Cat Haven Media

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:12:00 +1000

Cat naps are set to be replaced with cat therapy thanks to the visits of half a dozen Cat Haven moggies at Amana Living’s James Brown House in Osborne Park.

Felines will soon be regular visitors to the 61 residents at the facility as part of a pet therapy program involving Cat Haven volunteers and occupational therapists from Amana Living.

Cat Haven Spokesperson Jessica Reid said the cats selected to participate in the program enjoy getting out of their kennels and receiving attention from the residents.

“The cats chosen for the visits are easy going and it’s great to see the enjoyment and companionship they provide the seniors,” Ms Reid said.

“Our animals have a good time at the centre and the residents’ smiles show they are getting a lot out of these visits too.

Helen Bagnall, Care Manager at James Brown House, said the benefits of pet therapy are well documented and residents have already expressed their enjoyment from participating in the program.

“Many of our residents have owned cats or other pets in the past and spending time with these animals has a very therapeutic effect on them and leads to trips down memory lane,” she said.

“As well as receiving visits from the Cat Haven’s residents our residents have begun fundraising for the haven to help them in their rescue and re-homing work, so it’s a great initiative for everyone involved.”

All cats involved in the therapy program with Amana Living are available for adoption from Cat Haven.

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:59:00 +1000

People struggling to afford cat sterilisation will be assisted thanks to Cat Haven and National Desexing Network.

This August, which marks National Desexing Month and the start of cat breeding season, concession card holders can have their cat sterilised for only $50 by phoning Cat Haven in Shenton Park on 9442 3600.

National Desexing Network has also compiled a list of other low cost clinics in WA that can be accessed on their website at www.ndn.org.au

Cat Haven Spokesperson Jessica Reid also encouraged people to shop around for the best price if they were finding sterilisation tough to afford.

"Breeding season which starts in August is a critical time of the year because when cats are not sterilised, they end up having litters of kittens by Christmas time and contribute to a larger problem of too many cats and not enough homes," she said.

"By offering the discounts we hope to help those people that otherwise couldn't afford to sterilise their pet, and at the same time decrease the overpopulation of cats at Christmas."

Ms Reid said there were a range of benefits for people sterilising their feline friends.

"Sterilised cats have a reduced risk of developing behavioural problems and become more loving and affectionate companions in the long term," she said.

"They lead longer and healthier lives, and are less likely to cause problems in communities such as wandering onto private property, fighting, hunting wildlife and marking their territories."

Ms Reid emphasised the importance of owners sterilising their cats before they reached five months of age.

"Cats start breeding at around five months of age, and if left unsterilised the cat population can quickly get out of control," she said

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:59:00 +1000

Cat Haven has produced its first ever professional video and is inviting you to view it on their website homepage at www.cathaven.com.au

Cat Haven Spokesperson Jessica Reid who directed the video said the aim was to showcase the important work the not-for-profit charity undertakes, the services they provide the community, and what people can do to support cat welfare in WA.

"A lot of people aren't aware of Cat Haven's full range of services, so this video will explain it to them, "Ms Reid said.

The video features information on the shelters general operations as well as it's key services including a veterinary clinic, foster care program, ranger service and volunteering opportunities.

The video also raises awareness of cat welfare issues in Western Australia and outlines what people can do to help.

"There are so many ways people can help us support cat welfare in WA whether it be volunteering, foster caring, donating or becoming a member," Ms Reid said.

"And there's also some great footage of some very cute cats and kittens in the video too."

As well as featuring on Cat Haven's website, the video has also been uploaded to YouTube.

Cat Haven was very lucky to have the help of Video Producer Nicholas Hatherly of Media 66, who has over 20 years experience which has included significant roles with three commercial television networks and regional television.

"His experience has led to a first-class production that provides the public with information of Cat Haven's services and the support we provide the community," said Ms Reid.

