Keith Stata always had pets. He started with a dog and a cat, and for a while, a raccoon. His mom must have thought he was fastidious in his duties to remove dog turds from the lawn; at least, she seems to have taken enough photos of him performing those duties. In the early 1960s, Keith adopted a rabbit in distress that hopped around the house for 14 years, diligently making deposits in its personal litter box. Shortly thereafter came his first stray cat: a small, long-haired kitten tossed from a car into the snowbank at the end of his driveway in Kinmount in the dead of winter. Over the years, Keith has adopted 13 dogs and a whole lot of cats. Nothing back then compares to now.

The theatre cares for over 60 cats that were abandoned and would have died without intervention. They now reside in 14 heated houses with access to outdoor pens. The cats are provided with food, veterinary care, and cleaning services.

The cats are a mix of domestic and feral. When Minden Cat Angels and Bobcaygeon Friends of Ferals started out, they asked for advice. The advice was that unless a lot of things change, the problem will not be solved. While Humane Societies and people trying to help flounder under the flood of abandoned animals, governments are unwilling to do what has to be done to solve the problem. There is no feral or stray cat problem; there is a people problem. People adopt cats, do not neuter them, and then dump the cats or kittens across the landscape. Then there are people who inherit a house from a relative but refuse to look after the animals left behind, even though that responsibility belongs to them, not someone else.

All cats should be neutered, licensed, microchipped, and required to be kept indoors, only being allowed outside in an enclosure. Coyotes killed 12 free-roaming cats in Kinmount a couple of years ago. Adoptions should be supervised and require a background check, home inspection, veterinary reference, and a follow-up check. Many local veterinarians have been sold to corporations, and prices have skyrocketed, so pet insurance should be considered essential. Municipalities need to become proactive in feral management and assist people trying to help through free spay-and-neuter programs.

A couple of years ago, Maryanne Leach gifted the Cottage Country Cats Charity to Highlands Cinemas Cats. This enables us to receive food donations from time to time from Purina and, more importantly, provide tax receipts for donations. I have been very grateful to the people over the years who have donated money and food to help. Your gifts have meant a great deal and have truly made a difference.

How can you help? There are two cash donation boxes in the theatre lobby. You can send an e-transfer to keithstata@nexicom.net. Donations from the U.S. can be made through my PayPal account. Please include your email address, and note if you would like a tax receipt. You can also send a cheque to:

Cottage Country Cats
c/o Highlands Cinemas
Box 85
Kinmount, ON K0M 2A0

A receipt will be issued. Donations of towels, blankets, litter (we use softwood pellets), and food are also welcome. The cats are fed Purina pâté, shreds, and dry food. The dry food is mixed with one-third veterinary prescription Urinary SO. They also go through a ton of Temptations each year — their favourite “kitty crack.” We appreciate all the help we can get.

The cats can be visited during the theatre’s hours of operation. There is a signpost directing visitors to the various houses.