We have issued this important press release on the Côte Saint-Luc website to publicize an unprecedented meeting about the cat population in CSL and responsible pet ownership. Please read and pass on to animal lovers. 

The City of Côte Saint-Luc will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, August 18 at 7:30pm at City Hall (5801 Cavendish Blvd.) about what residents can do to help control the city’s cat population. 

Alanna Devine, the director of animal welfare at the CSPCA, and Dr. Marlene Kalin, the director of the Côte Saint-Luc Animal Hospital will speak at the meeting and answer questions from the audience. 

“I am calling upon anyone who is a cat owner or has a love for animals to attend this meeting, which is the first of its kind ever held in Côte Saint-Luc,” said Councillor Mike Cohen, who will be chairing the meeting. “We are fortunate to have the likes of Alanna Devine and Dr. Marlene Kalin giving of their valuable time. Not only will their presentations be very interesting, I also hope they will inspire people to get involved with this issue.” 

The speakers will discuss the Trap, Neuter, and Release (TNR) program, cat overpopulation, and responsible pet ownership. The TNR program humanely traps, sterilizes, then releases feral cats back into their original territory. Experts say that removing feral cats doesn't work because new cats simply move into the area. If the cat is adoptable, efforts are made to place it with a family. A cat can reproduce four times a year, beginning from six months old, and can give birth to from one to eight kittens each time. Two unaltered cats can, over a period of seven years, create more than 400,000 kittens. By sterilizing the cats, their numbers are brought down through attrition. 

TNR programs have been proven worldwide, throughout Europe, the United States, parts of Canada, as the most humane and cost-efficient way of controlling and decreasing the numbers of homeless cats.   

Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Anthony Housefather gave Councillor Cohen a mandate to organize such a meeting and return to council with recommendations regarding the TNR program. 

“As a cat owner myself I can attest to what amazing and loving animals they are,” Councillor Cohen said. “I know there are a lot of people out there whose lives can be given a real lift by bringing a feline into their homes. The Côte Saint-Luc Animal Hospital, for instance, has taken in many feral cats over the years and eventually found homes for them.” 

For more information about the meeting call 514-485-6945 or send an e-mail to [email protected].