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:56:00 +1000

Homeless cats at Cat Haven in Shenton Park have been benefiting from the volunteer work of six female prisoners from the Boronia Pre-release Centre for Women.

The volunteer work is also important in preparing the prisoners for release by helping them transition back into society.

The minimum-security prisoners were carefully selected to work outside of the prison, and visit Cat Haven every Friday to help with vital maintenance.

Cat Haven spokesperson Jessica Reid said the shelter was grateful for the support of Department of Corrective Services in helping them provide a valuable service to the Perth community.

"We have been really impressed with how hard the prisoners work when they visit us," Ms Reid said.

"We are a not for profit charity that relies heavily on the work of volunteers to support homeless cats and the hard work of these women is really helping us make a difference."

Boronia Pre-Release Centre for Women Community Activities Officer Peter Smith, who accompanies the prisoners on visits, said the program was a great way to rehabilitate and re-socialise prisoners.

"It doesn't faze the women that some of the work can get dirty, they just roll up their sleeves and get stuck into it," Mr Smith said.

The women help out cleaning cages, topping up food, washing food bowls and interacting with the cats.

The bonding has proven cathartic for the women as well as vital in socialising the cats.

"I find it very rewarding as a prison officer to see how much these women get out of helping homeless animals in need. It is beautiful," he said.

Boronia Superintendent Jan Allen said the centre also supported several other not-for-profit community programs with women often continuing to volunteer after they have been released back into the community.

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:52:00 +1000

Cat Haven and RSPCA are reminding people to sterilise their cats before cat breeding season hits in August.

RSPCA Spokesperson Tim Mayne said members of the public could make a big difference and minimise the high number of cats coming into shelters at Christmas by sterilising their pets now.

"Unclaimed cats, which people often feed but don't consider their own cat, are also a big problem," Mr Mayne said.

The animal welfare groups are also calling on people who feed them to take responsibility for getting them sterilised.

Cat Haven Spokesperson Jessica Reid said thousands of unwanted kittens were received by cat shelters last Christmas and with not enough homes and nowhere for the surplus to go many of them had to be euthanised.

"If more cats were sterilised before the start of breeding season this awful situation could be prevented," Ms Reid said.

Australian Veterinary Association WA President Garry Edgar endorsed the call.

"Some people need to be more responsible for the cats they are feeding." Dr Edgar said.

"Semi-owned cats that are being fed by irresponsible people are often the source of these unwanted kittens.

"Do not just feed a cat, desex it and let it become a pet for life."

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +1000

Cat Haven has applauded the development of a cat legislation discussion paper which is being launched this Wednesday 9 June at Cat Haven.

The shelter hopes the discussion paper will lead to compulsory state sterilisation laws being introduced very soon which will help save the lives of thousands of cats and kittens in WA every year and reduce problems caused by unsterilised cats in the community.

Cat Haven Operations Manager Roz Robinson said Cat Haven had been campaigning for compulsory state sterilisation laws for many years.

"The initiative shown by the current government in trying to push these long awaited sterilisation laws through is both encouraging and refreshing and to now be at the stage of having the discussion paper launched is very exciting," Ms Robinson said.

"It is estimated that 14 000 cats and kittens are put to sleep every year in WA due to an overpopulation caused by lack of sterilisation.

"As a society we really need to be doing a lot more to address this awful situation and compulsory sterilisation laws are definitely a big step in the right direction."

One of Cat Haven's original volunteers Val Mitchell said Wednesday's launch was a very important milestone for the organisation.

"I have worked at Cat Haven since it first opened and seen firsthand the detrimental effects that lack of sterilisation brings," Ms Mitchell said.

"Being the largest cat shelter in the state we care for over 8000 unwanted cats and kittens a year so we see problems caused by lack of sterilisation amplified."

Aside from improving cat welfare in Western Australia Cat Haven believes compulsory sterilisation laws will be a big win for communities and reduce environmental issues.

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:13:00 +1000

Cat Haven was contacted by City of Stirling to visit a property in Inglewood yesterday and remove 30 cats living in squalid conditions.

