P.E.I. cat welfare agency co-operating with multiple organizations

Island cat welfare agency co-operating with multiple organizations

Dec. 4, 2024

By Blaine Auld

Susan Turner works as the vice chair of the Cat Action Team, dedicated to reducing P.E.I.'s feral cat population through trapping, neutering and releasing. She says there is a large need for volunteers and appreciates the help she receives from other organizations in caring for cats. Blaine Auld photo.

Susan Turner knows the demand for the Cat Action Team’s services is great.

The feral cat population of P.E.I. continues to grow every year.

They need volunteers, but recruiting is a challenge.

Some apply, only to never be heard from again, which frustrates Turner.

"Any organization that you belong to, you’re not going to be sitting in a chair and doing nothing. You need to work."

Fortunately, she is not alone.

Turner, 68, and the Cat Action Team (C.A.T.) work with several organizations across Prince Edward Island to manage its feral cat population.

Keeping Cats Homed

The team’s primary goal is to control overpopulation through its ‘TNR’ program, where cats are trapped, neutered and released.

As cats must be at least 12 weeks old before being spayed or neutered, kittens need special care.

C.A.T. has help from another organization for this.

Lori Burnell runs Keeping Cats Homed, a charity based out of her Summerside home. It is dedicated to rescuing kittens of feral cats.

She has been caring for kittens since 2007.

"I found a great love for rescue and a need for it," she said.

Since becoming a registered charity in 2015, Keeping Cats Homed has saved over 2,000 kittens across P.E.I.

Burnell screens every kitten before taking them in. If they qualify, she gets them treated for illnesses and fosters until adoption.

She works a full-time job while maintaining the charity.

She said the work can be overwhelming, but her passion keeps her going.

"It fills my heart. It’s my purpose, and I love that I’m contributing in a way that’s helping these little kittens that would probably not be helped otherwise."

Challenges with kitten care

Unlike their adult counterparts, kittens are usually too young to be spayed or neutered, and still require care.

Burnell said this required a solution, and working with C.A.T. has helped her make a difference.

"To me, a cat should be laying on the back of the couch in the sun, being loved by their family and being safe every moment of the rest of their life."

Many kittens come with malnutrition, severe illnesses and grievous injuries. Some die from them.

The work is emotionally difficult for the charity’s president.

"We get the worst of the worst, and we do lose kittens, and it is heartbreaking," Burnell said.

She felt like giving up at one point, but a veterinarian encouraged her to keep going, because more kittens are alive thanks to her.

"That’s what I have to remind myself when I feel like I want to quit or give up, is that I have saved so many."

More funding needed

Money is another issue.

Last year, Burnell’s vet bills tripled from $16,000 to $48,000. She also provides resources for each kitten she adopts out.

Because of this, she is always fundraising.

"We can’t continue without more fundraising. We’ve done okay so far, but now I’m quite concerned."

Another member of C.A.T. relates to Burnell’s struggles.

Beverly Hillier, the treasurer of the team, is responsible for its finances.

She sets aside money every month for emergency purposes, accounting fees and other expenses.

She said the team’s finances are good until January, but it is still looking into grants, which have not been available since the pandemic.

"We haven’t applied for anything since."

Hillier allocates about $250 a month for cats through their program.

People have also called to offer blankets and shelter materials.

She is grateful for donations, as well as the team’s co-operation with Burnell.

"Sometimes I think maybe we overload Lori, because she doesn’t say no too often."

Volunteers needed

Burnell works hard for her kittens, but the lack of volunteers makes it difficult.

Some step away due to the impact of kittens dying. Others leave due to the work being thankless.

"At times we’re met with inconsiderate individuals who may not treat our volunteers with the respect they deserve," Burnell said.

Support from C.A.T. and other establishments raises awareness of her charity and its fundraisers, which has also brought volunteers.

Turner is co-operating with Burnell for a concert fundraiser in May 2025, with proceeds split between both their organizations.

She said other team members like Adams also foster kittens, and appreciates how Burnell cares for cats.

"Our relationship is very good."

Adopting kittens

For Burnell, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing kittens adopted into loving homes.

People have thanked her in public and showed photos of how their kittens look now.

"We watch them go through the whole process of healing and growing and then joining their forever family, knowing that they’re going to have the best life," she said.

Burnell works with around 10 foster families for her kittens.

