Photo courtesy of the BCSPCA / website

By Liam Verster

Irresponsible Breeder

Nearly three dozen cats rescued from Vernon property

Jun 4, 2025 | 12:07 PM

The B.C. SPCA has seized 34 Bengal cats from an irresponsible owner in Vernon.

The animal protection agency said they were alerted to the cats living in very poor conditions on May 28 when a person considering buying a cat from the breeder filed a report.

“This is yet another situation where someone is breeding animals in conditions that do not support their physical or mental wellbeing,” Eileen Drever, the B.C. SPCA’s senior protection officer, said.

“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. An ammonia gas test registered at the highest level, further proving that the ventilation and cleaning were insufficient.”

The SPCA office added that ammonia exposure can cause serious health risks to animals, such as respiratory irritation and, “in extreme cases, even ulceration of the eyes.”

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The agency noted the cats were kept in dirty cages with overflowing litter boxes, and while the breeder had set up a “catio,” the animals’ access to it was limited.

A veterinarian who examined the animals reported that almost all were underweight, had lost some hair, and had met the definition of “being in distress.”

The cats were seized by the B.C. SPCA, who stated in a release Wednesday, June 4, that it was unsure at the time if they would be available for adoption.