Cathy Dobson/The Independent

A group of feisty feral cats evicted from Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area last is lucky have new digs, thanks to feline friendly volunteers.

If all goes to plan, the cats will be housed by Christmas at a new sanctuary being built in rural Lambton, says Julie Medeiros, volunteer team co-ordinator of Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals.

A private landowner is donating space for a 10-foot X 16-foot insulated and heated cat house, fenced with an outdoor “catio,” where volunteers will feed the ferals daily.

“We’re hoping to move them in by December 24,” said Medeiros.  “It will be a wonderful way to kick off Christmas.”

The cats have lived for at least 10 years at the campground at Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area, minutes west of Petrolia on Petrolia Line.

Over the years, area residents have irresponsibly dropped cats off there and campers have fed them, only to leave them at the end of camping season without food or shelter.

Medeiros’ group of volunteers have helped the cats by trapping and neutering them, feeding them and providing makeshift bedding with the assistance of local scout groups.

At one point, the cat colony at Lorne Henderson grew to about  60, said Medeiros.

“Campers just left unfixed cats behind and a lot of them were pregnant,” she said.  “We were constantly trapping them and getting them to the vet.”

She estimates at least $30,000 was spent over time on food and getting the cats fixed. 

By this year, only 10 remained in the colony and conservation officials wanted them gone.

“A conservation area is not an appropriate place for cats to live,” said Greg Wilcox, manager of conservation areas for the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA).

“It’s a problem that can escalate quickly and it’s hard on native wildlife like songbirds and reptiles.”

Lorne C. Henderson is the only conservation area within SCRCA’s jurisdiction with a cat problem, Wilcox added.

Several months ago, the SCRCA banned all feeding of cats at the conservation area and removed the makeshift beds.

As winter approached, Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals came up with a plan to relocate the remaining cats and build a permanent facility for them with the financial assistance of ZooCheck. 

ZooCheck is a Canadian organization dedicated to helping wildlife and is making it possible for Medeiros’ group to step up.

Construction is costing at least $15,000, and for every dollar raised by the Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals, ZooCheck is matching it until Dec. 31. In just over a week, $6,500 was donated locally and the campaign continues (etransfer to Petroliaferals@gmail.com).

Meanwhile, the final 10 ferals at Lorne Henderson were trapped and taken to a vet by conservation staff.  The vet bills are being paid by Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals as well as the time the cats are spending at Happy Paws Pet Resort while they wait for their new home to be finished.

“We are still in need of another $4,000 or so to pay for all of it,” said Medeiros.  “We are at a tricky point now because we have our regular expenses to meet too, but one way or another I want to finish this by Christmas, even if I have to get my own credit card out.”

Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals started nearly 30 years ago when a good Samaritan began feeding a large group of feral cats in downtown Petrolia.  That turned into a full-blown rescue operation that traps, neuters and releases cats, takes them to the vet when they are sick, cares for orphaned kittens and finds foster and adoptive families.

The philosophy is to drastically reduce the number of ferals by spaying or neutering them.  And it works, said Medeiros.

Eighteen months ago, her volunteers were feeding about 340 cats daily across Sarnia-Lambton.  That number is now reduced to 190.

But the struggle to keep numbers down is real as the economy worsens and cat owners can’t afford to keep their pets.

“We need more public awareness so people understand that dropping a cat off at a place like a conservation area is not an answer, said Medeiros.  “It’s an awful life for them.”

Wilcox said signage is up at the conservation area warning that cats cannot be fed there. 

“We need the public’s help not to drop off cats. It’s cold and there’s no food for them,” he said, adding that the conservation authority thanks Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals for their help.

“We’re very appreciative of this organization coming up with a plan to help these cats,” he said.