August 2, 2024

You Can End Cycles of Suffering

We’re no strangers to the countless animals in Ottawa who need shelter and care each summer, but the homeless cat issue is getting bigger. Homeless cat overpopulation is an urgent struggle felt throughout North America — last weekend alone, we took in close to 90 cats, including 40 kittens transferred from another animal welfare organization struggling with capacity. After a few quiet pandemic years and decades of declining numbers of homeless cats, what’s happening?

(Gizmo, one of our recent arrivals)

Right now, the OHS is running a survey to learn more about cats who are outdoors in Ottawa, where they are, and the community’s attitudes towards cats.

Through education, community support and spay/neuter efforts, the number of homeless cats needing the OHS year-over-year had been slowly declining over more than 20 years. While the pandemic did create a hiccup in services, the alarming increase in cats is straining resources across communities, and leading to increasing suffering in the cat population.

Often, the greatest victims are unseen kittens born outdoors who live short, brutal lives. Better knowing the number of roaming, stray and feral cats in our community and where they are is a key step in reducing the number of kittens born each year who have no chance.

We need your help to understand how many outdoor cats are in Ottawa and our community’s attitudes towards them. Your input will help guide our efforts in reducing cat homelessness and protecting Ottawa’s animals.

Fill out this survey and help us learn more about the cat population in your area. You’ll help even more by sharing the survey link with your friends and neighbours. If you don’t get it already, you can also sign up for our Animal Advocate newsletter, where we will be releasing the outcome and next steps, to make Ottawa a better place for our community’s cats.  

Together, we can make a difference.

Sharon Miko
President & CEO