Last week I was in Ottawa on business. I had been hearing about a colony of cats that live beside the parliment buildings. My first order of business for my trip was to find the cats. They are beautiful and I made a contribution to their upkeep. Here is a story I found about them!
Cool cats, offbeat tours hot in Ottawa
By JIM FOX -- For The Canadian Press
Hanging out with the cool cats on Parliament Hill and discovering the soul of the city through off-the-beaten-path tours are among tourism options in Ottawa.
The cats who reside on the Hill -- no, not the politicians -- are a popular attraction.
Rene Chartrand's colony of 17 strays live it up in a cat condominium near Queen Victoria's statue. Known as the Catman of the Hill, Chartrand, 76, has cared for the felines the past 11 years.
It's a daily labor of love, along with feeding raccoons, groundhogs, squirrels, pigeons, chickadees and sparrows.
As tourists gather beside a cast-iron fence separating the colony from the walkway near the Parliamentary Library, the cats come out to play and be petted.
Chartrand has a sign telling about his "tame and friendly" creatures near a metal box seeking donations to help with his work.
When word got out that it was costing the pensioner $6,000 a year to care for the animals, help came last summer from Ralston-Purina which now supplies cat food at no charge, and Alta Vista Animal Hospital which provides free spaying and neutering.
The wooden cat houses have straw for warmth, and overhead Chartrand flies Canadian flags and pictures of the inhabitants, some named after prime ministers.
It's been a cat hotel since the late 1970s when Irene Desormeaux, Chartrand's neighbor, cared for them. After her death in 1987, Chartrand took over.
"Since that time, I have always been faithful to my daily obligation to the animals on the Hill, even when my beloved wife, Rita, died during the winter of 1990," Chartrand says.
Taking a break from feeding and cleaning, Chartrand entertains visitors by sticking peanuts in his ears and mouth for squirrels to snatch.
Cool cats, offbeat tours hot in Ottawa
By JIM FOX -- For The Canadian Press
Hanging out with the cool cats on Parliament Hill and discovering the soul of the city through off-the-beaten-path tours are among tourism options in Ottawa.
The cats who reside on the Hill -- no, not the politicians -- are a popular attraction.
Rene Chartrand's colony of 17 strays live it up in a cat condominium near Queen Victoria's statue. Known as the Catman of the Hill, Chartrand, 76, has cared for the felines the past 11 years.
It's a daily labor of love, along with feeding raccoons, groundhogs, squirrels, pigeons, chickadees and sparrows.
As tourists gather beside a cast-iron fence separating the colony from the walkway near the Parliamentary Library, the cats come out to play and be petted.
Chartrand has a sign telling about his "tame and friendly" creatures near a metal box seeking donations to help with his work.
When word got out that it was costing the pensioner $6,000 a year to care for the animals, help came last summer from Ralston-Purina which now supplies cat food at no charge, and Alta Vista Animal Hospital which provides free spaying and neutering.
The wooden cat houses have straw for warmth, and overhead Chartrand flies Canadian flags and pictures of the inhabitants, some named after prime ministers.
It's been a cat hotel since the late 1970s when Irene Desormeaux, Chartrand's neighbor, cared for them. After her death in 1987, Chartrand took over.
"Since that time, I have always been faithful to my daily obligation to the animals on the Hill, even when my beloved wife, Rita, died during the winter of 1990," Chartrand says.
Taking a break from feeding and cleaning, Chartrand entertains visitors by sticking peanuts in his ears and mouth for squirrels to snatch.
