B.C. SPCA seizes 34 Bengal cats from Vernon breeder

The B.C. SPCA seized 34 Bengal cats from a breeder in Vernon, B.C., with the society saying the animals were in distress and some had diarrhea.

Eileen Drever, the B.C. SPCA's senior officer of stakeholder relations, said its animal protection officers executed a search warrant on May 28 after being alerted to the Bengal cats by a member of the public who called their helpline.

Drever said the officers encountered a high level of ammonia gas at the property, and the cats had been kept in dirty cages and their litter boxes were overflowing.

"The ammonia-type levels were so high it was actually ... affecting the staff attending the property, so I can't imagine how the cats tolerated that," she said.

"The cats were underweight, and as a result we removed them from the property and the cats are receiving medical care as we speak."

Drever said the cats had access to a "catio" for recreation, but most of them were kept in cages and lacked stimulation.

The society said it's unknown when the Bengal cats will be available for adoption.

Drever said prospective owners should do their homework on how to care for a Bengal cat.

"Bengal cats, really, they're inquisitive," she said. "They've got lots of energy, and when we find homes for these cats, it has to be a specialized home."

Drever said the Bengal cats are wild-hybrid domestic cats, a mix of Asian leopards and domestic cats. The SPCA said it is opposed to the breeding of wild animals with domestic animals.

"The importation, breeding, and keeping of exotic animals — such as Asian leopard cats and servals, which are used to create hybrid cats — should be prohibited under the provincial Controlled Alien Species Regulation of the Wildlife Act," reads an SPCA statement.