brings these cats to us, we can’t adopt them through our normal adoption stream, but we have a way to help them get their second chance: Working Whiskers.
The Working Whiskers program matches cats with local businesses, farms, warehouses and other properties. We sterilize the cat and provide essential health checks, vaccinations and a microchip before finding their new home. A Working Whiskers cat enjoys a life of independence but receives food, shelter and care from a human caretaker. The cat also helps manage rodent populations on the property, it’s a win-win for the person and the cat. And to help place as many cats as possible, the OHS makes our Working Whiskers cats available at no cost to the adopter.
Working Whiskers isn’t just about second chances for cats, it also helps prevent Ottawa’s cycle of homeless cats. Feral cats are one of the greatest sources of suffering for cats in Ottawa. Unsterilized, the cats will give birth to litters of kittens who live short, brutish lives. Finding placements for these cats and supporting them is essential to preventing cat homelessness.
This summer, we’ll be at local farmers’ markets to spread awareness, answer questions and connect with community members interested in joining this rewarding program. We’ll be at Westboro Farmers’ Market tomorrow — stop by our booth to say hi and learn more about Working Whiskers cats.
With the support of a community that cares, we can fix Ottawa’s cycle of homeless cats.
Sharon Miko
President & CEO