The property was inhabited by two residents living in an unpowered caravan.

Cat Haven captured six of the cats but the remaining ones dispersed.

"This is one of the worst situations Cat Haven has ever seen," Cat Haven Spokesperson Jessica Reid said.

"Aside from removing six of the cats from the property, our staff also found a further six dead cat carcasses at the property which was infested with rats.

"It was a very sad day for the staff at our shelter to see so many sick animals living in such awful conditions."

The six feral cats removed were all in a dreadful condition, inbred and sick, with some carrying incurable diseases.

"They were in an awful state and definitely not fit for re-homing.

"We had no choice but to put them to sleep, it really was the only humane outcome for these poor animals."

Ms Reid said the situation highlighted what can happen when cats are not looked after properly and left unsterilised.

"Apart from the health issues for the cats themselves when they breed out of control, cat colonies causes massive issues to the environment as well as problems within communities.

"Unsterilised cats having an increased tendency to start cat fights and mark their territories on neighbouring properties, so you can imagine what a colony of 30 cats that can have three litters of kittens a year each could do.

"It really highlights the need for compulsory state sterilisation laws which we hope to see going through parliament very soon."

"By enforcing the sterilisation of cats situations like what happened here could have been prevented."

Ms Reid said Cat Haven would continue to support the City of Stirling and remove the remaining cats from the property.

"It is vital these cats do not continue to breed and we capture them before more harm is done," she said.

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:15:00 +1000

Cat Haven has saved the lives of three mistreated persian kittens and after being nursed back to health all three kittens have found loving homes.

Staff at Cat Haven came in to work recently to find a litter of persian kittens and two adult cats dumped outside in the cold at the front of the shelter in overnight amnesty crates.

The cats and kittens were severely infested with ear mites, with chronic cat flu and were experiencing difficulty breathing.

Cat Haven spokesperson Jessica Reid said despite the animals being in such a dreadful state the shelter was able to save the lives of three of the kittens.

"We are lucky to have highly skilled operational staff that are experienced in handling these sort of situations," she said.

"We had a team of vets that worked tirelessly giving the animals the emergency treatment they needed and as the result three kittens were saved."

After being nursed back to health two of the kittens were adopted by Jarradale resident Angela Wood after seeing the animals plight in the media.

"I just think it's disgusting that anyone can treat a living creature this way," Ms Wood said.

"I wanted to give them the loving home that they should have had to begin with."

A community spirited resident, Ms Wood is President of Second Chance Horse Rescue which is a not- for-profit organisation like Cat Haven and rescues abandoned, abused and neglected horses.

Ms Wood said when she first took the two persian kittens home they were very quiet, but quickly regained their confidence and now high spirited and playful.

"They are really affectionate girls and have adorable personalities, I don't know how anyone could have treated them so badly," Ms Wood said.

"I have a six year old daughter and a three year old son and they just love them.

"Being persians the kittens have long hair and my six year old loves to help me brush them in the evenings."

Ms Wood who has named the kittens Scarlett and Honey said it was a great feeling to know she had given a home to two kittens that needed it most.

"I am a firm supporter of the work Cat Haven does in rehabilitating and rehoming cats and kittens in these sort of predicaments," she said.

Cat Haven in Shenton Park is open seven days a week and has a range of homeless cats and kittens currently looking for loving homes.

Wed, 05 May 2010 18:42:00 +1000

National Volunteer Week (running from 10-16 May) serves as an opportunity to acknowledge over 200 volunteers that help Cat Haven in Shenton Park provide a shelter for over 8000 homeless cats and kittens every year.

Jemima Berridge of Floreat is one of these volunteers whose hard work and commitment helps Cat Haven support and rehome thousands of animals every year.

Jemima started helping out at the shelter last year as a kennel hand, assisting with fundraising events and also as a foster carer for cats and kittens in need of special care to help them transition back into the community.

