Cat News

The Cat Action Team would like to express its gratitude to PetSmart Charities for its continued support of our efforts to improve the lives of feral, barn and un-owned, free roaming cats on PEI. Since 2008 CAT has received 5 grants from PetSmart Charities. The largest of these grants have targeted the West Prince area over the past 3 years, including a $19,800 grant in the O’Leary area in 2012 and a $23,040 grant in Lots 1 to 5 in 2013. The latest PetSmart grant of $22,500 has just been completed in the Tyne Valley and Lennox Island area, which allowed CAT to offer spay/neuter surgeries to 192 cats (105 females/87 males). PetSmart Charities’ support has helped CAT to stabilize many overpopulated cat colonies in the western most areas of PEI and to vastly improve the lives of hundreds of cats.

CAT would also like to offer a very special thank you to the West Prince Veterinary Service, Gayle Adams, Krista Adams and Virginia Moore. Without their commitment to CAT in the West Prince area, this project would not have been possible. The West Prince Veterinary Service continues to be very accommodating and supportive of CAT and did their best to ensure that, in spite of the cancellations of neuter days in the winter due to blizzards and road closures and clinic staff vacations this summer, their commitment to CAT, with respect to the completion of the grant be fulfilled. The veterinary clinic conducted 13 additional CAT neuter days during the latest grant period. Gayle, Krista and Virginia spent countless hours trapping and transporting cats, in all but the most severe weather conditions. There were several incidents where these dedicated CAT volunteers would have to meet a farmer, who had to travel by snowmobile to transfer empty traps/carriers or cat in traps/carriers to volunteers who were waiting at the end of the plowed highway.

Once again, “thank you” to all of the CAT volunteers, the veterinary clinic staff and PetSmart Charities for their dedication and commitment to improving the lives of all cats on PEI.

We would also like to thank Carol Ann Desjardin for all of her efforts with PetSmart Charities grants.

In June 2013, the Cat Action Team was awarded a grant of $23,040 by PetSmart Charities of Canada®.  According to Dr. Patricia Srebrnik, who wrote the grant application, this is the largest amount CAT has ever received from PetSmart Charities, or indeed, from any funding agency.

The money will be used to neuter approximately 250 cats in the Tignish-Alberton area by August 2014.
In 2012, the Cat Action Team was awarded $19,800 by PetSmart Charities. In 2011, we were awarded $10,000. Our first PetSmart grant, in 2008, was for $5,000.