She said kittens have a better chance to be socialized.

"We can’t change what’s happened with the big cats…but we can change the futures of the little cats and their outcome."

AVC spays and neuters

C.A.T. works hard to control the numbers of the adult cats.

Much of the team’s spays and neuters are performed at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) in Charlottetown.

Turner manages the Junior Surgery program, maintaining an ongoing list of neuters at AVC.

She appreciates its veterinarians and students.

"I can’t say enough about them. They’ve been really considerate.

The feeling is mutual for a veterinarian.

Dr. Marti Hopson oversees the Feral Friday program at AVC.

It is dedicated to spaying and neutering stray cats brought in by C.A.T. two Fridays every three weeks brought in by C.A.T, fulfilling their TNR program.

Another neutering program is also available on Saturdays.

"They do the T and R, and we do the N."

Need for volunteers and funding

All of AVC’s spays and neuters for C.A.T. are funded through private grants.

However, the need for volunteers remains large.

Drivers are required to transport cats.

The Saturday program also needs people to supervise cats in recovery.

Hopson said there are not many ways for people to help at AVC due to university protocols.

"That’s a shame, because maybe extra sets of hands would be really great."

Another member of C.A.T. feels the same stress.

Diane Minick works as the colony co-ordinator for Queens and Kings counties.

She arranges for about 12 cats to be spayed and neutered at each Feral Friday event.

She does not have a trapping team, so she shows those who report feral cats how to trap and transport cats to AVC.

"We have to rely on caretakers at times to do it themselves."

Minick’s waiting list for surgeries consists of about 200 cats, almost reaching AVC’s capacity of 250 cats a year for C.A.T.

The co-ordinator said it feels difficult to control overpopulation.

"Sometimes it’s hard to get anywhere."

Working with private clinics has helped.

While C.A.T. has to pay for these clinics, they lighten the burden.

"[This] really helps with the sheer load of cats that we have waiting to be seen," she said.

Supporting AVC students

Hopson appreciates the work C.A.T. puts into bringing cats to AVC.

About 16,000 cats have been neutered at the college over the last 20 years.

Each year, students work on them as part of their studies.

She said it makes her happy to see students work on feral cats in a collaborative environment.

"They talk about it with a lot of passion and how meaningful it is for them, so that gives me a lot of joy."

Turner makes sure Hopson and her students have as many as they need, as it helps C.A.T.’s own goals.

"It’s a win-win both ways," she said.

Help from Humane Society

Those who find cats are responsible for after-care.

In many cases, caretakers do not assume responsibility for them.

When this happens, C.A.T. takes them to the Humane Society.

Turner said she appreciates it taking in cats they find, since they may otherwise have no one to care for them.

"They’re very willing to work with C.A.T. and they’ve been very good to us with taking kittens and cats."

A staff member at the Humane Society also appreciates its relationship with C.A.T.

Ashley Travis, a communications co-ordinator for the organization, sees many kinds of cats where she works. Most are domesticated.

She said the Humane Society does not usually bring in feral cats, but will do so if requested and if space is available.

"It’s kind of one of those things where we don’t really ever do it until we do."

Animal protection officers at the Humane Society will get reports of feral cats.

If property owners do not want them, the Humane Society takes what it can. If they just want help in controlling the population, C.A.T. is contacted.

"It all sort of depends on what the humans, in this case, want from the colony," Travis said.

Barn Buddy program

The Humane Society has a strategy for feral cats.

Its Barn Buddy program helps people receive one to manage mice populations in barns and similar environments.

Travis said the program is popular with farmers due to feral cats having less adoption requirements and a lower adoption fee.

"They’re more of an employee where…you are purchasing a mouser. You’re not adopting a companion animal in the same sense."

She added many clinics are providing their own versions of the program, and is glad to see this kind of care for feral cats.

"There’s no reason why they shouldn’t live a full and happy life. They just need a modified living situation."

It’s a tough job

Another member of C.A.T. feels the same.

Gayle Adams, the secretary for the team, has taken numerous cats to the Humane Society.

The age of the cat determines how well they may behave around humans.

She said while kittens can be tamed, most may never reach full domestication after a certain age.

"If you were to work on this cat and get them fairly tame, it would probably be only you they would come to."

Adams has also had difficulty with human behaviour.

She has received calls from people expecting C.A.T. to remove cats for them. One time, a homeowner threatened to call the RCMP on her.

