Category: Blog

🐾 Attention Abby Cat Daddy family and supporters! 🐾

Wow, time really flies when you’re making a difference! It’s been just over two years since we embarked on this incredible journey with Abby Cat Daddy, advocating for our furry friends and striving to make a positive impact on the lives of cats in our community. From our humble beginnings focusing on TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), to expanding into general rescue efforts, and advocating for improved companion animal laws, it’s been a fulfilling ride so far.

I couldn’t be prouder of the amazing team of volunteers, our dedicated feline advocates, who pour their hearts and souls into caring for the cats in our care and those in need around us.

However, I have some tough news to share. Yesterday, we received devastating news from our longtime private sponsor, who has generously funded our TNR program since day one. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they’re unable to continue their support, leaving us in a challenging position.

Our TNR program has been a lifeline for countless community cats, ensuring they receive the care they need to live healthier, happier lives. But without the funds to sustain it, we’ve had to cancel upcoming appointments with clinics, halting our efforts to sterilize and protect these vulnerable cats.

This setback isn’t just a blow to us as an organization; it’s a blow to the cats who rely on us for advocacy and care. With kitten season upon us, the need for effective TNR has never been greater. Without it, we’ll see countless kittens born into uncertain futures and feral cats facing unnecessary hardships.

That’s why we’re reaching out to our incredible community for support. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in our ability to continue this vital work. We’ve set up a separate account and email specifically for TNR donations, and any contribution is deeply appreciated.

Lastly, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our private donor. Your support has been invaluable, and we’re eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for us and the cats we serve.

Let’s rally together and ensure that Abby Cat Daddy can continue making a difference in the lives of our feline friends. Thank you all for your unwavering support.

With gratitude,
Logan, the Abby Cat Daddy 🐱💙

Donation Information:
To make a donation specifically for our TNR program, etransfers may be sent to admin@theabbycatdaddy.ca or you can complete a donation online here. Your generosity will help us continue our mission of caring for community cats. Thank you for your support!

Every year there are new advancements made to veterinary care, and more treatments are available than ever before. These treatments can be lifesaving but are also expensive. When the unexpected happens, Petsecure lets you focus on what’s important, getting your pet back to their happy healthy selves.

We are a proud partner of Petsecure, a 100% Canadian owned and operated pet insurance company since 1989. Petsecure is dedicated to promoting responsible pet guardianship and caring for your pet’s health and wellness and is pleased to provide a complimentary six-week trial of pet health insurance for your new cat.

Trial Details:

• Coverage up to $500 for accidents and illnesses
• 80% coverage on eligible vet bills, less a $100 per incident deductible
• 48 hour waiting period from the date your new pet goes home
• A welcome package will be sent to you, including a personalized quote

Benefits of converting to a policy before your trial expires:

• Uninterrupted coverage- no additional accident or illness waiting periods
• No exclusions- any claims covered under your trial will continue under your policy
• Coverage for life- for accidents and illness, dental, special coverage, wellness benefits and more
• No older pet tests- for senior pets adopted (cats over 10 and dogs over 8 years of age)

Petsecure believes you should have the freedom to make decisions about your pet’s medical care with your heart, not your wallet. With four plans to choose from, click here to view their coverage options that will fit both your budget and coverage needs.  

If you have any questions about your trial, need to make a claim, or to convert to a policy, please contact:

1-800-268-1169 or info@petsecure.com

Hi everyone!

We are so incredibly excited to announce that one of our rescue cats is now at The Bookman in Chilliwack for viewing! She will be the “kitty in the window” for the next two weeks and you can complete adoption applications in store or using the link below.

Details on Willow:

Willow is an energetic, loving, cuddly, curious 11 month old spayed female who came to us as a local rescue in Abbotsford. Her and her two sisters have been with us since early May and she is the first of them to be ready to find their new furever home! She is incredibly sociable once she’s figured out her surroundings and loves her chin scratches and treats. She’s good with young children and other cats! She has been fully vaccinated, spayed, flea treated and dewormed.

Her adoption fee is $250.00

If you think you’d be a good match for Willow please complete an application by clicking here.

You may be wondering what I mean by the title “Why We are not a Cat Removal Service”, let me fill you in on what it’s all about. 

Many people, due to lack of experience or lack of positive experience with feral or community cats, will reach out to organizations that work with community cats like us to get a local community cat fixed; sounds great, right? But what they are also wanting is for us to take the cat away and move it to a new location. Which is not something we do- or at least that’s our last resort, as it’s always best for the cat, and the community, for the cat to be returned to where it calls home.

