{ ' 4 4 Wednesday with | by Fae Mooney 7 “‘fitst i is. toc convince Iocal “owners to accept their. resp ' sibility and keep their.cats at home. ‘Most. animal. experts . agree that, given an ap- propriate indoor environment, . domestic cats need.never be-let . tion is-to eliminate the cats.”” (Clubbing,.drowning, or — asphyxiation with car exhaust are inappropriate and cruel © CATS | love cats. . But I love wild birds arid squirrels more. And neighborhood cats are killing them. Am I the only one in Terrace or Thornhill with the problem. of trespassing cats? Apparently not. Both the Terrace and . Thornhill Animal Shelters say - they receive complaints. Bill Merilees, president of the “Vancouver Natural History Society and author of ‘‘Attrac- ting Backyard Wildlife,’’ ad- dressed this problem indirectly in a recent issue of Har- rowsmith magazine. Compared to dogs, cats — he said — “‘present a greater challenge — especially to gardeners interested in attrac- ting wildlife to their backyards,”’ Unlike dogs, cats will not be deterred: by a fence around your yard. And even the family dog is not a reliable deterrent — some dogs like cats. . “The damage they (cats) do, to neighborhood wildlife populations is disturbing,” Mr. Merilees continued. ‘‘One re- cent study suggests that the average domestic cat kills a minimum of one animal per month.”’ ‘Four neighborhood cats have - claimed our wooded acre as their hunting territory. The other day my husband and I watched in helpless horror as a grey tabby pouncedona Stellar’s jay while it gobbled sunflower. seeds at the kitchen window feeder. Only a pane of glass separated us. But we were powerless to defend our wild feathered friend. In an instant, in less than human reflex time, the cat had accomplished its destructive deed. Suddenly and unexpectedly our feeder, which has brought us so much pleasure over the years we have lived here, - became a nightmarish death trap. We attempted to devise a way to cat-proof it. _ The jay escaped, leaving behind a flurry of feathers. Sadly, we haven’t seen it since. . | wish I could say the same for the cat. A couple of hours ago, I took a break from preparing this article and went downstairs to make myself a cup of tea. Amelia appeared outside my kitchen window. She is another one of my little friends whose frequent visits I cherish, We have been friends for about two years now. Amelia is my name for an amiable and in- dustrious red squirrel. She drops by the feeder usually ~ every morning for a handful of - - gunflower seeds and an apple “wedge. Throughout the day she can afrive unexpectedly, This .. afternoon we shared each | other’s company as I sipped my. tea at the window andshe cracked sunflower seeds a few inches away at the feeder. Then — from the edge of the feeder a clawed black paw ap- peared. Slowly, a black cat raised its head, eyes fiercely. in- tent on its victim — Amelia. My little friend’s reflexes were faster than the cat’s. And so was my verbal response... Amelia escaped, unharmed. This time at least. Back to the drawing board — scrap cat-proof feeder #1... Amelia and I shared something very special this past spring. She visited our feeder with such frequency that I was able to observe her through her pregnancy. It was fascinating . to watch the changes — not only in her appearance as her fuzzy grey tummy filled out, but also the changes in her mannerisms, and her fastidious behavior. I was offered the uni- que opportunity to observe nature at close range — and felt a bit like a surrogate grandma, Late in May she gave birth te two little ones — a- male and a female, They came to be known as Junior and Missy. Their snug and secure nursery was located a few feet from the house in our garage and when they were old enough they began visiting our kitchen feeder like their mother. We watched Amelia’s babies grow and eventually leave home. This fall Amelia presented us with another litter of two little ones. On a Sunday afternoon last month my hubby and I again had the pleasure of wat- ching two tiny squirrels romp and scamper like fuzzy-tailed Chip and Dale. Amelia’s babies played at the base of a pine tree in our yard. Up and down, round and round, they chased . each other’s tails. Then off into the nearby brush they scampered, one following the other. Back and forth they dashed, pausing briefly to catch their breath. Then up the tree again, round and round, in’ mock battle with each other. Fearless, heedless little babes. That evening one of them was caught by a neighbor's cat. One estimate suggests there are five million cats in Canada. If this count is accurate, then more than sixty million small animals are killed every year by cats. If you have s a backyard feeder, what can you do about: trespassing cats? Cats do not require licensing as dogs do. They are free to — roam, There is no such thing as a Cat Catcher. Therefore, it’s up