Qualicum Beach Cat Rescue is in need of funding to keep their free spay and neuter project running.
The organization has been providing free spay and neuter procedures for cats owned by low-income families for six years. They are currently asking the public for assistance in raising enough money to keep the program going for another year.
“We can go on $15,000 a year very comfortably,” said Deb Maddocks, co-owner of Qualicum Cat Rescue.
“It goes fast once the bills start coming in if we have a lot of spay and neuter certificates, but that’s usually our goal.”
Qualicum Cat Rescue has helped spay and neuter more that 2,000 cats since beginning the certificate program.
Cats also get tested for feline leukaemia and receive a worm and flea treatment as well as get a tattoo in their ear.
“Sometimes people’s cats never see a vet except for our certificates,” Maddocks said.
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Maddocks said prior to offering the free vet procedures, Qualicum Cat Rescue would see close to 250 kittens each year that needed homes.
“A good example of what can happen (without spay and neutering), is we had a female one year, she had nine kittens, seven of which were female. If she didn’t get fixed and her female kittens didn’t get fixed, by the end of one year there would be 100 cats from that one female because they would just keep reproducing. Cats reproduce three times a year,” she said. “It can get out of control very quickly.”
Since the program’s inception, Maddocks said they don’t see nearly as many stray cats.
“We hardly see diseased cats anymore and that’s a very positive thing, you know the animals are at least healthy cats as well,” she said.
“Qualicum Cat Rescue has also helped cats that have been abused and have been found and we’ve done the medical care for them.”
Visit www.qualicumcatrescue.com for more information or donate.
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