B.C. man 'so grateful' to SPCA as it prepares to remove hundreds of cats from his property

The man whose property was the subject of a fundraising appeal from the BC SPCA on Friday says he's "so grateful" the agency is taking in the more than 200 cats and kittens that are currently living with him.

Bruce Robinson contacted CTV News last week to say he had reported himself for a potential animal cruelty investigation because the cat situation on his five-acre property in Houston, B.C., had "got out of hand."

It all started, according to Robinson, when he agreed to take in a neighbour's cat in 2019. That cat turned out to be pregnant, and – as a self-described "hillbilly" who lives alone – he decided to keep the kittens as company.

He said he took the animals for veterinary care and got them all spayed and neutered, but as the pandemic set in, he soon found more cats left on his property by neighbours and strangers.

While he was able to provide food and shelter for these newcomers, he was unable to keep up with their sterilization, and over time, the population exploded.

'Exceptional' situation

In its fundraising appeal Friday, the BC SPCA called the number of cats it is now planning to take in from Robinson's property "unparalleled" and "exceptional."

The effort is expected to drain the organization's resources, which is why it's asking the public for help paying for the animals' care.

"This is a huge undertaking for the BC SPCA," said Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA's senior officer for protection and stakeholder relations.

"We often take large numbers of animals in, but not to this extent. I think, in my experience, the last time we brought in so many cats – and it was just about 200 – that was back in the late '90s."

Asked about the case earlier this week, the BC SPCA told CTV News it is not currently conducting a cruelty investigation, though it did not rule one out in the future.

Indeed, the BC SPCA announcement indicates that staff were "quite surprised" at how well the cats were doing – under the circumstances – when they visited the property this week.

Drever described the case as "unusual" several times during a brief interview with CTV News Friday.

"I have attended many investigations where people have had lots and lots of cats," she said. "This is unusual inasmuch as these cats seem to be well fed, their body condition seems adequate, they are friendly. In investigations that I've attended in the past, usually, when you've got a large number of cats, they can be quite fearful and not well socialized."

'I made mistakes'

Robinson told CTV News he recognizes that he made a mistake by failing to surrender the cats sooner.

Late last year, he said, he applied for a licence to operate a non-profit cat rescue on his property, but found the process for getting such an organization operational daunting, and was ultimately unsuccessful.

At that time, he could tell that the spring kitten season was going to bring dozens more kittens.

"I thought I was going to be able to handle it," Robinson said. "I made mistakes. I made really bad choices. And the worst part is, who knows what's going to happen to these (cats)?"

He said his priority now is to ensure the animals get the care that they need, and which he can no longer provide.

'The animal safety net'

Drever added that the case highlights the importance of getting pets spayed and neutered.

"If he had spayed or neutered initially, he wouldn't have this problem," she said. "I can't stress that enough."

At the same time, she acknowledged that there is a shortage of veterinarians in B.C., particularly in rural areas, so it can take a while to get an appointment for such a procedure.

Drever also noted that Robinson had "absolutely" done the right thing by reaching out to the BC SPCA and asking for help.

"We are the animal safety net in British Columbia, and if anybody is having any difficulty – if we can't take them in right now, we'll help," she said, noting that the BC SPCA's animal helpline can be reached at 855-622-7722.

"For example, these cats, we can't take these cats in until everything's aligned, we have a building, we have everything set up. But, in the meantime, we're providing him with food and litter and supplies, just to make sure that the cats are going to be OK until we can bring them in."

Drever said the BC SPCA is looking into renting a large indoor space to house the cats until they can be safely transported to facilities across the province.

Asked whether there would be enough space for the animals, Drever expressed confidence that the agency would be able to find a way to accommodate them.

She said the SPCA took in 9,529 cats in 2023, a total that was above the three-year average of 8,900, but still below the levels the agency typically saw before the pandemic.

The organization invites those interested in helping pay for the animals' care to make a donation via its website.