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Ella is a handsome three-year-old tortoiseshell tabby cat who likes to have her head scratched. She’s quiet and gentle. Or at least she apparently was when she was placed in a steel cage just larger than two square feet.
These days she can sometimes be crabby, nipping at the hands of strangers who try to pet her.
Whether that might be because of her accommodations at the PetSmart store at Lansdowne Park, or some other cause, it’s impossible to say.
Her steel cage had the essentials: food and water, a cardboard box to hide in, a cat bed and tiny litter box. But there was no room to run or climb, and no escape.
Ella was housed at PetSmart under the auspices of the Ottawa Humane Society, which partners with pet stores that volunteer to house and help care for cats up for adoption.
It’s one of three Humane Society partner stores that use steel cages just slightly larger than what is deemed “cruel” by the Association of Shelter Veterinarian’s (ASV) guidelines for the care of animals.
The cages are also smaller than the minimum standards recommended by a Canadian pet store industry group.
The cage that housed Ella is 2.3 feet (70 cm) by 2.3 feet, or 5.3 square feet. The ASV guidelines say stainless steel cages of less than two feet by two feet are unacceptable as primary enclosures, and “are cruel if used as such.”
A non-profit association representing the Canadian pet industry says cages for adult cats in stores should be a minimum of 80 cm (2.6 feet) wide and 75 cm (2.4 feet) high. The standard assumes the “minimum needs for socialization and exercise are already being met,” says the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada.
Employees and Humane Society volunteers played with Ella inside her cage, but she was not let out because it wouldn’t be safe to allow her to roam the store. She might encounter dogs, kids and other dangers, or flee out the front door. She was at the store for five weeks, and in the small cage for at least 16 days of that time.
About half of the 4,000 cats adopted through the Humane Society each year are housed at pet store partners. Conditions at the stores vary. At most of the dozen stores toured by the Citizen, cats are housed in enclosures with several levels, and shelves for perching. At some, cats are occasionally allowed to roam the store.
The Lansdowne, Barrhaven and Kanata PetSmart stores have the 5.3 square-feet cages such as the one that housed Ella, along with some other cages that are slightly larger, at 70 cm wide and 85 cm high.
The ASV guidelines don’t cite a specific size that is acceptable, but they note that “cats housed in cages with 11 square feet of floor space were found to be significantly less stressed than those with only 5.3 feet of space … Shelters should strive to exceed these dimensions, particularly as length of stay increases.”
Ella’s home featured a cat bed, cardboard box and litter pan, all a few inches apart. Guidelines from the Association of Shelter Veterinarians say there should be two feet of space between eating, resting and litter areas.
The layout of enclosures also has a significant impact on animal health and welfare. For cats, the ASV recommends a triangle configuration that includes two feet of space between their resting area, food and litter box. Litter boxes should be large enough to comfortably accommodate the cat’s body.
The Humane Society does not limit how long cats can remain in cages at pet stores, said operations manager Sharon Miko. “Because they tend to get adopted so quickly, it’s typically not an issue for us.”
“No, we don’t want to see cats in cages for long periods of time. So the focus is, ‘Let’s do what we can to get them into homes more quickly.’ ”
Ella’s five-week stay at Lansdowne PetSmart appears to be unusually long. Miko says cats tend to be adopted “in a matter of days,” while managers at the Barrhaven and Kanata PetSmart stores say adult cats typically are adopted within two or three weeks at most, and kittens more quickly.
Two other cats housed at Lansdowne PetSmart in December were adopted after spending 17 days in cages. Five kittens, meanwhile, were adopted within a day.
Mason was housed at PetSmart at Lansdowne Park from Dec. 9 until he was adopted Dec. 26. This cage is 70 cm wide by 85 cm high.
The ASV guidelines say that if cats stay longer than one or two weeks in a shelter, “alternatives to traditional (cage) housing must be provided,” including an environment that allows for scratching, climbing, perching, and “an opportunity to exercise and explore in a secure, enriched setting.”
Ella in her cage at PetSmart at Lansdowne Park. Staff played with her inside the cage, but she was not let out.
Both the Humane Society and PetSmart maintain they follow the ASV guidelines.
Humane Society volunteers and store staff provide cats with “as much enrichment as possible,” said Miko.
At Lansdowne PetSmart, clerks played with Ella inside her cage, although one said he wouldn’t take her out for a customer to hold because she was already too stressed. “She wants out of the cage.”
