Some Kitchener residents have launched a petition to implement cat licensing in the city.
Brenda Luft and Mark Kavanagh are behind the effort to provide felines with the same type of licensing process that exists for pet dogs.
The duo are big fans of cats and have dedicated a lot of their time to getting them off the streets safely.
“Thirteen years ago on our street we had 19 adult feral cats,” Kavanagh said. “Over the last 13 years, we have reduced the number to two feral cats.”
They also expanded their efforts citywide through the Feral Cat Project and noticed a trend.
“The problem is that they were not neutered or fixed and there were no tags or chips. We had no option but to bring them to the SPCA,” Kavanagh explained.
Doing so, he added, puts additional pressure on the resources of local humane societies.
The pair hope the petition will stimulate conversation with city officials.
“If a cat is caught after release, instead of tying up SPCA kennels for the mandatory three-day hold, a license-required chip can be scanned and we can contact the owner immediately,” Kavanagh said.
While it puts more responsibility on the owners, it can also help them in the long run.
“When they go to the humane society, some people don’t have the money to take them out and pay the fines,” Luft said. “This discourages some people from coming forward to pick up their pets.”
The pair also hope that money raised through the licensing program can help provide a low-cost spay and neuter program so they can improve the long-term health of pet and feral cats, especially females.
Nearby cities like Guelph, Stratford and Toronto already require cats to be licensed. That’s not the case in Kitchener, but licensing sterilized dogs has an annual fee of $37.36.
City officials say they are open to hearing feedback from residents, but admit the permitting process can be difficult to implement.
“I’ll be very honest, we have a hard time licensing dogs as it is,” explained Gloria MacNeil, director of enforcement for the city of Kitchener. “So adding another layer of this, we know will consume staff resources. The second part is we have to leave people at the mercy of the honor system to do this.”
The reason is because it’s harder to police cats.
“Cats don’t bark when you knock on the door. Being able to see whether someone owns a cat or not is a lot more complicated than a dog,” MacNeil added.
Luft and Kavanagh insist that licensing is not intended to punish pet owners and acknowledge that change won’t happen in the city overnight.
They’re grateful for the team’s willingness to discuss ways to make every kitty in town a little safer.
