The municipalities of Coquitlam, Delta, Maple Ridge, North Vancouver City, North Vancouver District, and Surrey have enacted cat control bylaws that could be used to "round-up-and-kill" thousands of stray cats and feral cats because of a section that can force everyone trying to help a stray cat or all the feral cat rescuers to give the cat over to the local pound - where almost all of them will be killed.

A solution is needed that doesn’t create the even worse problem of "kitten mills". A shortage of kittens caused by stringently enforced mandatory spay/neuter could create a market for kittens. Animal Advocates has already seen advertisements in the Sun and Province newspapers, offering ordinary kittens for sale for as much as $100.00, so the casual breeding for profit of ordinary kittens has already started. We’ve also seen many of these "basement breeding" operations where cats are kept in dark sheds and basements, in cages their whole lives, almost always with upper respiratory infections, sometimes with FeLeuk or FIV, and always infested with fleas and worms. When they become weakened by constant breeding and cheap care, and can’t produce viable kittens anymore, they are dumped at SPCA’s where many are killed.

The campaigns that urge people to spay or neuter their cat have been acted on by thoughtful people, and have been ignored by that element in society that doesn’t care about the suffering and killing caused when they let their cat have kittens, or who are looking for easy money.

Why does mandatory spay/neuter miss the point?

* Because not all unsterilized cats produce kittens; indoor cats for instance and male cats can’t give birth (although Animal Advocates is strongly in favour for health reasons, of all cats being sterilized).
* Because kitten mills will go underground as kittens become scare and therefore worth more money.
* Because the big winners will be pet stores, as they are now with expensive puppies.
* Because of the impossibility of determining which cats are sterilized in order to impose a fine; but a cat with a litter of kittens for sale clearly has been bred and therefore easily subject to breeding by-laws.
* Because of the resistance of the public to ever-increasing legislation, intrusive government "snooping", and more taxation.

If a person wishes to casually breed their family cat they must buy a "Casual Breeding License" which would allow a cat to be bred once only. (suggested fee: $150.00; slightly more than the average cost to spay a cat.)

* The cat must be spayed after one litter,
* The license number of the permit must be included in any advertising of the kittens, and displayed where the kittens are being adopted.
* The kittens may not be given to new owners until they have been certified healthy by a vet, no earlier than 8 weeks of age and have had their vaccines (for distemper at the least).
* The kitten must have a microchip implanted at this first vet visit.
* The breeder of the kittens will be required to inform the vet or the microchip company of the names and addresses of the new owners of the kittens.
* The kittens may not be sold for profit, but all verifiable expenses may be recovered from the new owner to discourage people who want a "free" kitten as for food for snakes.
* The license stipulates permission for animal by-law enforcement officers to inspect the cat and kittens if there is cause to believe they are not in good health or otherwise being cared for humanely, or that a license has not been purchased. Like most by-laws, this would be complaint-driven only.
* Failure to comply with the above would result in a fine (suggested: of three times the license fee)

Commercial Breeding License

If a person wishes to breed for profit, they must purchase a breeding for profit license is to stipulate that: (suggested fee: $300.00. Purebred kittens cost from $250.00 to $2500.00 each)

* All cats in the cattery must have a readable ear tattoo or a microchip.
* Any queen may be bred only once a year, and only three times in total, and then must be spayed.
* No queen can be bred until certified healthy by a vet. This certification must be displayed where kittens are sold.
* The license number of the permit must be included in any advertising of the kittens, and displayed where the kittens are being sold.
* The kittens may not be sold to new owners until they have been certified healthy by a vet, no earlier than 8 weeks of age and have had their vaccines (for distemper at the least).
* The kittens must have a microchip implanted at this first visit.
* The breeder of the kittens will be required to inform the vet or the microchip company of the names and addresses of the new owners of the kittens.
* The license stipulates permission for animal by-law enforcement officers (usually the SPCA) to inspect the cat and kittens if there is cause to believe they are not in good health or otherwise being cared for humanely, or that a license has not been purchased. Like most by-laws, this would be complaint-driven only.

IDENTIFICATION OF CATS: Mandatory identification of cats should be required. All cats should have an ear tattoo or a microchip. Too many cats are killed because their owner cannot be found, and cats are too easy to obtain and then abandon because there is no consequence of doing this.

Like all the unofficial cat rescue groups, Animal Advocates has spent years tender trapping cast-off cats and their kittens, invested thousands of dollars restoring their health, nursing the sick and the well, having them spayed and neutered, and finding them good homes.

But the plight of cats is worsening every year. Women who have done cat rescue for 30 years, and spent millions of hard-raised dollars trapping and spaying and neutering and feeding, say there are many more abandoned and sick cats today than when they started.

While always formulating and implementing solutions, Animal Advocates has been very busy doing rescue work. Our organization alone spent $35,000 in 1997 on cats, trying to save lives and make changes. We estimate that alternative rescue organizations, and thousands of caring, cat-loving individuals, raise and spend one million dollars every year – none of it on wages and salaries – all of it on direct compassionate work.

Like all the other no-kill animal rescue societies, Animal Advocates truly wants to see an end to the killing and suffering of creatures that have been deliberately bred to be absolutely dependent on us, helpless to prevent all the cruel and thoughtless things we do to them. None of the alternative organizations stand to gain financially by cat control contracts. For that reason we believe our solutions are credible.

THE SELLING OF KITTENS TO PET STORES

Pet Store owners may only purchase kittens from breeders who have complied with the regulations:

* the breeder of the kittens holds a valid permit to breed;

* the kittens are at least 8 weeks old, have been vaccinated, microchipped, and have a vet certificate of good health;

* the pet store owner must display a copy of the breeding permit and include the vet records with the sale of a kitten;

* the pet store must inform the municipality of the new owner of the microchip registration.