Someone left a kitten in a carrier in a Grimsby park - and these cases aren't rare

A Niagara humane society is looking for a suspected "cold-hearted individual" it says ditched a black kitten still in a carrier in a Grimsby park today.

The Lincoln County Humane Society says a woman walking her dog spotted acat carrier inMurray Street Park. The kitten inside weighedless than a kilogram.

Executive director Kevin Stroobandsays it can be hard to find homes for black cats, but that's no reason to leave them and walk away.

"Dumping a kitten in a park, or anywhere other than bringing it to someone who can provide care, is unacceptable and cruel," he said. "Bring any unwanted pets to your local humane society or rescue for re-homing."

The cat, which shelter staff have named Midnight, is healthy and will be up for adoption in four days if the owner doesn't come forward.

Ditching a catmay seem cruel, butKaren Reichheld, manager of animal care and adoptions at the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA, says it's not particularly unusual.

People leave animals in carriers on the SPCA property, she said, including in the parking lot and at the front door. Sometimes they leave animals in carriers in apartment building stairwells and hope someone will turn them in to a shelter.

Recently, Reichheld said, someone brought in two kittens left in a blue box with a sign saying the owner couldn't care for them.

The problem, Reichheld said, is an overpopulation of cats. While cat supply was low in early 2019, another spring cat season has come and gone, and all but two cages are full at the SPCA.

The SPCA is spaying and neutering as many as a dozen cats a day at its low-cost clinics, Reichheld said, but it's hard to keep up.

People surrender animals for various reasons, including housing, job and relationship changes, she said. They should call the SPCA, she said, but there may be a waiting list to surrender the animal.

As for black cats, Reichheld said they have their aficionados, but do tend to be less popular with adopters.

"We do find if we have a litter of kittens and have one or two that are black, they'll be the last ones adopted."