Maverick Cat Coalition

Homeless cats have found a friend in David Fowler, who is looking for like-minded folks to provide care for stray and feral felines By Paula Carlson, Staff Reporter
Byron and Ambercrombie were living a tough, scrappy existence; one fighting for survival in a wildlife park, the other traumatized in a shelter. But look at them now: a pair of cuddly, calm kitties content in their New Westminster home. David Fowler says they adopted him. But what really happened is the cat man stepped in — saving them and hundreds of others in the same desperate straits over the last few years. Fowler, as founder and president of Maverick Cat Coalition, a non-profit registered charity, spends hours of volunteer time each week caring for wild and stray cats throughout the Lower Mainland. His charges are feral (cats that have been born in the wild and have never experienced interaction with humans), and stray (cats that once had a home but have been lost or abandoned). Either way, these felines lead a difficult, rag-tag existence; fighting for food and territory, fending off illness and disease, and producing litters doomed to the same sad fate. Without intervention, their outlook is bleak. "Not many people want a cat they can't touch without having their finger torn off," Fowler notes. "But because we're big and they're small, it's easy to wrap them in blankets and start the rehabilitation process." That process involves finding the packs of cats, identifying their background (stray or feral) and caring accordingly.	David Fowler receives a snuggle from Abercrombie, with Byron in the background.
Feral cats are extremely difficult to domesticate, and must often be left in the wild. Maverick Cat Coalition will capture these felines, have a veterinarian spay/neuter and vaccinate them (as well as treat any wounds or disease) and then release them in their original location. Volunteers then regularly provide food. The same process is carried out for strays, except they are usually able to be placed in good homes. Top Cat for example, was once a scarred, dirty cat living with a semi-wild colony in East Vancouver, constantly fending off aggressive, younger males. After trapping, medical treatment, and re-socialization at the Meow Aid shelter (in Vancouver), Top Cat was adopted. Fowler says that's just one of his organization's many success stories. With just a handful of volunteers - along with assistance from the Surrey Animal Rescue Society, and helpful vets, including Dr. Peter Bhawa at the Surrey Animal Hospital - Maverick Cat Coalition has processed 300 cats and kittens in the last 18 months. Fowler, (who has a day job and confesses he's a dog person at heart), started the charity a few years ago. "I saw a need, and I thought why not do something about it." But more help is required. Fowler wants to establish a large volunteer base (for feeding, trapping and providing foster care) throughout the Lower Mainland, including Surrey. Anywhere there is high-density housing and a transient population, there are stray cats, he says. North Surrey, and the industrial area around the Pattullo Bridge, are two local examples that have homeless cat populations, says Fowler. A long-term goal is to create a contained shelter, perhaps in a barn or other outbuilding, for feral cats. And there must be more education, Fowler says, so pet owners understand the importance of spaying and neutering, and learn that cats abandoned in the wild do not survive easily.

Before: A scarred and dirty "Top Cat" (left) fresh from the territorial turf of East Vancouver and after (right), as a rehabilitated feline in a loving home. Contact Us, if you would like to help create more success stories like this one.

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