The story of the Cats of Paint Lake starts four years ago, with Heather Deveaux and her cabin out on the lake in Dorset. At the time, she and her partner Kyal would feed the odd feral cat that crossed their paths. Soon, they began getting regulars and formed bonds with the strays roaming around.
“When they bond to a human, when they decide they really like you … You know they’ve really chosen you,” Deveaux said.
Today, Deveaux has hosted dozens of feral cats at her cabin and, with financial support from locals, has managed to find some homes and spay or neuter others before returning them to the wild.
Deveaux had no shortage of experiences with cats before this project: several years ago, while living in Toronto, she adopted a feral cat from a humane society.
“That they can still retain their sweetness, their curiosity and their sense of fun even when they’ve lived like that is kind of a marvel,” she said.
Deveaux referred to herself as a cat whisperer: despite their wild, anti-social nature with others, feral cats approach Deveaux and "talk" to her, she said.
“Wherever I’ve been, cats find me. All the neighbourhood cats come and say hi,” she said. “I love them and they know it, and I respect the wildness of them.”
Deveaux and Kyal began to notice just how large the feral cat population was in Lake of Bays. They were hesitant to interfere, not wanting to break the trust they had with their cats, but wanted to help keep the reproductive cycle under control.
“They’re out there, they’re cold, they’re hungry. You see these little flashes of fur and green eyes and you think, ‘Oh, you poor little thing,’” she said.
They started spaying and neutering the cats, paying for the operations out of pocket. Soon, they set up a GoFundMe page to get donations from locals — and they succeeded. To date, they’ve raised several thousand dollars for operations and food.
“I’ve been blown away by the number of people reaching out, saying ‘How can I help?’” Deveaux said.
Nancy Tapley is a Lake of Bays councillor who owns two rescue cats and follows Deveaux’s work online. She commended her for helping to control the feral cat population.
“I hate to see any animal out in the cold,” she said. “I think she’s doing good work getting them out of the outdoors.”
Deveaux had the strongest bond with a feral cat she called Mama Cat, so named because she would bring her kittens she birthed throughout the years. Deveaux and Kyal spent three years feeding and providing a safe space for Mama Cat, who soon grew to trust her.
“We couldn’t touch her at first,” she said. “By the end, we could literally pick her up and hold her upside down in my arms like a baby.”
One day in October, Mama Cat wandered off, as she normally would. However, this time, she never came back. Deveaux said she assumes she had a nest of kittens she was taking care of in another part of town.
“We haven’t had a sighting of her since,” she said. “That’s part of the risk. That’s what happens with feral cats.”
Deveaux’s efforts continue: she posts about the ferals she’s taken in on the Cats of Paint Lake Facebook page, including photos. Deveaux said she works with shelters, humane societies and rescue volunteers in the region, including Muskoka Animal Rescue, Minden Cat Angels, Dorset Rescue Kittens and regional veterinary clinics. She’s hoping to open a new location to house the cats this spring and recruit volunteers.
