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Fort Saskatchewan Mayor Gale Katchur is once again drawing criticism from feline advocates after posting a photo of two young people whose Halloween costumes made a reference to her. controversial comments about killing stray cats.

In a since-deleted post on his mayor’s Facebook page, Katchur wrote: “When it comes to costumes, it’s excellent! ” above a photo of two students — one wearing a red blazer similar to the one Katchur was wearing when she made the comments, the other a plastic trash bag over a cat suit.

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Katchur made news in September after said at a council meeting, it would be “interesting if people could take care of (feral cats) themselves…like in the old days.”

“When you lived on the farm, if there were cats, you would throw them in a bag and throw them in a river, or they would just put them on the exhaust.”

Reached by email Saturday morning, Katchur said the students were “just having fun at my expense.”

“I was very sincere about the apology I made regarding the (council meeting) video,” she said.

“These comments were a reminder of what happened over 40 years ago when I lived on a farm… the people in town got rid of unwanted cats in the ways I mentioned and often my sister and I, who were playing in the river valley, found the remains and we have to bury them. For a young farmer, it was traumatic.

She said her family has rescued many abandoned cats near her farm.

“The conversation should be about people taking responsibility for (spaying) or neutering their pets,” Katchur said. “Visiting the Humane Society, we had a great conversation on this topic. I have a great love for animals.

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“Disappointed” at the post

Diana Graham, co-founder of stray cat rescue agency Community Cats Edmonton, said she was “in disbelief” when she saw Katchur’s post. The group was among those who called for Katchur’s resignation, alongside the councilor. Brian Kelly, who mocked to the idea that municipal staff might have difficulty putting down healthy animals and volunteered to euthanize them themselves.

“We are disappointed that Mayor Katchur continues to think harming stray and feral cats is a joke,” Graham said. “Stray and feral cats constitute one of the most vulnerable animal populations. They exist because of human negligence and are simply trying to survive. Comments like Gale’s put them in even more danger.”

Graham also questioned Katchur’s decision to post these remarks on his official page.

“It seems to me that’s exactly what she’s thinking,” she said. “Maybe if she posted that on her personal page is one thing, but posting that as the mayor of Fort Saskatchewan seems very, very short-sighted.”

Graham also pushed back against the idea that killing feral cats is a widespread behavior among rural populations.

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“We know it happens there… (but) not all farmers think like that, obviously,” she said.

“We go out to properties, farms very often, educate them, give them traps, help them spay and neuter… the cats there. There is this option, it’s a better option, and it would be nice if people like Gale (could) have this mindset, share it and educate people, rather than putting them in a tailpipe or to throw them in a bag over a bridge. »

Kath Oltsher, co-founder of Edmonton-based Zoe’s Animal Rescue, also took issue with the post.

“People resented his comment that he was cruel to cats and that killing them was not a good thing,” she said. “So I’m quite surprised that she reoffended, and I think it shows a remarkable lack of judgment and compassion.”

Katchur’s previous comments prompted PETA to buy ads on local television networks highlighting cases of cruelty to outdoor cats.

— With files from Fort Saskatchewan Record

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