Parliament Hill Cat Sanctuary closes door after more than 50 years
8 replies, posted
[quote=Robert Sibley]OTTAWA — Parliament Hill’s cat sanctuary, an institution for decades, is gone, “disbanded” at the request of the volunteers who have been managing it, according to the federal Public Works department.
In its heyday, the sanctuary provided a home for more than two dozen felines. But spaying and neutering over the years has reduced the population to such an extent that as recently as a couple of weeks ago only four cats remained. The decision was made to shut down the sanctuary and the few remaining — and aging — animals were adopted by volunteers.
“There were kittens born here, the last ones probably 10 to 15 years ago,” Brian Caines, a former public servant who got involved in caring for the cats in the 1990s, said recently. “So now, we’re down to four.”
Public Works announced the closure late last week. “The volunteers made the decision to close the sanctuary because of the age of the cats, their deteriorating health, and to prevent exposing them to predators and harsh outdoor conditions during the winter months.”
Parliament Hill cats were once prized as mousers, but by the mid-1950s the use of chemicals to control rodent infestations did the cats out of a job. However, employed or not, they were about to abandon their parliamentary sinecure.
But that created problems — too many cats. In the 1970s, volunteers began looking after the near-feral animals, providing food and shelter and, of course, plenty of TLC. A spay-and-neuter program was also introduced.
[img]http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/parliament_cats_20121222.jpg?w=400&h=421[/img]
[I]Two of Parliament Hill's resident stray cats outside the House of Commons.[/I]
Some of the volunteers became public figures, of sorts. The original guardian was Irene Desormeaux. When she died in 1987, René Chartrand stepped up and eventually became known as the Catman of Parliament Hill. Chartrand, a pensioner, could be seen summer and winter tending to the animals in the shelter behind the Centre Block building.
“I’m not allowed to get sick. The cats would get angry if I missed a day,” the then-79-year-old Chartrand said an interview in 2000. He retired from his task in 2008.
Others came forward, too, both individuals and companies. One man, Maurice Golka, built two-storey, insulated shelters for the cats. Cat food manufacturers such as Ralston-Purina Canada donated bags of food. The Alta Vista animal hospital provided medical treatment.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the sanctuary became a favourite Ottawa tourist site. Busloads of Japanese tourists crowded around the site during the summer. It was posted on the federal government’s website. Even the National Capital Commission gave it a mention in its Discover-the-Hill brochure.
[img]http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/parliament_cats_20121222-1.jpg?w=400&h=552[/img]
[I]The Catman of Parliament Hill with one of his charges.[/I][/quote]
[url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/01/05/parliament-hills-cat-sanctuary-disbands-after-more-than-fifty-years/]National Post[/url]
These fucking cats would fight off dogs bigger than them. I remember one time a crew of three of them went after a dog that had the wrong idea to go after one of them.
[QUOTE=Sixer;39108023]These fucking cats would fight off dogs bigger than them. I remember one time a crew of three of them went after a dog that had the wrong idea to go after one of them.[/QUOTE]
"YOU MESS WITH ONE OF US YOU MESS WITH US ALL, BITCH!"
This is pretty sad, actually. It was quite clear there were bonds between the people in that sanctuary, and it's a shame they have to give them up.
as someone who used to volunteer at an animal shelter, this is sad but also reason to rejoice
their clients were homeless animals, it's fantastic that they're out of business
[QUOTE=cccritical;39108277]as someone who used to volunteer at an animal shelter, this is sad but also reason to rejoice
their clients were homeless animals, it's fantastic that they're out of business[/QUOTE]
You're absolutely right, but the flip side of this is that the sanctuary would employ homeless people. They would even get a small pension out of it because their salary would be paid for by the federal government, and I think they even got free accommodation. It was sort of a win-win for everyone.
I remember going down to Parliament with my grade 5 class.
Going through the Centre Block? Pretty cool.
Seeing the Cat Sanctuary? THE COOLEST THING EVER!
As a Canadian who's even traveled to Ottawa (several times), I feel ashamed that I didn't know this place existed.
Sad it's closing, but happy at the same time, ya know?
I remember seeing a seagull sitting on the head a statue, but unfortunately I don't remember the cat sanctuary from my trip to Ottawa.
[QUOTE=cccritical;39108277]as someone who used to volunteer at an animal shelter, this is sad but also reason to rejoice
their clients were homeless animals, it's fantastic that they're out of business[/QUOTE]
It's like a hospital being torn down because there aren't any sick people left.
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