Cat haven cat chat march 2015

Photos by Alma Sarhan, used with owner’s permission.

CatChat

Camera Loving ‘Cam’

G2Z Update

Cat FiGht WoUnds

CAt HAven’S quArterLy mAgAzine | March 15

the pain and suffering

An all-time low!

24%

LoVe oF a Cat is enoUGhHeather’s story

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Cam (Photo by Alma Sarhan)

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magazine designed by Design City. Supporting Cat Haven’s brand since 2005.

Photography is kindly supplied by Alma Sarhan and Houndstooth Studio

Please call Chandra Woodley on 0412 115 937 if you are interested in advertising in Cat Chat.

pg.12pg.8

pg.6

Message from Roz Robinson Cat Haven CeO

Dear members,

Welcome to the first Cat Chat of 2015 and what a flying start Cat Haven has got off to in the new year. Our rehoming figures for 2014 are now out and we have seen the best rehoming percentages ever – 76% of cats and kittens found new homes. We had set ourselves a target of 75% but were delighted when we passed this figure.

rehoming our cats and kittens relies so much on letting the general public know we exist and that we have hundreds of beautiful cats and kittens always available for adoption. So far this we year, we have been able to get exceptional free publicity via several events we have been part of.

northbridge piazza

the evening of January 17th saw Cat Haven collaborate with the City of Perth to bring the international Cat video Festival to Perth for the first time. What an amazing event this turned out to be! it was a beautiful balmy summer’s evening at the northbridge Piazza. the expected 500 visitors quickly turned into 1,200 with standing room only in some areas. So many people turned out in their best ‘cat costume’ we had an impromptu fashion show!

People queued for over an hour to have 3 minutes play with some of our kittens – who incidentally loved the attention. the crowds enjoyed various cat films and locally produced clips of cats as well as international ones. We were also able to set up a stall and sell various retail items with cat ears being the most popular. We raised over $5,000 in much needed funds to help run the shelter and we are very grateful to the City of Perth for organising the event and to all our Cat Haven staff and kind volunteers. We hope to work with the City of Perth again next year, so if you missed out this year, make sure you make it in 2016.

Uber Kittens

February 5th brought us the uber Kitten event, where companies could order an uber car to come to their business and ‘pay to play’ with kittens for 15 minutes with all proceeds going to Cat Haven. the welfare of the kittens was of paramount importance to us and a staff member accompanied them the whole day, with uber staff understanding we would stop the event if any of the kittens showed any signs of distress.

Feedback was amazing! We even came across people who had never held a kitten in their life. We think we may have converted quite a few fence sitters to feline advocates as well as raising over $3000, and we found homes for all of the uber kittens who went out that day.

Fee Free adoption Weekend

As usual at this time of year, we found ourselves at capacity, not only on site with 340 cats and kittens, but also with around 500 cats in foster care. Following last year’s successful adoption fee free week in march, which saw 178 cats rehomed, we decided to run it again. this decision wasn’t taken lightly and was based on the positive results of research into fee free adoptions from shelters in the uS. All our usual adoption criteria were followed, including photo identification with the adopter’s current address on it. We felt that holding it over the long weekend was a better way to go than a full week. We hoped for 150 adoptions, but with 399 cats and kittens rehomed over the weekend, we exceeded our wildest expectations. the media were instrumental in getting our plight out to the public, with a combination of tv, radio and newspaper support. People were both very patient and generous with donations and buying everything their new cat would need. We even had to put a sign on the door on monday afternoon stating “no cats left on site”! An amazing feeling. We understand there was a flow on effect with other shelters and rescue groups experiencing a marked increase in adoptions over the long weekend. there was a huge effort put in by both staff and some of our wonderful volunteers.

With this level of exposure over the last three months it can only aid our cause and lead to increased adoptions.

We are now into the second wave of kittens, but we are looking forward to the next three months when things start to slow for us, and we can plan strategically.

thank you yet again for all your support.

