Cat's meow at the Coquitlam shelter

By Leneen Robb - Staff Reporter

Cats at the Coquitlam Animal Shelter may soon have more room to practise being outdoor kitties, all the while protected from hazards like coyotes and cars.

That's because their already generously sized outdoor enclosure, which is connected by a door to more conventional indoor kennels and closed in by fencing and Plexiglas, may soon be expanded to twice its current size.

Staff have been exploring options for expanding the "popular outdoor section" of the cat room, according to a report from the city's manager of bylaw enforcement and animal services, "in order to accommodate the increasing number of cats at the shelter and the many members of the public who enjoy playing with the cats in an open, outdoor environment."

The outdoor enclosure has "proven to be popular year-round with both the cats and the public," the report states, so Plexiglas will be added to the southern side of the enclosure to provide protection against inclement weather.

The enclosure's size will be increased by extending it eastward toward Mariner Way.

In related news, the shelter has experienced a "significant" increase in the number of animals handled during 2004, as compared to previous years.

Now halfway through its third year, the shelter handled 18 per cent more animals during the first six months of 2004 than during the same period in 2003, and 27 per cent more than during the same period in 2002.

During the first six months of this year, the shelter received 407 animals - 247 dogs, 116 cats, six birds, 32 rabbits and six other species.

Most of the dogs - 83 per cent - were reclaimed by their owners, while only 12 per cent of the cats returned to their former homes.

At any animal shelter, cats are far less likely to be retrieved by their owners.

Overall, 74.6 per cent of all available animals were adopted.

The shelter also played a role in reuniting 116 lost pets with their owners, through a lost and found database. The animals were matched with their owners without ending up at the shelter.

Although the shelter follows a no-kill policy, five cats were euthanized during the first half of this year - one because of temperament and the other four due to health reasons.

One bird died at the shelter due to natural causes, as did one rabbit.

No dogs were killed during the first half of 2004.