At the council meeting of February 13, the Town of Rosemère announced the establishment of the organization Catchat (Cohabitating with your Cat), whose mission is to ethically control the overpopulation of stray cats. In support of this initiative, the Town of Rosemère has given the organization a $10,000 grant. This money will cover the organization’s start-up costs as well as the cost of sterilizing cats identified on its territory.

"I am very pleased to announce the Town of Rosemère’s involvement in this project, which constitutes a concrete solution for controlling the feline population on our territory, thanks to an approach that is respectful of the animal,” stated Madeleine Leduc, mayor of Rosemère. "As the problem of stray cats has become a general concern, even for neighbouring town, it was necessary for an organization of this type to be established in Rosemère,” she added.

The Town of Rosemère and a group of citizens collaborated to implement a process for the management of feral cats. This citizen-driven initiative gave rise to CatChat.

The organization proposes the TNR (Trap – Neuter – Return to their original location) solution for ensuring the effective management of the feline overpopulation. This approach makes it possible to prevent exponential reproductions as well as the "vacuum effect”: cats, once neutered, will be released in their original location to ensure the maintenance of their colonies rather that allow other, unsterilized cats, to move in. Ear markings will identify neutered cats to avoid trapping them anew. "We are committed to doing whatever is needed to ensure the wellbeing of the animal, from his trapping to his release, or his adoption when possible,” stated the organization’s president, Patrick De Geyter.

Over the coming months, the organization will carry out a cat census in order to assess the scope of the situation and plan the resources required for its proper operation. Various communication tools will be used to involve residents in this census of the feline population.