There are many things you can do to keep your cat safe and healthy. As a responsible pet owner, please keep the following in mind:

Cat identification

The City of Spruce Grove does not require cat owners to obtain a municipal licence for their pets. Rather, as outlined in the City’s Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw, owners must properly identify their cat with a tag displaying a current phone number. The tag must be attached to a collar or harness that must be worn by the cat when off the owner’s property.

Lost and found cats

If you discover your cat is lost, there are several things you should do:

• Look around your home, yard, and neighbourhood. Ask your neighbours if they have seen your pet, including the time and location.
• Contact Enforcement Services to file a missing pet report.
• Social media can be a useful tool to help locate your lost pet. You can visit the Parkland County Animal Shelter Facebook page for information on animals that have been brought to the shelter.

If you find a lost or stray cat, you can take it to the Parkland County Animal Shelter. Enforcement Services does not pick up stray cats. If you locate your pet at the shelter, owners are generally responsible for paying shelter fees. You may also receive a ticket for having a cat at large.

There are steps you can take to help prevent your cat from getting lost and, if your cat does go missing, help ensure a safe return home:

• Keep indoor cats inside, as they can happily live and thrive indoors.
• Put a collar or harness on your cat with the required identification tag that includes your contact information.
• Tattoo or microchip your cat and ensure the contact information is accurate.
• Spay and neuter your companion pets, as this will diminish their urge to roam and mate.
• If you take your cat outside, ensure it is properly leashed or in a secured area, like a fenced yard.

Cats in public spaces

Cat owners are welcome to take their pets to most public spaces in Spruce Grove, but pets must be kept on a leash at all times.

All pathways, parks and open spaces within Spruce Grove are on-leash areas. This includes the City’s Heritage Grove Park trail system and Jubilee Park. Pets are not, however, allowed in any playground areas, at splash pads/spray parks, and are not permitted to enter or remain in any ponds or stormwater facilities in Spruce Grove.

When out in public, cats must be under the control of a responsible person and on a leash no more than three metres long. They must also be wearing their required identification tag. This is not only for their safety, but also to ensure they do not create a hazard or become a nuisance or risk to other people and pets.

Under the Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw , there are fines for allowing a dog or cat to run at large, having a pet that disturbs the peace of others, or is being a public nuisance.

Cat owners are also required to clean up after their animals in public spaces. Failure to remove droppings can result in a fine.

Dealing with unwanted cats on private property

If you have an unwanted cat on your property and know the cat’s owner, the recommended first approach is to politely speak with your neighbour about your concern, as the best solutions involve residents working together. Enforcement Services does not capture stray and at-large cats.

If you do not know who the cat’s owner is or if speaking with the owner did not address your concern, you may want to make your property less inviting to cats in general to deter the unwanted behaviour. Cats are intelligent animals and can learn to stay away from your yard simply by making your property less appealing.

Make your property less inviting to roaming cats.

• Place mesh or wire netting or PVC pipe at the top of your fence to discourage cats from climbing over.
• Spray the cat with water whenever it enters your yard to deter it without harming it.
• Place chicken wire just below the surface of your flower beds, and cover the bed with bark chips, gravel or other non-soil landscaping materials to discourage digging.

Use a humane cat trap. Residents can contact Protective Services at 780-962-4496 to rent a live cat trap. Important to note:

• Cat traps can be rented between April 1 and September 30 each year.
• Upon catching any cat, you must return the cat to its owner or transport it immediately to the Parkland County Animal Shelter.
• It is illegal to put an animal in distress. You will need to check the trap frequently and will have to provide food, water, and shelter for the trapped cat until it is turned over to its owner or the Parkland County Animal Shelter. The cat must also not be injured by the method you use to trap and transport it.