Cash for cats: Feral fundraiser came up short; can you help?

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Some of the many cats who find a home at Craig Street Cats rescue shelter have also discovered a welcoming lap and comforting arms in shelter operator Lynne Scott. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS )

Recently, I judged a costume contest at the Black Cat Ball. Approximately 100 guests dressed as cats from literature and film to raise money for the feral cat rescue shelter, Craig Street Cats.

The costume winners for the couple division were Jeff and Cheryl Stern. She dressed as a diva Cat in the Hat and he was her litter box, equipped with litter and cat doo-doo (we were all thankful that it was fake). Some participants literally went the extra mile for this event. Linda Goodman and Gail Kreutzer dressed up as two stars from Disney's cartoon movie The Aristocats. They drove in from Gimli just to support the cause.

After chatting with participants, one theme emerged. They were there because Lynne Scott (owner of the organization) is dedicated to the care of Winnipeg's feral cats.

Most hear the word feral and imagine wild, distant creatures. Admittedly, some may never be socialized well enough to live indoors, but Scott has successfully rehabilitated many feral cats.

One example of Scott's handy work is Friday, a fluffy grey cat. He came to Craig Street Cats because he had a nasty gash. As I chatted with Scott about the many needs her shelter requires to stay afloat, Friday rubbed his cheek against my pen (perhaps in one of his nine lives he wanted to be a writer). When Friday first came to the shelter he was hissing and spitting, said Scott. After a lot of patience and cat treats, she turned Friday into a happy, loving, healthy cat. Had she not taken him in, he would have died.

Scott makes it a priority to socialize the kittens and cats she rescues. Just because they're friendly doesn't mean they're not work. Just trimming the nails of cats takes her and a volunteer two hours. Scott hasn't had a day off in a year and a half. The shelter goes through "$100 of cat food a day and a ton of kitty litter a month," said Scott. When she told me they went through a ton, I thought it was an expression. But the shelter needs a literal ton of litter. I can't even imagine it. I'll never complain about cleaning my cat's box again.

Cat gestation can be as short as 60 days and average litters are around four kittens. So it's no wonder that Winnipeg has 50,000 stray and feral cats, Scott said.

It's why she started using the TNR program. This program traps, neuters, vaccinates and then re-releases the feral cats back into the area from which they came. This prevents the spread of disease, as well as lessens fighting, spraying and constant breeding. Some advocate euthanasia of trapped cats. But Scott has found the TNR program is not only more humane, it prevents intact ferals from infilling the areas left by a euthanized cat colony. If everyone with a feral colony used the TNR method, numbers would drop as "nature took its course," said Scott.

Scott started Craig Street Cats hoping to help the cats on her block. But her mandate grew because of their immense needs. She now offers education to assist others handling feral colony management. Her hope has been to expand feral cat management on a street by street basis.

Now running a deficit, Scott is at a crossroads. Bills for daily operation mount. And the car she uses to transport the cats to the veterinarian broke down. It would cost more to repair it than the car is worth. She was hoping the Black Cat Ball would raise the necessary funds for vehicle replacement. It didn't. Without additional funds, she worries that she might "have to go back to just helping cats on this street," said Scott.

Losing her service wouldn't be good for feral cats in this city. Many cats freeze during the winter. It's why Scott is seeking donations of home foam insulation. Shelters can easily be constructed to help cats who've gone through the TNR program face the brutal effects of a Winnipeg winter.

This organization needs more than insulation. Simple items such as food and litter are always required. It's why Scott has had to become inventive with fundraising. She's happy to take Canadian Tire money and used ink cartridges. Office Depot offers a rebate for the cartridges and the Canadian Tire money is used for cleaning supplies. And those without funds can help, too. She's always looking for good volunteers.

As Friday snuggled by my side, I asked Scott about her life philosophy. She said, "it's not enough to go through (life) doing no harm. You have to leave the world a better place." Ask those who know her, and they'll tell you she's walking the walk.

Further information about Craig Street Cats can be found at: http:// cats.wolseleygirl.com.

char.adam@mts.net

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 17, 2009 D5