Keep cats in doors: Fall is the season for predators in the Okanagan

The Okanagan Humane Society is asking the community to take extra precautions with their animals at this time of year, particularly those that are prone to escaping or allowed to live indoor/outdoor.

“We always try to encourage people to keep their pets inside, but at this time of year especially when the weather cools off, predator animals are coming out at night to find food, which puts pets at an increased risk” warns Romany Runnalls, Volunteer President.

In local neighbourhood Facebook groups, coyote sightings have become increasingly common. A large black bear was filmed running down Glenmore Road, a main artery in Kelowna, and a portion of Mission Creek Regional Park was recently closed due to bear activity.

“We have also seen a rapid increase in reports of cats being lost, or found injured or deceased in our local communities due to predators at large,” says Runnalls.

Just last week volunteers from the Okanagan Humane Society rescued a tabby cat near Casorso Road, where it was reported that two cats had recently been taken by coyotes. He is one of nearly 50 animals reported in the last seven days alone, some of which are brought into care with injuries from surviving outside.

Runnalls encourages pet owners to microchip their animals so that if they are found and reported through their Rescue Program, OHS can reunite them safely with their owners.

“We always check for microchip identification and contact the owner before posting as found, but we do also get animals that go unclaimed, and those move through our Adoption Program once they’ve been vetted,” says Runnalls.

Runnalls explains that adult cats who are homeless or abandoned need time and patience before being adopted, and foster homes are crucial to their success.

“An unowned cat that’s been outside for a long time will be in fight or flight mode and seem quite fearful, and might even appear feral when in reality it’s just a very scared cat,” says Runnalls. “We try to take it slow and place cats in suitable foster homes where they can fully decompress, and that’s crucial. We could not do what we do without our volunteer fosters to provide shelter for animals.”

Runnalls encourages the community to report sightings of homeless animals through the Rescue Program on their website so that a dedicated volunteer can follow up and provide guidance on how to safely capture the animal.

If you would like to volunteer to foster rescued animals with the Okanagan Humane Society, you can do so by submitting a Volunteer form at https://okanaganhumanesociety.com/volunteer.