Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue finds new home
The Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue has a new home on Guelph Street.
In September, the rescue found out a proposed 27-floor high-rise apartment building was likely going up on their Charles St. E location. So they started looking for a new home, exploring over 25 locations before settling on Guelph Street.
"As soon as I mentioned cats, they’d squish up their nose and be like: 'No, no, no, no, no, no,'” said Tammy Tanner, founder of the Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue. “Until I met this place. This place, he was all for registered charities. This whole building is pet friendly."
So far, the move has been positive for the rescue group.
"No concerns. I can do any kind of construction I wanted. It was just… it was a breath of fresh air, actually," Tanner explained.
"It's amazing, it is so much cleaner,” said volunteer Heather Clements. “The landlord actually cares about us."
A cat at the Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue on March 15, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
The rescue did have to downsize, going from a 3,000 square foot building to about 1,800 square feet. The old building had space for two different rooms for cats to lounge in, but now there’s only one.
"We downsized, but we also have a lot more foster homes. So we're still rescuing the same amount of cats. It's just they're not at the facility," Tanner said.
One of the animals at the Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue on March 15, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
Besides the main cat lounge, there’s space for kittens, a room for quarantining new strays and an ICU and storage. There’s also now a dedicated room for litter boxes.
"It may be smaller and more compact, but everything is in its place, and that's what we needed," Clements added.
A cat at the Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue on March 15, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
The rescue is run completely by volunteers and relies on donations from the public. Tanner said the new atmosphere seems to be helping with quicker adoptions and the cats are adjusting well.
"They all come out more often in this room. I don't know if it's because of the atmosphere or if it's because we downsized a little. I don't know. But the adoptions are going great," she explained.
At the new location Tanner isn’t responsible for property maintenance, and her overall monthly bill is about $1,000 cheaper. She said there are other benefits too.
"Our ceilings are not caving in, our parking lot isn't taken over by fences. It's right on the street parking. It's less crime in this area.”
One of the animals at the Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue on March 15, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
"It's nice that we don't have carpet everywhere, because that was also hard for us to keep clean. So I find this place a lot cleaner and brighter," Clements added.
Currently there are seven kittens and 12 cats in care at the main rescue building, while five cats are in foster care and two others are at Pet Valu stores.
Potential pet parents can contact the rescue online to arrange meetings for adoption or attend one of their weekend lounge visits. Every Saturday the rescue is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for anyone who wants to look at adopting a cat or just wants to spend some time around the animals.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation is the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Judge raises threat of jail in hush money trial as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
Video captures deadly wrong-way police chase on Highway 401 in Ontario
A new video has surfaced showing a vehicle being pursued by police in the wrong direction on Highway 401 moments prior to a fatal crash that killed four people, including an infant and their grandparents.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.