Update on Lizzie

Please be warned – this post contains details about animal cruelty that may upset some readers.

Lizzie, a recent victim of animal cruelty, is doing well in her recovery in the care of Dr. Bath at the Northgate Animal Hospital. You’ll recall Lizzie was seen around a feral feeding station with a wire resembling a coat hanger stuck through one side of her little body and coming out the other during a severe cold snap. Thanks to persistent volunteers who worked over several days to trap Lizzie and the fast actions of Dr. Bath, Lizzie’s life was saved and she’s made significant progress since her surgery earlier this week.

Dr. Bath has indicated that the drainage tubes inserted to rid Lizzie of the infection in her wounds can be removed on Monday, December 16. If all goes as planned, our little patient will be released on Tuesday into the care of one of our most experienced senior feral team members, who has her home set up for the next phase of Lizzie’s recovery.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted People for Animals (PFA) with kind offers to provide a home for Lizzie. We must remember that as a feral cat, Lizzie isn’t suited for life indoors as a family pet. Truly feral cats are terrified of people and don’t adjust well to being confined. If this is Lizzie's nature, then trying to make her a house cat will be more stressful for her than the alternative of releasing her back to a familiar environment. The goal in Lizzie’s recovery plan is to return her to her home, which is the colony where she was trapped where she has bonds with the other cats that are members of that colony.

All of PFA’s decisions are guided by an experienced vet to ensure we make the best choices for Lizzie in terms of her health and well-being. If Dr. Bath tells us that Lizzie's unable to return to her former life, our most experienced team members and board will work with him to create a new plan.

PFA volunteers provide care for approximately 130 cats at 30 feral feeding stations around Regina. The cats get food, water and shelter every day of the year. Even on the coldest days when the windchill makes it feel like -50 C, someone visits the feeding stations! If you’d like to make a donation or volunteer to help PFA feed and shelter Regina's feral cats, email us at pfasask@gmail.com.

PFA also has 130 currently in foster care that are available for adoption. With foster space maxed out, we’re unable to rescue tame cats currently living on Regina’s streets. If we had more foster homes or adopted out more cats, we’d be able to rescue more strays from these harsh weather conditions. If you’re interested in adopting a cat, check out our cat-a-logue. If you’re interested in opening your home to foster even one cat, email us at pfasask@gmail.com.

It’s people like you who save the lives of cats like Lizzie!