When her 23-year relationship ended, a woman in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, was forced to move out of her home with an untenable situation on her hands. She was fostering over 50 cats who now faced homelessness. After putting out several desperate calls for help, she finally received word of hope from the Paws Cat Rescue in Markham, located 1400 km away. They had reached out to Dr. Cliff who was prepared to undertake a marathon 36-hour rescue mission to save the cats.
In this episode, Dr. Cliff makes the 14-hour drive along the Trans-Canada Highway in a rental van, armed with a few dozen cages, a lot of grit and sheer determination. When he arrived at the home, he recognized how this was far from a hoarding situation. The cats were in fact, well-fed and cared for. Some had been born in the house, lovingly bottle-fed and raised. While the owner was heartbroken to part with her pets, she was also delighted to leave them in Dr. Cliff’s hands, from where she trusted they would find good homes.
Watch how he rounds them up, one by one, into cat carriers and cages. Eventually, the cargo totalling 55 cats gets loaded into the van and secured safely for the drive back to Markham. Dr. Cliff was expecting some drama along the way but surprisingly, it was uneventful. The cats did not howl, hiss or paw at each other through the cages.
Meanwhile, at the clinic, the staff organized and prepared for the complicated logistics that would ensue upon their arrival. 25 of the adult cats required spayings and neuterings. These procedures took place the very next day, en-mass and in an assembly line, over 8 exhausting hours.
During the short stay at the clinic, one of the cats gave birth to 4 kittens, bringing the total number rescued to 59. Fortunately, the Great Thunder Bay Cat Rescue Mission received a lot of good press coverage. When Dr. Cliff finally arranged a weekend adoption fair, most of the cats got adopted.
Spaying & Neutering
Spaying and neutering allow household pets to live longer, healthier and happier lives. To the uninitiated, conducting these procedures on cute little pets may seem unethical, cruel and even draconian. There are three main reasons why we strongly recommend them. Population control, behaviour management and increasing life span. Here’s more information about spaying and neutering.
To see more rescue missions like this by Dr. Cliff Worldwide Vet, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
About Dr. Cliff
Dr. Cliff Redford, DVM, is an experienced veterinarian and owner/operator of the Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Fondly known as Dr. Cliff to his clients, he has tended to the wellness of pets and animals for over two decades. Hands-on experience in his clinic, combined with animal advocacy and rescue missions locally and across the globe, has allowed him to curate a vast body of knowledge on animal health and welfare, including preventative counselling, soft tissue surgery, advanced dental procedures, internal medicine and emergency care.