'Our vet bills are insane': VOKRA inundated with cats and kittens rescued from hoarder
Volunteers at the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association already have their hands full with kitten season in full swing – but they just got fuller.
The organization was recently inundated with almost two dozens kittens and cats, some of them pregnant, that were rescued from a hoarding situation, pushing their resources to the brink.
“We had to just sit here and comb all day getting the fleas out. Fleas were jumping directly on them, it was horrifying, actually,” said Karen Duncan, co-founder of VOKRA.
The first few weeks of life for those baby kittens were less than ideal, but luckily, they’re in good hands now.
“Giving them lots of vitamins and lots of food – they were starved as well,” said Duncan.
They were saved just in time too, given the state they were in.
“The kittens wouldn’t have lived I don’t think another day because they were so depleted. They’re so tiny,” said Duncan.
Kittens in need are all part of the day-to-day at VOKRA. Currently, the organization has about 400 felines in its care.
It is especially busy in the spring and summer months, also known as kitten season.
“Every day there have been cats coming in and out of the building constantly,” said Jill Morisset, VOKRA rescue centre manager.
This latest influx added with the persistent need this time of year is putting a strain on already limited resources.
“Our vet bills are insane," said Duncan. "They are really up this year and of course we aren’t able to do a lot of fundraising."
“People just don’t have as much to give I think everybody has been stretched quite thin this year and there are a lot more people reaching out for help,” said Morisset.
Their phones are ringing daily, partly because the pandemic has meant decreased access to veterinary care for some pet owners.
“It's been a tough year for everybody. People have not been getting access to veterinary care – maybe they can't afford it – and cats are not getting fixed right now,” said Morisset
“Cats are being dumped, kittens are being dumped. It's pretty horrific this year,” said Duncan.
Two brother kittens were the latest example.
“They were just screaming their little heads off in the blackberry bushes its pretty obvious that someone just dumped them there to be a little coyote snack, which is horrible,” said Morrisset.
Duncan said monetary donations are needed right now to keep up with the mounting vet and food bills for the kitties.
To donate, visit the VOKRA website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a nine-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
Nicki Minaj's England concert postponed after rapper was detained by Dutch authorities over pot
Nicki Minaj's concert in Manchester scheduled for Saturday night was postponed after police in the Netherlands discovered marijuana in her bags as she was preparing to leave the country.
1 dead, 3 in hospital after flying wheel crashes into bus windshield on QEW
A man is dead, and three others are in hospital after a flying wheel crashed into a coach bus on the QEW in St. Catharines.
How to keep insects out of your house, according to an entomologist and other experts
Now that temperatures have warmed up even more this spring, you may be anxious at the thought of bugs invading your home or you may already be battling the pests. Here are expert tips on how to keep them away.