Managers at the Barrhaven and Kanata PetSmarts say Humane Society volunteers or staff remove the cats at least once a day and hold them. Barrhaven store manager Sarah Boileau said that while cages aren’t ideal, “you have to think of the end goal. A couple of weeks in a cage versus 20 years of life in a good home…”
The cat cages at PetSmart in Barrhaven. The top row of cages are 70 cm wide by 70 cm high, while the bottom row of cages are 70 cm wide by 85 cm high. In the bottom cage on the left, a wall had been removed to create a cage double the size for a cat that had been in residence a week. Three cats who had arrived the day before were in the single cages on top.
At that store, a wall had been removed between two cages to create an enclosure double the size to house a cat that had been at the store for a week. Three other cats that had arrived the day before were in single cages.
Some of the cages at all three stores are at ground level, which is not recommended by the ASV guidelines, since it’s more stressful for cats, who like to be elevated. It also means dogs that come into the store with customers can walk right up to the cages.
Sophie Leclair-Roberge was checking out the cats with her three young children. The family adopted a kitten from the store about a year ago, and Buddy is a delightful addition to their family, she said. Her son Zev, 7, explains that Buddy likes to play with balls and swat glasses of water off the table, then lick up the spills.
“If Buddy was put into a cage like this, even for a day, how do you think he’d feel?” said Leclair-Roberge. “Sad!” yells Zev. “Hopefully they aren’t here for long,” said Leclair-Roberge. “They need to run. They need to play. They need to move.”
The Humane Society is no doubt doing the best it can, as are the pet stores, she said. She mused about how to improve things, such as finding a room the cats could safely run around in, perhaps after hours, to give them a break. Confining a cat to a small cage for weeks is “not OK,” she said.
Natalie is an inquisitive five-month-old cat housed at the PetSmart in Barrhaven awaiting a home.
Miko says the Humane Society places the most adoptable cats in stores. Cats with special needs are kept at the Society’s main office on Hunt Club Road. Cats who have long stays — some are at the shelter as long as six months or even a year — are provided enrichment, such as time out of cages, she said. The headquarters has a variety of housing, from small rooms called “cat condos” to cages.
One of the “cat condo” rooms at the Ottawa Humane Society.
A cat cage at the Ottawa Humane Society shelter, which has a main enclosure attached to a separate space that holds the litter box. In total, the cage is about 112 cm wide by 70 cm high.
At the stores, Miko says Humane Society volunteers help care for the cats.
“And our partners are fantastic at contacting us if they have any concerns.” Sometimes, for instance, cats are taken back to headquarters because the store environment is too stimulating, and they need a quieter space. “We work very closely with our partners to make sure the animals are well cared for and we do think it’s a very successful program.”
A spokesperson for PetSmart Charities says each store chooses an adoption partner such as the Humane Society. The partner is required to “maintain a healthy and safe environment for pets to live in as they await adoption,” said public relations manager Carrie Trembinski.
In response to a query about the steel cages, PetsMart said, in a statement: “We are always evaluating processes for adoptable pets in our stores, and in light of this, we have identified some areas where we will work with our adoption partners to make positive changes.”
The cages “exceed the ASV guidelines, which sets the high standards of care in this industry,” said PetSmart, and the company is “proud of the work that we do to help pets find their forever homes.”
The company did not immediately reply to a request to clarify how the cages exceed ASV guidelines.
The pet stores provide the space and handle the adoption paperwork for the Humane Society.
Most of the eight PetSmart stores in Ottawa do not use mobile steel cages but have custom-built cat adoption centres, said Trembinski.
At the Heron Road store, for instance, the enclosures have two levels, with a perch, a separate area hidden behind a wooden facade for litter, and a hallway in back with space for store staff or customers to hold or play with the cats.
“If it wasn’t for companies like PetSmart, I don’t know how the Ottawa Humane Society would keep up with all these stray cats,” said Erik Eide, the store’s assistant manager.
The cat boxes at PetSmart on Merivale Road are adaptable: depending on how busy it is, cats are either given two pods or four. Each pod is 55 centimetres high and 55 centimetres wide.
At several smaller Humane Society partner stores the Citizen visited, only one or two cats are accepted, and cats are sometimes let out of the cages.
“We try to give them as much roaming room as we can,” says Melissa Wark, a clerk at the PetValu on Hazeldean Road.
The store has one cage, designed for ferrets, which is 82 cm wide by 120 cm high, with two levels and a perch. A similar cage is used at several PetValu stores.
If a cat has been there awhile, staff let it wander before the store opens and after closing hours. “They’re awesome,” says Wark, who has four cats herself. The cats are usually adopted quickly, said Wark. “I’ve only seen one or two cats get to a month long.”
If a cat has been at the store for a month, it’s transferred to another store so a wider range of customers are exposed to it, she said. “Maybe his forever family is someone who lives in Barrhaven.”