2 | Cat Chat March 2015

Contentsmessage from roz robinson 2

StAr moments of 2014 4

Camera loving ‘Cam’ 4

the Beauty of Black Cats 5

Forget Brangelina 5

Fabulous Fundraisers 5

Cat Fight Wounds 6

g2z update 7

Community 8

Fundraising events 9

give a Cat a Second Chance 10

volunteers – Kerry meacher 12

Staff Profile – trish Hazell 13

Animal Support Program update 14

WA needs Pet Friendly rentals 16

Cat Haven news 18

i would like to donate:

$ _________________ to help to build a covered Ringworm cat enclosure

$10 will provide flea and worm treatment for a cat

$25 will feed a cat for a week

$50 will help fund a foster care place for an extended amount of time

$100 will contribute towards vital vet care

$200 will provide a subsidised sterilisation and a microchip for two cats

I’d like to leave a bequest to Cat Haven in my Will. Please tell me how.

I have already left Cat Haven a bequest in my Will.

Your details

NAME: ____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________

PHONE: ___________________________

Type of Card: Visa MasterCard

Credit card number ________-________-________-________ EXP. DATE: _______/_______

Signature __________________________________________

If you are interested in becoming a regular donor, please tick here: donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible

Please help us build a new covered recovery Area for our cats with ringworm that need to be kept apart from the other cats. Currently they are housed in a temporary outdoor run which is too hot in summer and too cold in winter.

please help Keep our

Recovering Cats Cool and Warm!

To donate online, please visit: www.cathaven.com.au/store/donation/ Or simply complete this form and either mail or email to us.

send form to:Cat haven

reply Paid 8388123 Lemnos Street

Shenton Park WA 6008

Camera Loving ‘Cam’Cam, our cover model is described by his owners as “the cool, calm man about the neighbourhood, but still a bit of a softy at heart”. He was adopted from Cat Haven with his buddy Lex at an Adoption Sunday in late march 2014.

Lex, is even more of a softy, who needs to be close and social. the boys are from different litters but they bonded in the carrier going home and couldn’t be closer. Both cats turned one year old in January but are still kittens at heart and love a “rough and tumble”.

Alma Sarhan photographed them in late 2014 and was charmed by this handsome pair with their glistening coats – they are obviously very loved and pampered. See Lex below.

For our first issue of Cat Chat in 2015, let’s just recap on a fewstaR

moments of 2014:


2014 rewind

Black cats are often overlooked by would-be adopters and remain at Cat haven longer than others even though they make wonderful pets.

Some black cats stay at Cat Haven for months, which is a huge cost to us and sad for these cats who are overlooked.

Black cats are only half as likely to be adopted as cats of other colours. this is because people associate black cats with bad luck. they’ve been given an unfair reputation and unfortunately there are many people that believe the hype. there are a number of superstitions surrounding black cats including that a black cat crossing your path is unlucky and that a black cat is a demon in disguise. But in Scotland a strange black cat appearing on your porch is a good omen – it means that prosperity is on the way. in Ancient egypt black cats were worshipped and owning black cats was thought to bring good luck.

in January 2013, the Cat haven Board made the decision to create a separate Fundraising Committee, chaired by Board Member and volunteer, shirley patrick.

the Fundraising Committee comprises three members: Shirley, roz robinson, Cat Haven’s CeO and Katy Jaksic, past President of the Board and long term volunteer. the Committee decided to put together a more formal Fundraising Calendar, to ensure that the maximum benefit is derived from its fundraising events and this has worked very well. Last year saw the most successful quiz night to date, raising a record $19,000 and Wet nose Day raised a fabulous $15,000. there was also a very successful mango drive, several movie events and market stalls, as well as other fundraisers spread throughout the year.

Our Christmas Appeal for Jillie, the stray cat who had to have her leg amputated due to injuries, raised a whopping $10,000 toward vet treatment for her and others like her.

Our Christmas Street Appeal tin ‘shakers’ raised another $2,000 in much needed funds.

the Karrinyup Shopping Centre gift Wrap, where our volunteers wrapped Christmas gifts for a donation, raised over $13,000!

to date this year, in addition to the international Cat video Festival held in northbridge, two very successful sausage sizzles have been held at City Farmers in Joondalup. A movie night at event Cinemas innaloo raised over $800 and a stall held recently at melville markets raised $450. On the march long weekend, Cat Haven also ran a stall at the Hyde Park Fair selling merchandise and spreading the word about Cat Haven.

the Beauty of Black Cats

Fabulous Fundraisers

Forget Brangelina… Mogshak is the ‘bromance of 2014’!

