BC SPCA seizes 34 Bengal cats from ‘irresponsible breeder’ in the Okanagan

Nearly three dozen Bengal cats are now in the hands of the BC SPCA after being seized from a Vernon property last week.

The BC SPCA says the felines were in the hands of an “irresponsible breeder” and were taken after a veterinarian determined the animals “met the definition of being in distress.”

Animal protection officers visited the property and seized the cats on Wednesday, May 28, after the BC SPCA received a report from a member of the public.

“We were alerted to this situation by someone who visited the property,” explained senior protection officer Eileen Drever. “They were considering buying a cat from the breeder and were concerned about the conditions the cats were living in.”

Drever called it another example of someone breeding animals in conditions that don’t support their physical or mental wellbeing.

“The officers who visited the property reported an overwhelming smell of ammonia in the rooms where these cats were housed, so intense their own noses were stinging,” she noted. “An ammonia gas test registered at the highest level, further proving that the ventilation and cleaning were insufficient.”

According to Drever, exceptionally high levels of ammonia exposure can lead to severe respiratory irritation and, in extreme cases, ulceration of the eyes.

Officers also discovered that the cats were kept in dirty cages with overflowing litter boxes, with some cages overpopulated given a Bengal cat's larger size than a typical domestic feline.

They did have access to a “catio,” Drever noted, but it was on a limited basis and the animals spent most of their time in cages.

Shannon Paille, manager of the BC SPCA animal centre where the cats were brought after being seized, says most of the cats are fearful, but were “very brave” during their intake exams.

“We were able to get all the treatments done with light towel wraps and only some of them were growly,” she said. “Bengals can be quite vocal.”

The veterinarian who examined the cats reported that nearly all of them are underweight and some had diarrhea.

“We have already been giving the cats regular treatments for skin issues but, because of some suspicious hair loss, they are also being tested for ringworm,” said Paille.

The early indication is that all 34 cats will need spay or neuter surgeries and the BC SPCA can’t say at this time when they’ll be available for adoption.

Bengal cats are wild-hybrid domestic cats, a mix of wild Asian leopard cats and domestic breeds, that require highly-specialized care.

“To ensure strong welfare for these animals, the breeding of hybrid cats should be regulated. The BC SPCA opposes the breeding of wild animals with domestic animals, as well as the breeding of wild animals in captivity as exotic pets,” a BC SPCA release explained.

“The importation, breeding, and keeping of exotic animals – such as Asian leopard cats and Servals, which are used to create hybrid cats – should be prohibited under the provincial Controlled Alien Species Regulation of the Wildlife Act.”