Store manager Marg McIlree said customers come in just to see the cats, and buy them treats and toys. “Any animal that finds a home, it’s a good feeling. Lots of customers that adopt will bring in a month later and tell us how they’re doing.”
At the PetValu on March Road, which also has a ferret cage. Manager Allison Rodgers says the kittens are adopted quickly because “they’re little and cute.
“Some kittens will go in half an hour, some adults in about two weeks.
“The cool thing is we get to know them pretty well. Which makes it easier to find them a good home.”
Cats are occasionally let out of the cage. “We like to let them stretch their legs for a little bit. It’s a big cage, but not a huge cage.”
Several PetValu stores and March Road Pet Food and Grooming use cages originally designed for ferrets. This one at March Road Pet Food is 63.5 centimetres wide and 158 centimetres high.
At March Road Pet Food and Grooming, one Humane Society cat had been in residence in a ferret cage for two weeks when the Citizen visited. The cage was empty, though. “Where’s Zack?” owner Neil Marion said to his co-owner and wife, Donna Dwyer. He got down on his hands and knees, calling and checking out nooks and crannies in the store, then touring the basement.
“We fall in love with a lot of the cats that come here,” said Marion.
The store wasn’t busy, so Zack was allowed to roam. Marion estimates they have adopted out 30 to 50 cats a year. “They’re usually here for a couple of weeks, then they’re gone.”
At the PetValu at Southgate shopping centre on Hunt Club Road, the two cages have two compartments, similar to the ones at the Humane Society. Staffer Alison Lister said when the store isn’t busy, they let cats out for exercise.
Kittens can be gone in a week, older cats as long as eight weeks, she said. “It makes us feel good to make sure these cats find a home.”
And what happened to Ella? After a month at Lansdowne PetSmart, she was moved to a roomier double cage at that store for a few days. On Dec. 31, she was transferred to the PetSmart at Herongate shopping centre for a few days, then to the PetValu on Baseline Road. On Sunday, she wasn’t feeling well, so Humane Society staff took her back to the main headquarters.
jmiller@postmedia.com
After a month, Ella was moved to a roomier double cage at Lansdowne PetSmart.
Ella was moved to this two-level cage at the PetSmart on Heron Road on Dec. 31.
The four cages at PetSmart at Herongate Mall. Each cage has two levels so cats can climb. There is also an attached space behind the wooden area that contains a litter box.
查看原文...
These days she can sometimes be crabby, nipping at the hands of strangers who try to pet her.
Whether that might be because of her accommodations at the PetSmart store at Lansdowne Park, or some other cause, it’s impossible to say.
Her steel cage had the essentials: food and water, a cardboard box to hide in, a cat bed and tiny litter box. But there was no room to run or climb, and no escape.
Ella was housed at PetSmart under the auspices of the Ottawa Humane Society, which partners with pet stores that volunteer to house and help care for cats up for adoption.
It’s one of three Humane Society partner stores that use steel cages just slightly larger than what is deemed “cruel” by the Association of Shelter Veterinarian’s (ASV) guidelines for the care of animals.
The cages are also smaller than the minimum standards recommended by a Canadian pet store industry group.
The cage that housed Ella is 2.3 feet (70 cm) by 2.3 feet, or 5.3 square feet. The ASV guidelines say stainless steel cages of less than two feet by two feet are unacceptable as primary enclosures, and “are cruel if used as such.”
A non-profit association representing the Canadian pet industry says cages for adult cats in stores should be a minimum of 80 cm (2.6 feet) wide and 75 cm (2.4 feet) high. The standard assumes the “minimum needs for socialization and exercise are already being met,” says the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada.
Employees and Humane Society volunteers played with Ella inside her cage, but she was not let out because it wouldn’t be safe to allow her to roam the store. She might encounter dogs, kids and other dangers, or flee out the front door. She was at the store for five weeks, and in the small cage for at least 16 days of that time.
About half of the 4,000 cats adopted through the Humane Society each year are housed at pet store partners. Conditions at the stores vary. At most of the dozen stores toured by the Citizen, cats are housed in enclosures with several levels, and shelves for perching. At some, cats are occasionally allowed to roam the store.
The Lansdowne, Barrhaven and Kanata PetSmart stores have the 5.3 square-feet cages such as the one that housed Ella, along with some other cages that are slightly larger, at 70 cm wide and 85 cm high.
The ASV guidelines don’t cite a specific size that is acceptable, but they note that “cats housed in cages with 11 square feet of floor space were found to be significantly less stressed than those with only 5.3 feet of space … Shelters should strive to exceed these dimensions, particularly as length of stay increases.”
