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It was a bone-chilling winter day when two kittens, Wiley and Remmy, were found dumped in an alley in a bag.
Luckily for the pair, Regina Cat Rescue spared one of their nine lives by taking them in and nursing them back to health.
Someone found the pair of kittens in the bag and contacted Regina Cat Rescue for help. (Regina Cat Rescue/Sbumitted)
Alanna Whippler, the nonprofit, volunteer-based animal rescue’s adoption lead said, that’s unfortunately a typical situation they see during the winter.
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“It’s not uncommon at all in the city for people to dump animals in the freezing weather, whether they’re in boxes and dropped off in parking lots or they’re put in bags and left in an alley, as is the case with Wiley and Remmy,” she said.
Listen to Whippler on Behind the Headlines:
“Thankfully, someone witnessed these two kittens being dumped in an alley and were able to rescue them, and we were able to place them into foster care. So they emerged from their little adventure relatively unscathed, but obviously they could have frozen to death or suffered frostbite.”
Kamara is a friendly, affectionate, loving cat. She’ll be happiest as the only cat in a household. According to Whippler, she’d make a great companion for someone who’s retired or on their own and is looking for a little bit of love and company. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
The Regina Cat Rescue has been operating in the city for around 40 years. It runs on volunteers and fosters and does not have a facility.
When it comes to cats, Whippler said Regina has a “huge overpopulation problem.”
She said some areas in the city can have up to 40 feral and stray cats.
“It’s pretty crazy,” she said.
“That’s one situation, and you could probably find that on every other block in some of the core areas. But we can only do so much. We’re one of the few organizations that does the trap, neuter and return, so the feral cat population in Regina is largely uncontrolled.”
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The rescue has around 80 volunteers who help run fundraisers, foster animals or feed community stray and feral cats. But with around 150 cats and kittens currently in its care, the rescue has announced it’s under an intake freeze.
Clifford has a cyst in his brain that causes seizures, so he needs extra love. He has thrived with the help of an anti-seizure medication. (Alanna Whippler/submitted)
“We can’t take on any new rescues,” Whippler said, “which is really heartbreaking because we know there’s lots of cats out in the cold that could sure use a warm place. But we need to have those foster spots. We need to have those adoptions happening and be moving our cats.”
Whippler said finding fosters and getting donations has been a challenge since the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the rising cost of living, she understands why the numbers are still down, but said there are a number of ways to help.
“People can volunteer at fundraisers, attend or support fundraisers, (and) fostering cats and kittens is always a big thing. We pretty much never have enough fosters,” she said.
“Donating food is a big thing. Our food expenses are through the roof again, not getting as much donated even though we do have some food sponsors.”
While the organization is under an intake freeze, the rescue still provides help to community members who take care of stray and feral cats during the winter.
“We do offer insulated shelter boxes for cats that are living outside during the winter, so they’re basically pharmaceutical coolers,” she said.
“We fix them up with a pillow and a wicking fleece blanket and make them cozy. There’s a little flap so the wind can’t get in. They are not sophisticated, they’re not super fancy, but they do the trick and they have helped many cats get through the cold winters here.”
Volunteers make the insulated shelter boxes for people taking care of strays and feral cats. (Alanna Whippler/submitted)
She said providing food and, if possible, water in a heated bowl is also crucial.
Whippler said she hopes the intake freeze will help the rescue and its volunteers catch their breath while they find new fosters, but as quickly as the rescue adopts cats out, they’re taking more in.
More information on the Regina Cat Rescue can be found on the organization’s website.
Clifford was born during a winter storm along with four other cats. Clifford, his siblings and their mom were all placed into foster care. (Alanna Whippler/submitted)