According to the guinness Book of records,

the world’s richest cat ‘Blackie’ is a long haired black

cat, who was left $25m by his reclusive owner when

he died. So next time you are considering adopting

a cat from Cat Haven, consider an elegant black

cat…you may get lucky!

two of our amazing Cat Chat cover models from last year called mogwai and roshak were adopted into the same household and although they had never met before, they have bonded so strongly at their new home that they’re rarely apart. they follow each other around and roshak cleans mogwai all the time. mogwai is so short he can walk underneath roshak! it’s just heartening to see two cats who had an uncertain start in life, become so happy in their new forever home.

Cat Chat March 2015 | 5

2014 rewind

Cat Fight Wounds injuries from cat fight wounds can be serious in terms of the pain and suffering your cat might endure and the cost of veterinary treatment of the abscesses that result. As well as that, the Feline immunodeficiency virus (Feline AiDS) is transmitted via bite wounds.

Cat saliva and to a lesser extent the material on their claws can harbour a wide range of very nasty bacteria. Problems occur when those bacteria find their way under the skin. Bite wounds are the worst because the offending tooth can penetrate deep into the victim’s tissue. When the tooth withdraws it leaves bacteria behind – basically a hypodermic injection of bacteria. infection is rapid and the body’s response is to attempt to wall the infection off. Pus is produced very quickly. An abscess forms and these can be very large – from golf ball to tennis ball sized.

Abscesses are very painful. Cats with a Cat Bite Abscess (CBA) have a fever, usually go off their food and are very tender over the bite wound. you may feel a soft fluid mass. in severe cases bacteria can be released into the bloodstream causing septicaemia. if left untreated the abscess will eventually burst through the skin, leaving a large ulcer. Often, the ulcer will develop an airtight crust and the abscess will reform. Alternatively it may seem to heal but then recur.

treatment

veterinary treatment of CBAs usually requires a general anaesthetic as they are very painful. if the abscess has not burst it may be as simple as lancing the abscess and inserting a soft rubber drain so that fluid can escape and oxygen can get in. if the abscess has already burst it means the skin over the abscess is usually in very poor shape. Damaged skin is trimmed back to healthy skin and then sutured closed after inserting a drain. the area may be very large indeed – abscesses on the tail base and lower back can be very extensive. Sometimes it is not possible to suture the area. On the lower limbs and on the tail, for example, the wound may be trimmed back and left as an open wound to heal. Antibiotics are always given for the treatment of abscesses. Pain relief is often given. in rare cases abscesses may be caused by resistant strains of bacteria or with micro-organisms such as nocardia or mycobacterium. that can be expensive! A swab for bacterial culture will be needed if the abscess resists treatment. nocardial abscesses may never heal!

What can you do?

• Prevent fighting in the first place. Keep your cats indoors, especially at night when most roaming and fighting takes place.

• if you know your cat has been in a fight and is off-colour or limping, refusing food or showing signs of pain, an early trip to the vet may save you a lot of money in the long run. Administration of antibiotics before the abscess has had a chance to form has a high success rate. Pain relief will help your cat recover quickly.

• if the abscess has already burst clip away the surrounding hair so you can assess how big the damaged area is. Occasionally, with thrice daily irrigation of the wound with dilute Betadine, the ulcer will heal. unfortunately you run the risk of getting bitten yourself and the abscess often returns. Seek veterinary help.

• Consider Pet insurance!


vets voice

G2Z Update

Call to action

As part of our continued efforts towards the getting to zero euthanasia in cats (g2z) program, we are delighted to report that our euthanasia statistics are at an all-time low, at only 24% of cats surrendered being put to sleep in 2014.this is a great team effort and is for the most part due to the g2z programs put in place. thanks to a generous benefactor, an Animal Support Program is now in place, whereby we can rehome all our Fiv and ringworm cats. We have also found that our ongoing foster care program has saved thousands of lives – a big thanks to our tireless foster care supporters for contributing to this unprecedented statistic.