Ella’s home featured a cat bed, cardboard box and litter pan, all a few inches apart. Guidelines from the Association of Shelter Veterinarians say there should be two feet of space between eating, resting and litter areas.
The layout of enclosures also has a significant impact on animal health and welfare. For cats, the ASV recommends a triangle configuration that includes two feet of space between their resting area, food and litter box. Litter boxes should be large enough to comfortably accommodate the cat’s body.
The Humane Society does not limit how long cats can remain in cages at pet stores, said operations manager Sharon Miko. “Because they tend to get adopted so quickly, it’s typically not an issue for us.”
“No, we don’t want to see cats in cages for long periods of time. So the focus is, ‘Let’s do what we can to get them into homes more quickly.’ ”
Ella’s five-week stay at Lansdowne PetSmart appears to be unusually long. Miko says cats tend to be adopted “in a matter of days,” while managers at the Barrhaven and Kanata PetSmart stores say adult cats typically are adopted within two or three weeks at most, and kittens more quickly.
Two other cats housed at Lansdowne PetSmart in December were adopted after spending 17 days in cages. Five kittens, meanwhile, were adopted within a day.
Mason was housed at PetSmart at Lansdowne Park from Dec. 9 until he was adopted Dec. 26. This cage is 70 cm wide by 85 cm high.
The ASV guidelines say that if cats stay longer than one or two weeks in a shelter, “alternatives to traditional (cage) housing must be provided,” including an environment that allows for scratching, climbing, perching, and “an opportunity to exercise and explore in a secure, enriched setting.”
Ella in her cage at PetSmart at Lansdowne Park. Staff played with her inside the cage, but she was not let out.
Both the Humane Society and PetSmart maintain they follow the ASV guidelines.
Humane Society volunteers and store staff provide cats with “as much enrichment as possible,” said Miko.
At Lansdowne PetSmart, clerks played with Ella inside her cage, although one said he wouldn’t take her out for a customer to hold because she was already too stressed. “She wants out of the cage.”
Managers at the Barrhaven and Kanata PetSmarts say Humane Society volunteers or staff remove the cats at least once a day and hold them. Barrhaven store manager Sarah Boileau said that while cages aren’t ideal, “you have to think of the end goal. A couple of weeks in a cage versus 20 years of life in a good home…”
The cat cages at PetSmart in Barrhaven. The top row of cages are 70 cm wide by 70 cm high, while the bottom row of cages are 70 cm wide by 85 cm high. In the bottom cage on the left, a wall had been removed to create a cage double the size for a cat that had been in residence a week. Three cats who had arrived the day before were in the single cages on top.
At that store, a wall had been removed between two cages to create an enclosure double the size to house a cat that had been at the store for a week. Three other cats that had arrived the day before were in single cages.
Some of the cages at all three stores are at ground level, which is not recommended by the ASV guidelines, since it’s more stressful for cats, who like to be elevated. It also means dogs that come into the store with customers can walk right up to the cages.
Sophie Leclair-Roberge was checking out the cats with her three young children. The family adopted a kitten from the store about a year ago, and Buddy is a delightful addition to their family, she said. Her son Zev, 7, explains that Buddy likes to play with balls and swat glasses of water off the table, then lick up the spills.
“If Buddy was put into a cage like this, even for a day, how do you think he’d feel?” said Leclair-Roberge. “Sad!” yells Zev. “Hopefully they aren’t here for long,” said Leclair-Roberge. “They need to run. They need to play. They need to move.”
The Humane Society is no doubt doing the best it can, as are the pet stores, she said. She mused about how to improve things, such as finding a room the cats could safely run around in, perhaps after hours, to give them a break. Confining a cat to a small cage for weeks is “not OK,” she said.
Natalie is an inquisitive five-month-old cat housed at the PetSmart in Barrhaven awaiting a home.
Miko says the Humane Society places the most adoptable cats in stores. Cats with special needs are kept at the Society’s main office on Hunt Club Road. Cats who have long stays — some are at the shelter as long as six months or even a year — are provided enrichment, such as time out of cages, she said. The headquarters has a variety of housing, from small rooms called “cat condos” to cages.
One of the “cat condo” rooms at the Ottawa Humane Society.
A cat cage at the Ottawa Humane Society shelter, which has a main enclosure attached to a separate space that holds the litter box. In total, the cage is about 112 cm wide by 70 cm high.
At the stores, Miko says Humane Society volunteers help care for the cats.
“And our partners are fantastic at contacting us if they have any concerns.” Sometimes, for instance, cats are taken back to headquarters because the store environment is too stimulating, and they need a quieter space. “We work very closely with our partners to make sure the animals are well cared for and we do think it’s a very successful program.”
