WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
CatSpan Ferals Registered Charity is a group of volunteers originating from Nanoose Bay nearly 30 years ago, now covering central Vancouver Island. We care for local abandoned, homeless and feral felines, spaying, neutering, vaccinating feeding and monitoring their wellbeing.
CatSpan has been caring for feral and stray cats in the Oceanside area and on Vancouver Island since 1990. The organization came into being when a group of local women discovered a colony of 40 feral cats living at a Nanoose Bay marina. Rather than continue to add to the problem by only feeding them, (which would increase the population even faster) they formed CatSpan and began to raise money to spay/neuter the cats. Over time, all of these cats were spayed/neutered and cared for until Heba, the last cat, died at the unbelievable old age of 18 years.
Each cat CatSpan traps and neuters/spays is also tested for disease, treated for parasites, tattooed and vaccinated.
CatSpan is a volunteer-based non-profit registered charity who relies solely on donations and fundraising events. 100% of all proceeds go directly to cat care.
CatSpan has been caring for feral and stray cats in the Oceanside area and on Vancouver Island since 1990. The organization came into being when a group of local women discovered a colony of 40 feral cats living at a Nanoose Bay marina. Rather than continue to add to the problem by only feeding them, (which would increase the population even faster) they formed CatSpan and began to raise money to spay/neuter the cats. Over time, all of these cats were spayed/neutered and cared for until Heba, the last cat, died at the unbelievable old age of 18 years.
Each cat CatSpan traps and neuters/spays is also tested for disease, treated for parasites, tattooed and vaccinated.
CatSpan is a volunteer-based non-profit registered charity who relies solely on donations and fundraising events. 100% of all proceeds go directly to cat care.
CONTACT US:
CatSpan Ferals Registered Charity
PO Box 64, Nanoose Bay, BC
V8P 9J9
Registered Charity #: 864472543RR0001
Email: [email protected]
CatSpan Ferals Registered Charity
PO Box 64, Nanoose Bay, BC
V8P 9J9
Registered Charity #: 864472543RR0001
Email: [email protected]
OUR FOUNDER
Sadly, our cofounder and President, Barbara McGowan, lost her battle with cancer on July 7th, 2021. She was an incredible woman, and a true "cat angel", rescuing and improving the lives of so many cats and kittens.
Barbara moved to Nanoose Bay in 1989 and noticed a lot of little cats on the rocks at the beach at Schooner Cove. She did not know much about feral cats at the time, but noticed that, apart from a few fish scraps from fisherman, no one seemed to be feeding them. She started going down to feed them every day and at the height of it she counted 44 cats/kittens there. She eventually bumped into a few others who were feeding them and they sorted out a schedule. She met Dr. Hanna from Lighthouse Vet Clinic and she was kind enough to come down at take a look at the situation. They started with medication to treat their eyes as many had infections. They held garage sales to raise money, as they had to pay for spays and neuters out of their own pockets. After a couple of years, there came a really cold winter and they got permission for the Marina to build some shelters for the cats on the beach and then eventually moved them to "kitty village" on Outrigger Road, which consisted of little houses and covered feeding stations. By then, they had recruited a few more volunteers, and feeding became easier, but money was still short. From the beginning, she had called the group CATSPAN for Cat Spay and Neuter. In 2004, the group became a registered charity with CRA and it just grew from there. With a growing volunteer base it has expanded and flourished and has become the great organization we know today.