We have come a long way toward getting to zero euthanasia and we will continue to strive to reduce the figure even more over the coming years. However these programs cost tens of thousands of dollars to run, so if you can donate or would like to contribute at all please donate online, by phone or mail or contact roz robinson to become a benefactor.

We are doing a call out for anyone that might be in the position to become a benefactor towards a ‘Specialised Animal Support Program’.

We need help with funding for cats and kittens that require specialised external veterinary care. Little Screamer (pictured), was one of our gorgeous foster kittens in care for a genetic issue involving his bowel. this was causing him to have serious toileting issues and a great deal of discomfort. unfortunately, although we tried everything we could, we were not able to save him. Perhaps, if we had been able to seek a specialist, little lives like Screamer’s and many others could be saved by your generous funding. if you are able to help, or would like more information about becoming a benefactor for a specific cause, please contact roz robinson 08 9442 3600.

LoVe oF a Cat is enoUGh Story by Heather noonan

i love my cats and at present i have two, myrtle my beautiful tortoiseshell, and Frank my special ginger boy. i cherish them and give thanks for having them with me each day. they are gentle, fun loving little creatures who care for one another and give me great joy.

they are both from the Cat Haven. myrtle was listed as “Sweetheart of the month,” and came at a reduced price as she had been there a while. the young volunteer at Cat Haven mentioned that myrtle had a trick: When i went into her cage to see her she came down from her platform and did three rollovers.

How could i resist her after that? She still does them for me. Her tummy sags; i think she must have had kittens. i guess that is why she was abandoned. it seems to be one of the main reasons why cats are left at the shelter. myrtle’s time was nearly up and when i think of that, i shudder at what would have been such a waste of the bundle of love that she is.

Frank was one of a large litter of kittens and it was my daughter who chose him from the bunch. He has proved to be the most companionable cat that i have ever had. He is with me constantly and follows me around all day. He sits to my left on the computer desk as i type this. imagine the loss to me if they had not been mine. they are capable of love; they have respect for one another.

i have had cats all of my life, up to fourteen at once, at one stage, when i lived on a farm in Pemberton. every cat i have ever had has had a name, they have been fed and loved, and have given me love in return.

i have witnessed first-hand, stray cats having their litters and i have been in awe of the care they give their little ones. As the kittens grow the playfulness they display is delightful to watch and the effort required to look after them is shared by the other cats in the group. they would put many other species to shame, including unfortunately some humans.

take a cat only if you are able to love it, care for it and have it sterilised. As i read this my Frank has his long striped tail entwined around my arm and his purr is so rhythmic and deep that i know he is happy. At the end of the bed, myrtle my ‘Sweetheart of the month,’ sings her own song as her nose and tail twitch as she dreams her dreams. She has arthritis now and is going grey around her mouth and is getting fussier with her food. Chicken is all that she desires and she will get it while she is mine. She will leave me one day as they have all done but she will pass, leaving me with sweet memories and unfortunately a broken heart. i know that she is safe in my courtyard from cars and other predators but Frank is young and adventurous and escapes through the gaps in my fence and all i can do is give him a hug and hope that he returns to me safe and sound.

thank you volunteers of Cat Haven for appreciating and caring for the many thousands of cats that have passed through your doors over the past fifty years.

a tower of support Will marstall of Scotch College decided to build a cat tower scratch pole for Cat Haven for his year 10 Personal Project. the school project was to build something for a charity and he decided to build something for Cat Haven. He was kind enough to donate it to us and let us take a photo when he came in – thank You Will!

CoMMUnitY your cat, your stories

if you have any interesting stories

about your experience with Cat haven cats,

please email [email protected]

thank you!Cat haven would like to thank all of the media in Wa and around the nation including many radio and television stations, newspapers, and Cat haven supporters for spreading the word about our first ‘fee free adult cat’ long weekend on the Labour day weekend in March this year. their enthusiasm and generosity was unprecedented and it helped to rehome 399 cats and kittens over five days – a first for Cat haven. this relieved the pressure on a lot of tired Cat haven staff and volunteers and gave hundreds of homeless cats a loving forever home.


community

Building brands.Transforming businesses.

