Sarah Williams
Beaver Staff
Though kittens can’t speak to make you understand how COVID-19 has affected them, Napanee Kitten Rescue founder Nancy Clark can. Recently, she spoke with the Beaver to detail some of the challenges her charity has overcome and continues to face in these perilous times.
The rescue began in 2013, receiving charitable status in 2015. As Clark recounted, every year is difficult but this year has been especially challenging.
Since opening, the need for the rescue has only grown. The rescue has helped 1,100 cats since it’s inception.
“Our first year, we rescued under 100 cats, but we’ve gone up exponentially since then,” explained Clark. “We average about 190-220 per year. I know we hit 1,100 at one point last year.”
Even despite a handful of trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs that have popped up over the years, the need for the kitten rescue has only grown.
“We do some TNR as well. If there are kittens sick that need to come in and there are adults, we do those cats,” she explained.
The rescue also takes in a lot of feral cats in hopes of socializing them, stated Clark.
“We’re very lucky we have some foster homes that are willing to help the adult cats, because it can take over a year for them to be adopted,” Clark commented.
They also take in a lot of feral cats, which can require effort to socialize.
Regardless, the rescue’s focus is mainly on kittens, with a wide-range of reasons why felines might find themselves orphaned.
“Our focus is babies. We have a lot of orphans, whether the mom cats were killed on the roads, by predators or perhaps the babies were left in a garbage bag on the side of the road,” said Clark.
Clark was careful to add that, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, the rescue has taken in a lot of injured cats as there is currently nowhere for them to go.
“We’ve had quite a few injured and sick adults. We had two boys come in that had a horrible calicivirus and lesions in their mouth were so bad they couldn’t eat. They were starving. One had also gotten into rat poison. We don’t know whether he had eaten a mouse that had gotten into some rat poison, or somebody was poisoning cats which they do occasionally,” said Clark.
“This is not really what we normally do, but at the time, all the shelters were closed. No where else will care for them,” she added.
The efforts of the rescue do not come without a price tag and, unfortunately, all fundraising events for this charity have been cancelled due to the pandemic.
“This year is really tough because we’re getting donations, but we’re just not getting the fundraising we normally do,” Clark expressed.
Currently, the only channel of funds for the rescue is through adoption fees and donations.
With adoption numbers far lower than previous years, the rescue is left with fewer funds and higher bills.
“Adoptions have gone down. We’ve done about 25 since the beginning of the year. Normally, we could do 25 adoptions at an event at the pet store,” noted Clark.
Clark also noted that most shelters are beginning to open back up, but that the one in Napanee has yet to reopen its doors.
Normally, the rescue would only take in about 90 cats/kittens in their care at this time, but currently they have 160.
Despite the many challenges, Clark commented that the pandemic has revealed the good side of people.
“Just like any rescue, we see the bad side of people with cats and kittens being dumped etc. But at the same time, there are so many wonderful people out there, who are on the other side of things and are helping,” said Clark. “I just think that’s awesome. Our community has been pretty good.”
For more information about the Napanee Kitten Rescue, or to donate, visit their website: https://napaneecommunitykittenrescue.ca/ or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NapaneeCommunityKittenRescue