Canadian Parliamentary Cats

The Parliamentary Cats are a collection of stray cats living in the precinct of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The project was originated by Irène Desormeaux in the 1970s. Care of what has become known as the Cat Sanctuary was passed upon Desormeaux's death in 1987 to René Chartrand, who was awarded the Humane Society of Canada Heroes for Animals Award for his work.

Chartrand built a small series of structures resembling mock parliament buildings inside a small enclosure for the cats; however, the animals are free to roam the property, easily slipping in and out of the gates. According to Chartrand, the cats were allowed inside the parliament buildings to help control rodent populations. There are currently around fourteen different cats on the premises. The cats are all spayed or neutered, and receive free inoculations and care from the local Alta Vista Animal Hospital. The care of the cats is entirely reliant on personal donations and volunteerism, and is estimated to cost C$6000 annually.

While formally intended for the cats, the effort also benefits countless raccoons, groundhogs and squirrels who partake in the cats' benefits. Since 2005 a support team of five volunteers has been established to help René with the maintenance of the colony. [ [http://www.humanesociety.com/pets/pets/cat_man_of_parliament_hill.html] ]

Permanent feline residents

* The White Mother
* Thumbelina
* Snowball (also known as Six Toes - Thumbelina's sister)
* Brunette (Lulu's sister)
* Ti-gris
* Blackie
* Fluffy
* Brownie
* Bebe (joined 2000)
* Spot (joined 2004)
* Max (joined 2005)
* Shadow (joined 2005)
* Lillian-Wentworth (joined 2007)

Past residents

* Sweety and her six kittens (abandoned September 2007, put up for adoption by the Humane Society in October, 2007)
* Mike the Cabbie (taken to the Humane Society for adoption in July, 2007, after he failed to integrate)
* Hero (found when fifteen years old and undernourished; taken to the Humane Society in July, 2007, for adoption)
* Phoebe (taken to the Ottawa Humane Society for adoption in June, 2007)
* Kid Junior (died of a heart attack in the summer of 2006)
* Big Mama (also known as Vincent, lost in the summer of 2006 when 21 years old)
* Coco (lost in 2005)
* Smokey and her kittens (taken to the Humane Society in 2004 after failing to integrate for the winter)
* Bruno (removed in February, 2004, after aggression, adopted by one of the caretakers)
* Lulu (lost in 2004)
* Samantha (lost in 2004)
* Monty (lost in 2004)
* Blanchette (Brownie's mother, lost in 2003)

Gallery

See also

*Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

References

External links

* [http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/text/explorecatsanctuary_e.html Government site]
* [http://www.synapse.net/kgerken/CatsBlog.HTM Blog maintained by one of the volunteer caretakers]
* [http://mariadorfinkley.canalblog.com Maria Dorfinkley and the Cats of Parliament Hill]