FAQs

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There is a stray cat that keeps coming onto my property. What can I do?

Each council has its own local laws regarding the removal of stray cats. If your council does not have cat laws, Cat Haven has developed a number of guidelines to be met before we can accept any stray cat. This is essential to ensure that stray cats are indeed homeless and not just visiting from a nearby household.

You must check with neighbours within a 10-house radius.
You must call at least three local vet clinics to place a found report and to check their lost reports.
You must place at least five posters up on light poles and at shopping centres with a description of the cat and a contact number.

If you have followed all these guidelines and are still unable to find an owner, you can bring the cat to Cat Haven (opening hours below).

I have met the guidelines about stray cats but I can’t catch it. What should i do?

If you are unable to catch the cat by hand, please call Cat Haven and lodge a request for a ranger to attend your property and set a trap. Cat Haven has a $35 one-off payment to help meet our costs. Please bear in mind that Cat Haven are extremely busy and there may be a waiting period until a ranger is able to attend. Alternatively, you can contact a reputable pest control company who bring their trapped cats into Cat Haven for assessment.

What is the safest way to set and transport traps?

The safest way to trap a cat is to use an experienced company such as Cat Haven or a pest control company who brings their cats to Cat Haven for processing. If you do chose to trap on your own please make prior arrangements to bring the cat to Cat Haven as soon as possible and follow the guidelines below.

Several days prior, start feeding the cat where you intend to set the trap. It will be far more likely to enter the trap if it has been fed there previously.

Set the trap according to the instructions you were given when you hired it. Make sure it is stable and will not tip over, that is set under shelter, out of rain and sun, and out of public view. Please also avoid setting traps in extreme weather conditions.

It is an extremely traumatic experience for a cat to be trapped, and it is essential it is covered for the entire time it is in the trap. When setting the trap, place an old sheet or towel over the back half. As soon as you know that the cat has entered the trap, cover the trap completely.

You will need to check the trap every couple of hours during the day and in the morning if set overnight. Don’t leave a cat in a trap for too long. As soon as you are aware a cat is in it, your must immediately bring it into Cat Haven.

When transporting the cat to us please ensure that it remains covered the entire time, even when transporting from your vehicle into Cat Haven. And please, do not transport the trapped cat in the tray of a utility or the boot of a vehicle. It will feel far more secure travelling in the passenger section of your vehicle.

I can no longer look after my cat. What should I do?

If you are unable to continue to care for your cat, Cat Haven will take it from you. Unfortunately, because of the number of cats we receive and the lack of available space, we cannot guarantee your cat a new home. For this reason we would encourage you to use Cat Haven as a last resort.

Before surrendering a cat to Cat Haven please try the following options.

Friends and family - including circulating an email flyer, if possible, asking friends and family to take the cat themselves or to forward the flyer on to their contacts.
RSPCA - they have a ‘no euthanasia’ policy but there is a waiting list.
Vet clinics - some vet clinics have adoption centres. It is best to ring around to see if any clinics would be in a position to look after your cat.

When can I surrender my cat to Cat Haven?

You can bring your cat to Cat Haven between 10:30am and 3:00pm, Mon - Fri or between 10:30 am and 4:00 pm on weekends and Public Holidays (Excluding Christmas Day and Good Friday, when we are closed).

Does it cost money to surrender my cat to Cat Haven?

There is no set fee for surrendering a cat to Cat Haven. However, a donation would be appreciated as we do not receive any government funding. Every cat surrendered to Cat Haven costs us for care, on average, $95.00.

My neighbours won’t keep their cats inside and they are destroying my property.

Some councils are just starting to introduce cat laws which allow for rangers to trap cats if they stray onto other people’s properties. Please check with your local council to see what cat laws they have in place regarding the removal of these cats.

If your council has not yet implemented cat laws, you may want to try a commercial cat repellent such as Science Product Dog and Cat Repellent’. Another product is called D-ter. Alternatively, you could try spraying lemon juice along the border of your property or try planting citronella in your garden.

My council requires that I keep my cats on my premises at all times. How can you stop them from wandering?

If you are required to keep your cats on your premises but don’t want them to be kept indoors you will need to look at getting some sort of enclosure built in your garden. CatMax (1300 306 605) and Catnip (1800 639 998) both do quality cat enclosures. Alternatively you could look at getting an attachment on the top of your fenceline which will prevent your cat from getting out. Oscillo' (08 8572 4471) is a fantastic new invention which may be a cheaper alternative to a full enclosure.

I can’t afford to have my cat sterilised. Does Cat Haven give discounts?

Cat Haven can offer discounted sterilisation prices. Standard price for sterilisation through us is $115.00 for females and $90.00 for males. For Pension and Health Care Card holders, female sterilisation costs $80.00 and male sterilisation costs $65.00.

Some Pension and Health Care Card holders may qualify to have their cat sterilised for a lower price under our Last Litter Fund. To find out whether you are eligible, call us on 9442 3600.

The Cat Sterilisation Society (9397 5062) and the Ruby Benjamin Foundation (9405 3905 or 9248 5351) may be able to assist Pension or Health Care Card holders who live a long way from Cat Haven.

For other low-cost veterinary clinics in WA that may be closer to you, please contact the National Desexing Network.

Why should I sterilise my cat?

The most obvious reason for sterilising cats is that it eliminates unwanted pregnancies. Cat Haven receives thousands of homeless kittens every year simply because owners have not sterilised their cats. A female can come on heat as early as four months of age, so it is imperative that you get your cat sterilised as early as possible.

Unsterilised females have a much greater risk of life-threatening uterine infections as well as uterine, ovarian and mammary cancer.

Unsterilised males can become aggressive towards their owners and will get into fights with other males as they search for females. The frequent fights expose them to serious infectious diseases and abscesses, which will ultimately result in higher vet bills and a shorter lifespan.

Both unsterilised male and female cats have a tendency to spray, wander off your property and are more likely to get lost or hit by a car.

Can Cat Haven collect my cat and bring it in to the shelter?

Cat Haven has a small group of dedicated volunteers who pick up cats for us when required. The demand for pick-ups is, however, far greater than the number our volunteers can actually carry out. Therefore, Cat Haven is only able to assist a limited number of pick-up requests.

If you need to get a cat in to Cat Haven but don’t have your own transport, please contact friends, family or neighbours for assistance before requesting a pick-up by us.

I live a long way from Cat Haven. Is there anywhere closer to drop off cats?

There are several vet clinics near Mandurah which will accept stray and owned cats on our behalf and will house them on their premises until Cat Haven is able to collect them.

If you are dropping a cat off to one of these clinics it is vital to ring the clinic prior to the cat’s surrender. This will ensure that the vet clinic is able to properly look after your cat while it is in their care.

Drop-off points are:

Warnbro Veterinary Hospital
655 Safety Bay Rd, Warnbro
9593 1797

Coastal Veterinary Hospital
268 Pinjarra Rd, Mandurah
9535 4255

Kwinana Veterinary Clinic
36/38 Meares Ave, Parmelia
9419 1346

Alternatively, Animal Protection Society (9398 6616) in Southern River has a similar facility to Cat Haven and they may be able to take the cats from you.

Cat Haven