A spokesperson for PetSmart Charities says each store chooses an adoption partner such as the Humane Society. The partner is required to “maintain a healthy and safe environment for pets to live in as they await adoption,” said public relations manager Carrie Trembinski.
In response to a query about the steel cages, PetsMart said, in a statement: “We are always evaluating processes for adoptable pets in our stores, and in light of this, we have identified some areas where we will work with our adoption partners to make positive changes.”
The cages “exceed the ASV guidelines, which sets the high standards of care in this industry,” said PetSmart, and the company is “proud of the work that we do to help pets find their forever homes.”
The company did not immediately reply to a request to clarify how the cages exceed ASV guidelines.
The pet stores provide the space and handle the adoption paperwork for the Humane Society.
Most of the eight PetSmart stores in Ottawa do not use mobile steel cages but have custom-built cat adoption centres, said Trembinski.
At the Heron Road store, for instance, the enclosures have two levels, with a perch, a separate area hidden behind a wooden facade for litter, and a hallway in back with space for store staff or customers to hold or play with the cats.
“If it wasn’t for companies like PetSmart, I don’t know how the Ottawa Humane Society would keep up with all these stray cats,” said Erik Eide, the store’s assistant manager.
The cat boxes at PetSmart on Merivale Road are adaptable: depending on how busy it is, cats are either given two pods or four. Each pod is 55 centimetres high and 55 centimetres wide.
At several smaller Humane Society partner stores the Citizen visited, only one or two cats are accepted, and cats are sometimes let out of the cages.
“We try to give them as much roaming room as we can,” says Melissa Wark, a clerk at the PetValu on Hazeldean Road.
The store has one cage, designed for ferrets, which is 82 cm wide by 120 cm high, with two levels and a perch. A similar cage is used at several PetValu stores.
If a cat has been there awhile, staff let it wander before the store opens and after closing hours. “They’re awesome,” says Wark, who has four cats herself. The cats are usually adopted quickly, said Wark. “I’ve only seen one or two cats get to a month long.”
If a cat has been at the store for a month, it’s transferred to another store so a wider range of customers are exposed to it, she said. “Maybe his forever family is someone who lives in Barrhaven.”
Store manager Marg McIlree said customers come in just to see the cats, and buy them treats and toys. “Any animal that finds a home, it’s a good feeling. Lots of customers that adopt will bring in a month later and tell us how they’re doing.”
At the PetValu on March Road, which also has a ferret cage. Manager Allison Rodgers says the kittens are adopted quickly because “they’re little and cute.
“Some kittens will go in half an hour, some adults in about two weeks.
“The cool thing is we get to know them pretty well. Which makes it easier to find them a good home.”
Cats are occasionally let out of the cage. “We like to let them stretch their legs for a little bit. It’s a big cage, but not a huge cage.”
Several PetValu stores and March Road Pet Food and Grooming use cages originally designed for ferrets. This one at March Road Pet Food is 63.5 centimetres wide and 158 centimetres high.
At March Road Pet Food and Grooming, one Humane Society cat had been in residence in a ferret cage for two weeks when the Citizen visited. The cage was empty, though. “Where’s Zack?” owner Neil Marion said to his co-owner and wife, Donna Dwyer. He got down on his hands and knees, calling and checking out nooks and crannies in the store, then touring the basement.
“We fall in love with a lot of the cats that come here,” said Marion.
The store wasn’t busy, so Zack was allowed to roam. Marion estimates they have adopted out 30 to 50 cats a year. “They’re usually here for a couple of weeks, then they’re gone.”
At the PetValu at Southgate shopping centre on Hunt Club Road, the two cages have two compartments, similar to the ones at the Humane Society. Staffer Alison Lister said when the store isn’t busy, they let cats out for exercise.
Kittens can be gone in a week, older cats as long as eight weeks, she said. “It makes us feel good to make sure these cats find a home.”
And what happened to Ella? After a month at Lansdowne PetSmart, she was moved to a roomier double cage at that store for a few days. On Dec. 31, she was transferred to the PetSmart at Herongate shopping centre for a few days, then to the PetValu on Baseline Road. On Sunday, she wasn’t feeling well, so Humane Society staff took her back to the main headquarters.
jmiller@postmedia.com
After a month, Ella was moved to a roomier double cage at Lansdowne PetSmart.
Ella was moved to this two-level cage at the PetSmart on Heron Road on Dec. 31.
The four cages at PetSmart at Herongate Mall. Each cage has two levels so cats can climb. There is also an attached space behind the wooden area that contains a litter box.
查看原文...
