Close call for Penticton cat caught in leg hold trap

PENTICTON – 'Look at what the cat dragged in' is rarely used to describe something pleasant and for one Penticton couple that was certainly true this weekend.

Terri Lynn Stroomer and Chris Whalen’s cat came home Saturday evening, Aug. 8, dragging a leg hold trap. The feline had been caught in the old trap, which did not have teeth, in the vicinity of Burns Street in Penticton.

“It’s a trap that wasn’t designed to kill, so ideally your trapper is going to be close by,” Whalen says, adding, “We’re the 'irresponsible cat owners' who don’t lock our cats up, I guess. People are taking what they see as a cat problem into their own hands as opposed to calling the proper authorities.

"I’m aware, or I’ve heard, the city is going through a bylaw to ensure everyone’s cats are registered and tagged, and I get that, but cats do roam. There aren’t too many people I know who train their cats to stay inside the fence. You don’t tie cats to the tree.” 

Whalen feels residents can easily keep cats out of their yards and gardens by spending about $10 on deterrents that are available at garden centres and dollar stores.

“This stuff won’t hurt anyone, won’t hurt the environment, and the garden grows just fine,” he says.

The couple’s cat was unhurt in the incident, and even it's skin wasn't punctured.

“He was just more freaked out that he had this trap stuck to his leg,” Whalen says.

The couple posted a picture of the trap on Facebook, mainly to raise awareness. Whalen says he also offered to return the trap to its owner, if the owner cared to come forward.

“The trap has been dealt with. It can no longer be used to trap anything. I’ll keep it, but if the owner wants to own up to it and claim it, he can, but it won’t work anymore,” Whalen says.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.