Pet store bankruptcy catastrophic for B.C. SPCA

AVancouver animal shelter has 150 per centmore cats than usual because a chain ofpet stores, Petcetera,is in receivership.

The seasonal explosion ofkittens and cats would usually be handled by sending the cats to Petcetera stores, where people wouldadopt them.

When Petcetera started bankruptcy proceedings in March,all the kittens left in the store were sent to the Vancouver shelter.

The B.C. SPCA usually cares for about 100 cats at this time of year, butthat number isnow250 and the organization is pleading with the public to adopt a cat so none have to be destroyed.

The shelter is so full, staff areforced to housecats in the dog kennel section.

"We're pleadingwith the public to help us so they don't have to stay in dog kennels," said Kim Monteith,regional animal welfare supervisor at the B.C. SPCA.

Monteith said all the shelters around the province are full of cats.

"People in Vancouver and throughout the province [step up]because all shelters are overwhelmed they'll show up to shelters and adopt."

Overcrowding can lead to health issues

Kimberley Hossie, who works at the shelter, said that overcrowding at the shelter can cause health problems for the cats.

"When you have too many cats, that's when the diseases start. It's highly contagious, the upper respiratory [infection,]it just creates a big problem," said Hossie.

Anupper respiratory outbreak can be caused by stress in cats there wasupper respiratory outbreak in the shelter recently, so many of the cats had to be fostered.

Hossie said if people aren't sure about adopting, they can start by fostering a cat while the SPCA clears the backlog of cats that need adoption.