SPCA looks for owner of a cat wounded by coyotes in North Van

The SPCA is looking for the owner of a cat that was attacked by coyotes in North Vancouver.

Charlotte Ellice, the branch manager of BC SPCA West Vancouver branch said the cat has deep wounds and seems to be attacked by wildlife, presumably by coyotes.

“There is no way of saying for sure, but from the wounds it looks this was coyotes that attacked the cat,” Ellice said.

The medium hair, male cat was attacked in the 400 blocks of West 6^th Street. “Thankfully this kitty was somehow able to escape and run into the home of an animal lover who helped him get the care he needed,” Ellice said.

Ellice said the SPCA is thankful to the Norgate Animal Hospital in North Vancouver for quickly able to stabilize the cat. She said the cat is well-fed but it seems like it has been stray for a few days.

“Now that he’s feeling better, we need to help him find his way home,” she said.

This won’t be the first time West Van SPCA has had stray cats come to them. In 2016, BC SPCA took in 39 stray cats from the city and only four from the district. In 2017, it took 37 stray cats from the city compared to nine from the district. Last year, West Van BC SPCA took in 52 stray cats from the city, majority of whom needed medical care, says Ellice, who made a presentation to the city council last week.

When people notice a stray cat, they either call the SPCA directly, or they call the city, which directs the call to SPCA. The SPCA has a contract with West Vancouver, but the city or the district doesn’t offer any financial aid to it. That needs to change, Ellice said in an earlier interview with the Global Canadian.

“We will never turn away an animal that needs help but we are spending thousands of dollars on these cats, and we get no financial help from the city,” she says.

West Van SPCA receives an average of one stray cat every week, and almost all of them need medical attention. “We have had cats come in that have been attacked by wildlife or by other cats. We have had older senior cats with kidney problems and the biggest is poor dental,” she says.

Most stray cats also don’t have any ID, which makes it harder for SPCA to track the owner. Despite these challenges, SPCA has managed to find loving homes for over 95 per cent of the animals, including the stray cats.