PITOU-MINOU

Where does the name of the room come from?

Formerly known simply as the "Main", the room was renamed as such in thanks to Pitou-Minou and Compagnons who renovated it entirely at their expense. It is a large room with warm and welcoming colors and multiple perches and cat trees. It is the largest room in the shelter.

What is its purpose?

The Pitou-Minou room is also affectionately known as the "big man's yard" because the cats that live there are mostly energetic and rather athletic. The residents are all negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). It is also perfect for fearful cats that are not yet tolerant of human proximity.

What is its capacity?

Maximum 35 cats

CHESTER

Where does the name of the room come from?

Chester was a beautiful and extremely friendly black and white tomcat. Unfortunately, he had both feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). He lived for 6 years with this double sentence over his head in the room that now bears his name. When he left us in 2018, the volunteers unanimously proposed to name this room in his memory.

What is its purpose?

It was used to house FeLV positive cats until we decided a few years ago to place all FeLV positive cats in foster care. Chester’s Room is now the shelter's kindergarten. Young cats over 6 months of age are housed there. The room is generally chaos when the volunteers arrive in the morning, since the little ones have been playing loudly for part of the night! The cats living there are not FIV nor FeLV positive. This room currently houses 11 cats, many of whom are shy and not available for adoption. They have no special needs except for routine veterinary visits and lots of socialization.   

What is its capacity?

Maximum 12 cats

GENTLE-BEN

Where does the name of the room come from?

Gentle-Ben was a lovable, old long-haired grey tabby with a tough but extremely sweet face. He had the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). He lived for some time in the room that now bears his name. Gentle-Ben suffered from chronic rhinotracheitis, which required daily care to maintain his quality of life. This made him less desirable to potential adopters. We said goodbye to him at the age of 16, which shows that cats with FIV can have a long life.

What is its purpose?

Originally used to house FIV cats, its purpose changed a few years ago. Now affectionately called the “senior room,” it welcomes the majority of our oldest cats. Cats suffering from kidney issues also live there. This room currently houses eight cats, many of whom are shy and not available for adoption. They eat specialized food for cats with renal weakness. Because of their age, they need more frequent veterinary follow-up.

What is its capacity?

Maximum 10 cats

To discover the newsletter related to this room, click HERE.

SUNSET

Where does the name of the room come from?

The name was chosen to honour the memory of a large, beautiful ginger tomcat named Sunset. Sunset was a dominant cat, with no interest in humans apart from  their ability to give him wet food.  He was combative with all the new males  introduced to the large Pitou-Minou room where he lived when he first arrived, so he was moved to the smaller room that now bears his name. Within a few months, the volunteers saw him relax and finally open up to humans to the point that anyone could pet him. Finally, Sunset was ready to find his family. Before he could go up for adoption, he needed to have a dental workup. It was during the pre-operation check-up that the bad news came: Sunset was ill. Despite the best efforts of the veterinarians and volunteers, it was not possible to save him. Sunset passed away at the age of 11.

What is its purpose?

The purpose of this room changes with our needs. After Sunset's death, it was used as a quarantine facility to house large arrivals from one location. For example, cats from other shelters, or the group of  Abyssinian cats that had been entrusted to us by the SPCA after an owner seizure. It was also used to house feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) negative cats that needed to eat specialized food. Currently, the room is inhabited by shy cats that do not cohabit very well with other cats.

What is its capacity?

Maximum 4 to 6 cats

CURLY

Where does the name of the room come from?

The room was named to honor the memory of a tiny grey cat with a flamboyant personality. Very cuddly at times, Curly had a peculiarity: her tail was shaped like a corkscrew. She lived the majority of her life at the shelter. She had several health problems that made it a little bit harder for her to get adopted. This did not prevent her from being lively and very well cared for by all the volunteers. Curly passed away at the age of 14 in 2019.

What is its purpose?

Curly’s Room is reserved for cats that do not have feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukemia virus (FeLV). It currently houses 13 cats, all very shy and therefore not available for adoption. They have no special needs except for routine veterinary visits and lots of socialization.   

What is its capacity?

Maximum 15 cats

OVENBAKED

Where does the name of the room come from?

Formerly called "The Angels," the room was renamed "Ovenbaked" as a gesture of gratitude to the Quebec company Ovenbaked Tradition, who took on the task of renovating the room entirely at their own expense. They have been our partners since 2018 and generously offer wet and dry food for the shelter cats who do not have a specific medical diet.

What is its purpose?

The Ovenbaked Room is home to cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). It currently houses 17 cats. The room is divided into two sections: currently, the larger section houses 10 cats with no special needs and the smaller section houses cats that need to be fed a hypoallergenic diet, either due to food allergies or an irritable bowel problem. Many of these cats are waiting for their forever families.   

What is its capacity?

Maximum 20 cats

REBECCA

Where does the name of the room come from?

Rebecca was a beautiful white cat, adored by all, who lived at the shelter about 15 years ago. She was prone to recurrent urinary tract infections. She developed kidney stones in the last year of her life. Rebecca left a strong impression on the volunteers at the time. Although very few of the current volunteers knew her, we want to continue to honor her memory.

What is its purpose?

Like many rooms, its purpose has changed over the years. Long used for cats with urinary problems, it now welcomes cats who need a hypoallergenic diet, either because of food allergies or because of irritable bowel disease. All of the cats in the room are negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). This room currently houses 11 cats, many of whom are shy and not available for adoption.   

What is its capacity?

Maximum 14 cats

PAPILLONS

Where does the name of the room come from?

When the shelter moved into its current location in 2001, a room was made for cats who wound up at the shelter after trying multiple homes. We wanted to choose a nice word to describe a sad situation: the repetitive abandonments.

What is its purpose?

The purpose of the room has changed many times over the years. After a long period of taking in cats who had been repeatedly abandoned, it became a home for cats suffering from stomatitis, an autoimmune disease that causes painful inflammation of the gums. Now the room is occupied by cats who have had urinary tract infections or urinary blockages in the past. The cats in the room are all negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). This room currently houses 11 cats, many of whom are shy and not available for adoption. They all eat food specialized for urinary issues and receive a lot of socialization. 

What is its capacity?

Maximum 14 cats