"There’s some fabulous people, but there are some that would take the broom to shoo [cats] away," she said.

Adams wants people to be kinder and more understanding to feral cats.

She said educating the public is important in raising awareness.

"I think we need to do more education in that, and how they can help."

Working with clinics and volunteers

Travis has also seen challenges in her work.

All cats receive vaccines, microchipping and flea and tick treatments. They are also spayed or neutered if at least 12 weeks old.

The organization does not have a registered clinic, so it cannot provide in-house care for its animals.

Travis said the Humane Society partners with other clinics to provide care, which increases the cost.

"It’s a little bit challenging, and it’s certainly an expensive aspect of what we do."

There is also a large need for volunteers.

Around 12 to 15 consistent helpers perform tasks like providing food and doing laundry. Most are new.

Travis said she enjoys working with them, as they come from several backgrounds.

"We dearly appreciate the animal care volunteers that we have at the shelter."

The co-ordinator feels rewarded seeing cats find a home after receiving care.

"You see them survive these seemingly insurmountable situations and…give them a new lease on life."

New Humane Society

Soon, the shelter will be able to provide even more care.

It is constructing an entirely new facility three times larger than the existing one.

"This will allow us to do our jobs more effectively, and it’ll also give us more space for our growing operations," Travis said.

Turner is looking forward to its completion.

She wants to have a meeting with the Humane Society next year to discuss potential new surgery options.

"That might be something that we can talk to them about."

Working together

Turner knows the feral cat population is still a problem in P.E.I.

But she does not question what she does.

"You don’t really even think about it. You just do it, because that’s what you love to do."

The need for volunteers continues to grow with the feral cat population.

Most C.A.T. board members are in their sixties. Younger members help manage its social media pages and website, but more are needed.

"We need volunteers to continue with the organization," she said.

More recruitment opportunities will be discussed at the team’s next board meeting.

Until then, other organizations like AVC, the Humane Society and Keeping Cats Homed help.

Everyone contributes toward C.A.T.'s goal of reducing P.E.I.’s feral cat population through humane treatment of cats.

With the number of people who help C.A.T. now and plans to recruit more volunteers, Turner is optimistic for the future.

"We all want to make a difference, and we all work towards that."

Lori Burnell is the president of Keeping Cats Homed, a charity she runs out of her home in Summerside, P.E.I. The organization is dedicated to rescuing the kittens of feral cats. She says kittens have a chance of being socialized with humans unlike their adult counterparts. Blaine Auld photo.

Many kittens at Keeping Cats Homed in Summerside, P.E.I. like this one come from feral situations and horrible conditions. Some have died under care despite showing no signs of illness. Lori Burnell, the organization's president, says her work is emotionally difficult but her passion for cats keeps her going. Blaine Auld photo.

Beverly Hillier works as the treasurer for the Cat Action Team, maintaining and reviewing the group's finances at regular board meetings. She says its funds are good up to January but hopes to receive grants they have not had access to since the COVID-19 pandemic to support their efforts. Blaine Auld photo.

Dr. Marti Hopson oversees the Feral Friday program at Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, which neuters and spays cats brought in by the Cat Action Team. She says she enjoys the impact working on feral cats has on students at the college. Blaine Auld photo.

Ashley Travis, with the Humane Society of P.E.I. in Charlottetown, sees many cats come in and go in her work. She says her organization does not usually take feral cats will do if there is a need and provides them to potential adopters through its Barn Buddy program. Blaine Auld photo.

Gayle Adams is the secretary for the Cat Action Team and has transported many cats to the Humane Society. She says she has experienced issues from people who report feral cats in their area and wants people to be educated on the struggles the cats go through. Blaine Auld photo.

From left, Gayle and Krista Adams, Beverly Hillier, Jennifer O'Brien, Hannah Klein and Michael Fleischmann serve on the board of directors with Susan Turner for the Cat Action Team and regularly have meetings to discuss fundraising, volunteer recruitment and other news related to helping feral cats in P.E.I. Blaine Auld photo.

All cats at the Humane Society of P.E.I. in Charlottetown receive services like vaccines, microchipping and pet treatments, as well as spaying or neutering if they are at least 12 weeks old. Because the Humane Society does not have a registered clinic, it must rely on other private clinics to perform medical services for cats. Blaine Auld photo.