MyWorld Tuesdy ~ The Cats of Parliament Hill

I have lived in and love Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the Captial of Canada, rather conservative but has grown up rather nicely. Each time I visit my daughter and son-in-law, I or we visit Parliament Hill not to see the seat of Government but to visit the "Cats of Parliament Hill"

There is a story that Colonel By brought hundreds of cats with him when he built the Rideau Canal in 1826, to take care of the rodent population, but

unfortunately that cannot be confirmed. What can be confirmed is that cats were employed in the Parliament Building (as in many other building) as pest control until 1955 when they were replaced by chemicals. Until 1970 ground keepers fed the cats in various locations, when Irene Desormeaux began feeding the cats where the existing colony now resides.

Rene Chartrand began helping her in the mid-nineteen eighties and began building some wooden structures (some of which can still be seen) for the cats to keep warm in. In 1987 when Irene passed away, Rene took over and loyally fed the cats.. It is said that Rene visits his charges twice a day and has only missed one day...when his wife passed. He was honored with the Humane Society of Canada's Heroes for Animals Award in 2005.

While the government does not contribute funds it celebrates the nature of his creation. "The contrast between these modest shelters and the formality and tradition of the Parliament Buildings is a symbol of compassion, one of the important elements of Canadian society," says a Parliamentary page devoted to the "cat sanctuary" on the government's website.

There are currently around twenty eight 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 CAN$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.

There is also a blog dedicated to the The Cats on Parliament Hill with lots of great photos and updates.

The first photo is not mine it is courtesy of wikimedia Commons

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