MOOSE JAW — Meet Charles, the lovable and resilient three-year-old rescue cat who has captured the hearts of everyone at SCRAPS (Stray Cat Rescue and Protection Society) Moose Jaw. His journey from being rescued to the hope of finding his forever home is a testament to the power of second chances and speaks to the need for additional foster families.
“He’s just a lovely guy and (an) orange boy,” explained Anne Marciszyn, chair of the board for SCRAPS Moose Jaw. “They (orange cats) always have a reputation of being really lovable cats and he fits the description.”
Charles’ story began with a distressing situation last fall that SCRAPS Moose Jaw was called to investigate.
“He was rescued from a colony in a small community outside of Moose Jaw along with 20 other cats,” Marciszyn said. “He was quite ill; he had some upper respiratory issues and had trouble breathing, and we later discovered that he had a problem with his leg.”
Although successfully treated for his other conditions, the issue with Charles’ leg persisted. Marciszyn said this was either due to arthritis or was the result of a previous injury. Either way, the problem kept getting worse.
“(The issue with his leg) just progressed and we ended up having to make the hard decision to amputate his leg,” she said. The cost for an amputation is around $1,000, and cases such as this add to the cost burden faced by the local non-profit.
“Once we (amputated), it gave him a new lease on life. He’s actually moving around really well, he is happy, and he purrs (again).”
Charles’ story ended with a happy outcome, but this isn’t always the case and organizations like SCRAPS Moose Jaw and the Moose Jaw Humane Society don’t have the resources needed to help every cat in similar situations.
“We… highly encourage people to please spay and neuter your pets,” Marciszyn said. This simple act is something that all pet owners can do to help prevent situations such as the one Charles experienced earlier in life.
“I know the cost (to spay or neuter) can be difficult…, but in that case, we encourage people to adopt from rescue,” she said. “For the cost of an adoption, they have an animal that’s fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered, and basically healthy…”
SCRAPS cannot give every cat — Charles included — the individual love and long-term attention they deserve, and with around 160 cats in its care, the situation can get overwhelming. To help, Marciszyn is requesting the help of fosters.
There’s no cost to foster a cat and the temporary process helps them socialize before they get adopted. To qualify, a simple vetting process is required which involves references and typically a visit to the cat’s temporary new home.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the team at SCRAPS, Charles’ story ended on a positive note and now he has one final request — to find a loving human companion.
“He’s nicely healed and he’s ready for a home with somebody that loves lovable cats,” Marciszyn said. “(He wants) somebody that will be there for him no matter what. He’ll be right there as your buddy.”
SCRAPS Moose Jaw is a local non-profit run entirely by volunteers with the goal of monitoring and limiting the feral cat population in the city.
For more information about fostering or adopting a cat or kitten — especially at this overwhelming time of the year — call 306-684-9048.
You can also stop by the 9 Lives Boutique run by SCRAPS at the Town ‘N’ Country Mall or visit ScrapsMooseJaw.com or follow ‘Scraps — MJ’ on Facebook.
