Bring Jonathan's Cats In From The Cold

UPDATE: This fundraiser has been reopened: one of Jonathan's cats needs emergency care. See updates for more details.

On November 11, a fight broke out at a rooming house on Eccles Street in Ottawa, and a man named Jonathan Hammell was killed.

One of the things Jonathan did was feed and take care of the large colony of stray cats who live in the yard behind the house. In honour of Jonathan and at the behest of his friend and some of the other rooming house residents, we have taken on taking care of Jonathan’s cats, and finding them new, safe homes. We've also found a home for the dog left behind by the man accused of killing Jonathan, who's been adopted into a loving home but still needs to be neutered.

This is a big job. There are up to 18 adult and adolescent cats and four kittens to be trapped, brought to the vet, and eventually fostered and adopted - all before winter arrives in earnest.

We're currently trapping the cats, bringing them inside, and finding people who want to adopt or foster them. But ensuring that they're healthy and get the best new start is the priority, and the vet bills will be high. Costs include food and supplies while we find them foster homes; spaying and neutering; medical checkups; deworming; tests for diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), leukemia and upper respiratory disease; and vaccinations. Many of the females are likely to be pregnant, and we'll need to be able to pay either for a pregnant spaying or for shots and other medical care of the kittens.

We are reaching out to local veterinarians to find the best rates for a group of cats this large, and some of the new owners will be able to chip in, but we estimate we will need around $6,000 to cover expenses.

Any money left over after the cats have found homes will be donated to help the clients of St. Luke's Table care for their pets. St Luke's Table is a community service designed to provide support for the homeless or those at risk of homelessness and people living in rooming houses in our neighbourhood. (http://www.stlukestable.ca/)

We're determined to save Jonathan's cats in his memory. Any donation will help!