By Sandra Thomas-Staff writer

Kittens and puppies aren't toys and should never be given as Christmas presents, says the operator of a large no-kill cat shelter that's home to hundreds of rescued felines from Vancouver.

"I can't imagine anyone wrapping up a puppy or a kitten and putting it under the tree. It's treated like a toy or a gift," said Penny March of Forgotten Felines, which relocated from Richmond to Surrey last month. "Kids get all of these toys for Christmas and then they get a kitten too? It's no surprise they're discarded after a while just like their toys."

March compares giving kittens at Christmas to giving bunnies at Easter. She has regular "clients" who give up their older cats in November or December in exchange for a younger kitten. March calls it "Give up your old cat for a kitten month."

"They'll say quite proudly, 'We're getting the kids a new kitten for Christmas,'" she said. "And I have to lie and praise them for contacting me because if I tell them what I really think, the next time they'll just dump the cat in the alley."

Many cats do end up in alleys. A local group of volunteers called Urban Lion spends hours in lanes around the city trapping abandoned cats and kittens before they starve, are hit by a car or become a snack for coyotes. March said the group works with several local shelters.

"They are truly amazing," said March.

While Forgotten Felines became a registered non-profit charity four years ago, March has rescued cats for more than a decade. The group's goal is to stop cats from being euthanized due to a lack of good homes and responsible owners.

Its volunteers trap, spay and neuter, vaccinate, and house stray and feral felines, as well as rescue and adopt out domestic cats that have been abused or abandoned. March said her organization moved more than 300 cats and kittens when they relocated, and "the last 100 didn't want to go."

The East Side is a hot spot for unwanted and abused felines and March is not above using a little charm in rescuing a cat in distress. Once Forgotten Felines has been notified of a cat in trouble at a home, March stakes out the house and approaches the owners, even if the situation seems a little risky. In one incident March approached a home used as a drug house, but headed undeterred through the front door.

"There was a woman lying on the couch with a needle stuck in her arm, but I talked to one of the men and he told me there were kittens under the couch," she said. "I got the couch lifted up and moved and collected them."

Another time March arrived in the middle of a party and after speaking with the owner left with a German shepherd, a rottweiler and several cats.

"They even helped me load up the animals," said March.

Even though dogs aren't her main focus, March said she never leaves one behind if she suspects abuse. Last year she placed 17 abused or neglected dogs.

Mark Takhar, manager of the Vancouver SPCA's shelter, said while he hasn't noticed an influx of older felines before Christmas, he definitely sees an increase in surrendered cats and kittens after the holidays.

"People give them as Christmas gifts and by January the novelty has worn off," he said.

Takhar said a new pet should be a family decision and never the result of a surprise. "Christmas is a really hectic time and you need to spend time and effort on a new pet," he said.

posted on 11/29/2004