Even if the winter of 2024 is exceptionally mild, the fact remains that the region's non-profit organizations can't currently meet all the requests to help stray cats, confirmed Casca, who covers the vast Vaudreuil-Soulanges region. As for Ronronne avec moi, requests are constant.

What to do with stray cats in winter? 

Casca volunteer Louise Bigras tells us: "If you bring a cat that appears to be stray into your home, you should first isolate it, in case it's sick, ideally in a small room like the bathroom.

"Some cities recommend not feeding strays, but that seems inhumane to us in a way, adds Ms. Bigras.

"First we have to check if he has a collar, and all vets will be able, with a scan, to make sure they're microchipped or not; it's free; and it may sometimes help identify the owners."

Anne-Marie Larreault, a volunteer with Ronronne avec moi, suggests similar ways of doing things and taking a photo: "It's useful to take a photo of the cat and make it public on social networks like Facebook. Many citizens' groups in towns and cities have Facebook pages where you can post notices of stray cats in the neighborhood," she says.

The two volunteers from Casca and Ronronne avec moi suggest placing a collar around the animal's neck and adding a Ziploc bag with a note inside asking people to notify the person who placed it there, along with a phone number. If the cat comes back with the collar, it's likely to be wandering or abandoned. The cat's appearance is also important: if it's thin or plump, that's a good sign," says Ms. Larreault.

Building outdoor shelters

Several tutorials are available online to show you how to build outdoor shelters during the winter, according to Ms. Larreault of Ronronne avec moi. It's often enough to use a Rubbermaid-type tub, make an opening in it, place Styrofoam as insulation with straw on top, sheltered from the wind as much as possible, and the cat can take refuge there.

Ms. Bigras of Casca suggests buying small heated bowls to hold water, either from pet shops or online shopping platforms. She adds that cardboard boxes will not warm the animal sufficiently.

Contact the shelters

Casca

At Casca, between 30 and 40 foster families will take in stray cats before a permanent home is found for them. "When the cat arrives, it is first isolated in a garage or room reserved for this purpose. It's then taken to the vet, where it's treated for fleas and other diseases, microchipped, sterilized if required, and put back on its feet," says Ms. Bigras.

"We look for perfect matches as much as possible with the families, because we don't want the animal to come back to us two weeks after adoption.

"At the moment, we have around twenty requests that we can't meet, as our foster families are filled to capacity," she admits.

If you'd like to call a shelter, in connection with a stray cat, Casca can be reached via text through Messenger on their Facebook page and via the following email: [email protected]. You can also visit their website at https://www.cascaorg.ca/.

Casca covers the greater Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, mainly Vaudreuil-Dorion, Les Cèdres, Coteau-du-Lac, the towns of Île-Perrot, Saint-Lazare, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, with a little less coverage of the more remote towns of Hudson and Rigaud. Casca will respond to requests within 48 hours.

Ronronne avec moi

Ronronne avec moi operates in much the same way, with 12 host families. "Six years ago, it used to happen for a few weeks a year, especially in January and February, when we didn't have any foster cats. Now that never happens," says Ms. Larreault.

Ms. Larreault is proud to point out: "As of February 1, 2024, a project will ban declawing cats in Quebec, and that's a good thing, because the cats were really suffering physically. What's more, cats that were already anxious often became even more so."

The best way to contact Ronronne avec moi about an abandoned cat is to write them a message on Messenger via their Facebook page. Their email is [email protected].

Ronronne avec moi mainly covers the Beauharnois-Salaberry region and the South Shore of Montreal.