"I started volunteering because I really wanted to make a difference to the lives of cats," Ms Berridge said.

"I wasn’t in the position to commit to owning a cat, but these animals give so much back so by volunteering I felt I was enriching their lives and supporting a really great cause at the same time."

Ms Berridge said volunteering was a highly rewarding experience.

"You never leave Cat Haven feeling like you have wasted a second of your day."

"It's an amazing feeling knowing you have made a difference."

"You also get to meet a lot of really great community spirited people and have a lot of fun too, I’d definitely recommend volunteering to others."

Cat Haven Operations Manager Roz Robinson said without the dedication and commitment of volunteers the shelter would not be able to provide the valuable service it does for the Perth community.

"It takes a very special person to become a volunteer," Ms Robinson said.

"To give up hours of your free time to help us support unwanted cats and help us improve cat welfare in WA and is a commendable character trait."

Ms Robinson said Cat Haven was always in need of more volunteers.

"No matter where your skill set lies, there are so many areas where you can help," Ms Robinson said

"Whether it be foster caring, becoming a kennel hand, helping with our events and fundraising or administration there’s a job to suit everyone’s interests and lifestyle."

For more information on how to become a volunteer or to download a volunteering application visit http://www.cathaven.com.au/volunteering/ or phone 9442 3600.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:30:00 +1100

Whether there's a stray cat that has become a nuisance or you want to know where to take that friendly homeless moggie that hangs around your home, Cat Haven has some tips for you.

Cat Haven Spokesperson Jessica Reid said it was no secret that there were very limited services available in Perth to address the stray cat population.

"When people find a dog that doesn't belong to anyone they call the council ranger," Ms Reid said.

"This is not the case with cats, there is no government service to address Perth's stray cat problem."

Ms Reid said that Cat Haven was a not-for-profit charity that relied on the generosity of the public to operate.

She said Cat Haven had initiated its own ranger service but due to very limited funding and resources the charity struggled to make a significant difference to large stray cat problem.

"In just two months between December 2009 and January 2010 over 100 stray cat jobs were logged with our rangers on top of a huge backlog of work they already have, and this was only the jobs logged, a lot of people didn't want to be put on the waiting list of up to 6 weeks for a ranger to visit so they sought alternatives."

Ms Reid said Cat Haven is currently expanding its ranger service but even with an improved service the shelter would struggle to cope with the huge demand.

"There are many people out there that are unsure of how to address a stray cat problem so we've developed a checklist to help them," Ms Reid said.

Checklist for addressing a stray cat problem

1. Make sure the cat isn't owned by contacting your neighbours to ask if the cat belongs to them, put up flyers on your local shopping notice board, notify local vets or even attach a collar to the cats neck if you can get close to it and write on the collar "if this is your cat please phone X".

2. If you don't have any response and the cat is friendly, place the cat in a secure container making sure it is comfortable and has enough ventilation to breathe and bring the cat in to Cat Haven straight away. This is a huge help to Cat Haven's already highly stretched resources.

3. If the cat is not friendly or there is no one that can bring the cat to Cat Haven phone your local vet who may be able to help.

4. If your local vet is unable to help phone Cat Haven on 9442 3600 to log the job. It will cost $35 for one of Cat Haven's specially trained rangers to visit and collect the cat which only covers a third of the shelter's operating costs. Cat Haven will do their best to get to you as soon as possible, but please be patient if it takes a few weeks. Cat Haven always checks cats brought in for signs of ownership including scanning them to see if they are microchipped.

5. Another option is to contact a pest control company that usually charge over $200. It's important to ask the pest control company what measures they will take to ensure the cat is not owned and will be humanely treated.

6. It is vital that you do not feed stray cats unless you are willing to adopt them and sterilise them. This seemingly kind act is contributing to Perth's unwanted cat population as unsterilised strays will continue to breed and produce unwanted kittens.

For more advice phone Cat Haven on 9442 3600.

ENDS