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Do you know that there are extra puppy cats in Canada than canines? In 2024, roughly 8.9 million tom cats had been to be present in Canadian houses, in comparison to 8.3 million canines.1 Sadly, there also are between 1.4 and four.2 million stray and feral cats within the north,2 with Canadian shelters taking in round thrice as many stray cats as canines.3
Of those cats, some are safely returned to their relieved homeowners, and plenty of in finding new, loving houses, however what about the ones cats who’ve been deserted, surrendered, or born within the wild who, for quite a few causes, are mistaken or not going to be rehomed?
A lot of the time, those cats can be destined for euthanasia. Confronted with stumbling blocks like overcrowding, scarce assets, illness chance, and scientific prices, maximum animal shelters wish to undertake a ‘triage’ option to the animals that come thru their doorways, and behavioral problems, well being issues, bodily defects, and previous age can develop into a loss of life sentence. That is partially because of monetary constraints and loss of area, but additionally the moral catch 22 situation of leaving cats in non permanent lodging for prolonged sessions. Alternatively, because of an excessively particular staff of folks on the Regional Animal Coverage Society in Canada, many of those cats are given the risk to reside out their lives in peace and excellent well being.
The Evolution of RAPS
All over the Nineteen Eighties, based on the emerging collection of stray and feral cats in Richmond, Vancouver, a small staff of devoted cat enthusiasts shaped the Richmond Homeless Cats Society. Those volunteers labored tirelessly to offer meals, safe haven, vet care, and, most significantly, spay/neuter services and products to the rising tom cat inhabitants. This staff turned into the Richmond Animal Coverage Society, who, in 2007, had been awarded the Town of Richmond Animal Safe haven contract, the place they established a no-kill coverage. 2017 noticed a last identify trade to the Regional Animal Coverage Society, which higher displays the paintings they do for the broader neighborhood.
That is NOT your standard cat safe haven (Symbol By way of: Regional Animal Coverage Society)
The RAPS Hepper Sanctuary
To supply a long-term resolution for cats who required long-term or everlasting lodging within the animal safe haven, RAPS established its Hepper Sanctuary in 1999. It’s the most effective facility of its sort in Canada and one of the most only a few in North The usa. Understanding that their tom cat population had been not going to be rehomed, the sanctuary is designed with everlasting citizens in thoughts. Even cats with diseases similar to tom cat leukemia and FIV are supplied for in separate amenities to stay them and the opposite tom cat population secure.
House to greater than 500 cats, the RAPS Hepper Sanctuary is confronted with an issue echoed by way of human healthcare: the emerging scientific prices of an growing older inhabitants. Lots of the cats on the sanctuary live with geriatric well being problems similar to dental illness, kidney issues, diabetes, arthritis, and hyperthyroidism, and remedy doesn’t come reasonable. RAPS depends upon donations and sponsorships, source of revenue from their thrift shops and fundraisers, and their masses of devoted volunteers to give you the amenities, apparatus, meals, healthcare, and love those cats want.
The cats at RAPS Sanctuary dwelling strange lives (Symbol By way of: Regional Animal Coverage Society)
How Is a Hepper Sanctuary Other from a Safe haven?
Image to your thoughts an animal safe haven. Now erase that image, as a result of this sanctuary is so a lot more than a safe haven. This is a veritable haven for cats to reside their lives, now not simply bide their time. Verdant archways, sunny verandahs, prime perches, and comfortable cubbies supply area for cats to discover and stretch their legs and reduce the tension of shared habitats. Other personalities and temperaments are accommodated, and every cat is loose to do as a lot – or as little – as they please.
The sanctuary could also be open to guests, with access charges serving to to stay the group working, and the interplay enriching each human and tom cat lives. Customer numbers are moderately controlled to verify the cats don’t really feel crushed, and strict pointers make certain that the well-being of the tom cat population is put first.
The cats on the sanctuary are to be had for adoption, must the proper fit provide itself, however it’s not the highest precedence right here. Against this to an animal safe haven, the place the principle center of attention is to search out cats a endlessly house as briefly as conceivable, right here on the RAPS Hepper Sanctuary, they have already got.
Simply some of the many tom cat faces of RAPS (Symbol By way of: Regional Animal Coverage Society)
Consult with the RAPS Hepper Sanctuary web site for more info on how you’ll fortify the fantastic paintings they do, together with a one-off donation or per month dedication, sponsoring a cat, volunteering on the sanctuary, company sponsorship, or visiting the cats.