The reasons why we don’t simply remove the cat(s) are based on science & evidence-based methods for feline (and other species) population control.

Now, what science am I talking about? Well, studies have shown that when we remove an invasive species from an area, others of that species will just move in and thrive due to the “vacuum effect”. The above graphic demonstrates this well. However, we’re going to take this a step further.

 I want you to imagine that there’s a small lake, with tiny rodents (squirrels, rats, mice) and birds and some flowers all living on the lake’s shores. There are trees and bushes for protection and shelter. Beautiful place for some cats to live, right? There are food and water resources, and shelter. The basics of what all mammals need- including cats. So imagine there are 4 intact female cats and 2 intact males all of the sexual maturity, so there’s screaming and fighting amongst the 6 as the males’ fight for a partner and then the females fight off unwanted attention, the males are also spraying as a means to mark their territory. This is when we get called in, to prevent unwanted kittens and to remove the “disturbance” or “nuisance”. Now, if we remove these 6 cats, neuter & vaccinate them and they go to barns, those 6 cats are going to be stressed out from the change of scenery, the new faces and being unsure of food sources. 8/10 of these cats if not contained for 6+ weeks (safely) will leave and not return as they have no association of to where they are; and of those remaining, past the 6-week containment or half will end up leaving or getting sick from the stress

In this same scenario back at the lake, a pregnant from another colony is looking for a new place to give birth to her kittens because her colony was disturbed by construction. This lake still has the resources available and there’s no competition for them, so she makes her nest and gives birth to her litter of 6; half male and half female. It only takes them 5 months to reach sexual maturity and it’s only two months after that that another 18 kittens are born while the original female has already found another mate and has given birth to 2 more litters in this time. This is what is known as the vacuum effect. We have not addressed the root cause of why the cats have chosen to reside in this area, we have just made it easier for more to move in. However, if we do TNR (Trap, Neuter (vaccinate), Return), those same 6 cats will still be there not reproducing but preventing new ones from using the resources. This is how TNR is most effective in population control.

 Furthermore, the typical complaints we as rescuers hear about intact cats are that they smell, they spray, and they fight. But once these cats are neutered, they lose the very hormones that cause these behaviours and can usually live quiet and typical lives without causing any problems for people sharing their space.

These same arguments can be made for wild dogs, hogs, cats and even squirrels.

And this is why we are not a cat removal service.

Below are links to more resources regarding TNR and the vacuum effect.

Resources:

Ally Cat Allies

Friends for Life Animal Shelter: Discover the Truth about the vacuum effect

We all know cats big and small are obligate carnivores who hunt their prey in the wild.

Your little fluffy may look like a domesticated animal, but at the end of the day, cats are still wild animals with primal instincts. You may notice these instincts in action when you go to put your cat in a carrier to go to the vet, when they see birds through the window or when you corner them by accident. These are enate reactions or urges that cats have programmed into their minds in order to survive.

Why do I bring this up? Well, it’s because more and more research is showing that in order to have happy and healthy cats we must provide enrichment for them to stimulate their minds, their muscles and let them be their true selves. Jackson Galaxy coined it best by calling it “Kitty Mojo”. Many behavioural and health concerns in cats are actually due to environmental stresses and boredom.

Steps you can do to enrich your cats life is simply “active play” with them; these can be as simple as a laser pointer for 20 minutes, or a mouse on a string etc; but as a word of the wise- never end an active play session with a laser pointer as it deprives your cat of the “win” switch it to a string toy, or a cat-specific plush toy for them to claw or bite into.

Another thing you can do is to stash food in certain areas around your house, high and low and make them “hunt” for their meal; this stimulates them to have to work for their meal, keeps their brain occupied and keeps them moving to increase blood flow and prevent obesity in house cats! Not only that but it helps build up the confidence of many timid or shy cats.

The last thing you can do that I’ll write about here is you can “catify” your house by ensuring that a) there’s one more litter box than cats in your house b) provide adequate places for your cat to sleep, claw and climb and c) add wall furniture for your cat to climb and jump, while also providing alternate ways for your cat to get away from anything that may spook them.

Your cat is part of your family, and if your family member wasn’t doing well mentally you’d help them right? So make sure you’re doing this with your cats too! Make sure your cat gets their vaccines and wellness exam once a year by a board-certified vet to ensure they stay healthy and to address any concerns you may have.

For more resources visit Jackson Galaxy’s YouTube channel for more enrichment ideas!