Update on Cat #1

The veterinarian determined that it was in the best interest of the cat to bring his time on earth to a comfortable and peaceful end. We are providing the details in anticipation of the questions the public may have about this case.

An interested party offered to pay for a medical examination of the cat and provided the Town with a deposit of adequate funds. A staff member escorted the cat to the veterinarian on Thursday, March 28. The vet confirmed that the cat was feral. The cat required sedation before assessment.

The veterinarian noted the following conditions:

• ocular discharge
• clear nasal discharge
• loose stool on hair around anal area
• firm mass on the hind left leg
• absent lower canines and incisors (teeth)
• fractured upper canine with decay & gingivitis with the sensitive part of tooth exposed

From the veterinary report: “The decision to euthanize was in the cat’s best interest as his quality of life was not good and because of his feral nature there would be no aftercare for surgical procedures.”

The Town will return the concerned party’s deposit minus the cost of the medical assessment. The Town paid for cat’s end-of-life care.

The Animal Control bylaw will undergo a review. Going forward and until there is further direction, any cat relinquished to the care of the Town will remain in the pound for 3 days to give the rightful owner time to claim their pet. If there are no claims the Town will rehome the cat to an acreage/farm on our list.

We respectfully request that all other cat-related inquiries be kept to a minimum or emailed as our staff will not be checking or monitoring social media or this website over the Easter holiday.

With kindness,

Town of Gravelbourg Administration