to us. In his article, Bill Merilees 7 gave three solutions: | - ” “There are two solutions to the cat probleim,”’ he said, “saithough neither will endear you to your neighbors. The. | ways to eliminate problem cats and-are not at all recommended or condoned.) In fact, Merilees .. recommends neither approach — imprisoning cats or destroy- _ing them. He suggests a much less controversial method that requires patience and restraint and — perhaps — may also be acceptable to responsible cat owners. He calls it the 1-2-3 method and it works like this: Step #1: If you know where the cat lives, inform its owner of the problems you are ex- ‘+ periencing. If you caught the cat in the act, show your neighbor the evidence (take along the dead wild pet). Ask your neighbor to please keep the cat at home. Be firm — but be polite. Step #2: If the problem per- sists or you do not know where the cat lives (it could be a stray), you can build, buy, or borrow from the animal shelter a cat trap. Live traps can be rented from the Terrace animal shelter for $10 per week, which is refunded on return of the trap. Live traps are also available at the Thornhill _ shelter with a deposit, Bait the trap with beef liver or some other strong-smelling meat, and wait. Step #3: You can then return the captured cat to its owner, if known, and repeat, if: necessary, steps #1 and 2. Or, you can take the captured cat to the animal shelter, Neither shelter will pick up captured: cats. In Terrace the animal shelter is located at 4632 Haugland. The Thornhill shelter is at 3856 Desjardines. Trespassing cats that appear to be homeless should be trap- ped for your own safety. Stray . cats can be carriers of disease that can be spread among domestic animals that come in contact with them. And some diseases are transferable to humans. What will be the fate of a cat taken to the animal shelter? At either shelter the cat will be kept a minimum of three days ‘and then, if unclaimed, will become available for adoption. In Terrace it has a 50/50 chance of being adopted. (I forgot to ask at the. Thornhill shelter.). After three days, the _ Thornhill shelter told me, the cat will be advertised for adop- tion on AM and FM radio. In . Terrace the cat may possibly be kept for as long as three weeks, depending on how crowded the | facility happens to be. If a new home is not found for the cat it will be euthanized. If you love cats as 1 do, and you have one as a pet — don’t » let euthanasia be its fate. . If you area cat owner, you havea responsibility to it and "to your neighbors. Do your best to keep your cat at home. ' Keep it well-fed and provide common sense care. This ad- continued on page 17 loose outside. The second solu-- ’ The path of the just is-as _|| the shining light, that shin- | eth more-and more unto the ‘perfectday, . 5 oe Proverbs 4:18 Sacred Heart Catholic Church Mass Times: ' Pastor: Saturday: 7:30 p.m. Fr, Allan F. Noonan Sundays: 9:00 a.m. O.M.I. 11:30 a.m. “4830 Straume Avenue 635-2313) Sunday Services: 40:00 a.m. _ Priest In Charge: Sunday School classes are held during the 9a.m. service. Chis Ven. JA. MacKenzie! care ls available during the 9 a.m. service, St. Matthew’s Anglican Episcopal Church | 4506 Lakelse Avenue 635-9019 Christ Lutheran Church Sunday School — 11:30 a.m. Worship Service — 11:30 a.m. Pastor: Donald P. Bolstad 3229 Sparks Street 635-5520 Terrace Seventh-Day Adventist Church Sabbath School: Pastor: Saturday. 9:30 a.m. Ole Unruh — 635-7313 - Divine Service: - Prayer Meeting: Saturday 11:00 a.m. _ Wednesday 7:00 p.m. 3306 Griffiths 635-3232 ‘| Sunday School: Pastor : Evangelical Free Church (for all ages) 9:45 a.m. Sunday Services: 11:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. W.E. Glasspell Prayer Maating: Wed. 7:00 p.m, . 635-5115 3302 Sparks Street Knox United Church Sunday Worship: Evening Worship: Minister: 10:30 a.m, Every 2nd and 4th Stan Bailey Sunday School: Sunday. 4th Sunday: Youth Group: 10:30 a.m. hymns only 7:00 p.m. 4907 Lazelle Ave. 635-6014 Terrace Pentecostal Assembly ’ Early Service: Pastor: 720 am. John Caplin Assoclate Pastor: Cilff Slebert Sunday School: Frayer Time: 10:00 a.m. Morning Service: 11:15 a.m. Evening Service: 6: 30 3511 Eby Street , aa. $35-2634 The Alliance Church family Bible School: Pastor: Rick Wiebe 9:45 am, Ass't Pastor:Douglas Ginn Worship Service: 11:00 a.m. Fellowship Service 6:30 p.m. All are cordially Invited Youth Ministries * Home Bible Studies * Visitation 4923 Agar Avenue 635-7727 ‘11:00 a.m. Holiness Meeting The Salvation Army Sunday Services: 9:30 a.m, Christian Education (all ages) 7:00 p.m. Salvation Meeting 635-6480 For Further Information call. . 4643 Walsh Avenue | Christian Reformed Church . Sunday Services: Pastor: itam.&5p.m. - ': Peter Sluys — 635-2821 Coffee Break, Ladies’ Bible St Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. & 7:48. on 3602 Sparks: 635-6173