Tell us what you love about Spruce Grove!

I have lived in Spruce Grove since March of 2018. It is a wonderful, vibrant community to live in. I am amazed at the well-developed parks and trail system. It adds to a sense of peacefulness and community. As we walk and bike through the trails, it is nice to see smiling faces, kids playing and wildlife in the area. It is a beautiful place to live and thrive.

I was born and raised in Spruce Grove and have loved watching it grow!! The greenspaces are amazing, the trails are amazing and the people are amazing! It is a very clean city and I love how green it is!! I do think we need more "Spruce" trees though. We need to live up to our name!

The cat population in Spruce Grove is an increasing issue. There are cats roaming into people's yards, and causing problems in flower beds and instigating fights with cats which are enjoying the outdoors within their own property. I've been attacked by my neighbor's cat which was nasty enough to tear my blue jeans and digs its claws into my skin. My neighbors have had their cats also attacked with such ferocity they needed to take their cat to the vet for stitches.

We all know about the significant impact the wandering cats have on our bird population. I love cats and have one of my own which I take for walks with a leash. It's unpleasant as he has been attacked while we were on a walk.

Last summer, I discovered feral cats in my neighborhood. I borrowed a live trap and was able to capture six (one mother with three kittens, and two intact males). Thankfully, Zoes Animal Rescue accepted all of them into their foster program in early fall.

In December, I discovered seven tiny footprints in the snow around my house. Again I set the live trap and captured six kittens (ranging in age from 3 months to 6 months and one female that may have been the mother to one or two of the youngest kittens). I took her to the vet to check if she had any identification (microchip). There was nothing. The vet advised me to notify the Bylaw Officer. He advised me to find a rescue organization that would take her and the kittens. All of them were full of cats. I looked for a notice in the lost and found sites. Nothing. Again I asked Zoes Animal Rescue if they could take this batch. However, since these kittens were extremely feral, I was asked to work with them until they could qualify for their foster program - handled without being bitten or scratched and if space opened up within their foster homes.

Zoes was generous in providing payment for the cost of having each kitten/cat neutered/spayed, vaccinations, microchip. I covered the cost of purchasing extra kitty litter boxes, bags and bags of kitty litter, special food, and cat tower and toys.

Over winter and this spring I have been able to transform the little 'killers' into lovely adoptable kittens. Zoes has taken all but the last two (which I am still training). The good news is that besides being able to eliminate the kittens' suffering, they will not be producing more unwanted cats, or spreading disease (which the vet informed me is spreading in Spruce Grove among all city cats).

My recommendation is to enforce cat owners to take responsibility for the wellbeing of their animal (vaccinations and microchip) and to prevent their animal from reproducing if they insist in allowing their animal to roam. I would like to learn about any initiatives the city has attempted with respect to the growing cat problem in Spruce Grove. It will continue to grow until the leaders are forced to take action to deal with the spreading disease, and loss of our bird population.
Judy Weir

Spruce Grove is a very nice city to live very clean people care! One thing Spruce Grove needs to do is put a bylaw in place for all the cats running wild. We all are proud of our yards and take care of them buy flowers to make the neighbourhood look the best. But then you have all these cats running free I don’t have anything against cats as long as people keep them inside their home or on their own property and not running all over in everyone gardens. Please put a bylaw in place no cats running free or get a fine

Hey Spruce, thank you for the cannibis bylaw. Makes sense.