Purrfect brands.

Fundraising eventsnext event

Quiz nightSaturday 16th may Community Hall, Sandgate Street, South Perth.

high teaA High tea is being planned – please keep an eye on our website and facebook for more details.

16may

One of Cat Haven’s biggest fundraisers, the Annual quiz night will be held this year on Saturday may 16th in the South Perth Community Centre. more details as they come to hand.

the Fundraising Committee will be seeking volunteers to assist with both events. A huge thank you must go out to all volunteers who tirelessly support these events. Without your help, these fundraising events would not be possible and Cat Haven thanks each and every one of you for your efforts.

st George’s Cathedral, perth 5pm sunday 4 october

5pm Service of Celebration of St Francis of Assisi, Patron of Animals sung by St george’s Cathedral Consort followed by ‘Cats Cabaret’ in the newly restored heritage Burt memorial Hall.

young professional musicians will play songs from Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical ‘Cats’ and actors will read poems from ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’.

Supper served at tables. groups of six or more can reserve seating.

tickets will soon be available. all profits to Cat haven

Cats CabaretWatch this Space!!

Oscarmr mangoo Patricia

Give a Cat a second Chance– Adopt a Cat today.Cat Haven has hundreds of cats and kittens in need of a good home. Please come into Cat Haven to meet your new friend or see our website: www.cathaven.com.au

maggie

Peggy

California Dude

Leona Lipsy Lou Lottie

Cheeky gary

rhapsodyrambo Salem Shrimp & Boomerang


adoption

mopsy

Snooky Sprocket WillSmiley

michelle

Phoebe

marley mcFurry

Phil

Kathleenghost godzilla

Pixie Possum

FiFo Cats Shift Workers Can Have their Cat Fix too! Sponsor a Cat and Save on tax.

Just because you are a FiFO or Shift Worker doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the pleasure of having a cat! it’s nearly impossible to own a cat full time if you have the type of job that demands you fly up to site to work on a regular basis, so why not simply sponsor a cat at Cat Haven on the FiFO Sponsorship for only $350 a year. not only are you helping to feed and house a homeless cat, but you can come into Cat Haven at any time while we are open and have a cat cuddle or play. And, if you sponsor a cat or donate to Cat Haven, you can reduce your annual taxable income by the whole amount of your donation, and pay less tax each year. So why pay the tax man – own a cat part time instead! (Contact your accountant for advice).

Jorjie


Cat Haven relies heavily on the assistance of a large team of fabulous volunteers to help run the shelter and raise essential funds. Currently we have about 200 volunteers who help out in a number of roles ranging from reception & admin, on grounds, cleaning, fundraising and in boarding and vet clinic. We are still looking for more people for cleaning on site, reception and data entry work and we have various times and days available to suit and fit around your life. it’s a great chance to meet like-minded people and give back to the community, and of course, you get to see the cats!

We spoke to Kerry meacher, one of our most energetic volunteers, about what she does and why she volunteers on grounds at the shelter:

What do you do at Cat haven and for your ‘normal’ full time job?

i’ve been at Cat Haven for 6 months now, working in the utilities area – that is…cleaning all the cat litter trays! i only volunteer there on Sundays for three hours but i feel it gives me good karma for all the things i may do during the week. i work as a Commercial manager for a civil and mining construction company in Perth normally.

Why do you volunteer and why did you choose Cat haven?

i have a chaotic day job and i made a lifestyle choice to get fit and healthy, and do more of the things i like – i wanted more balance, so i called Cat Haven. i got two cats from Cat Haven over the years and often followed Cat Haven on Facebook with their fundraising, but i saw an opportunity to give back in a more tangible way and thought giving my time may be more valuable.

What do you like about volunteer work at Cat haven?

i really enjoy interacting with the other volunteers and have met some really nice people there who have become sound friends. it’s good fun and nice to talk about things other than work, plus it gives me a sense of satisfaction about helping Cat Haven.

is there anything you don’t like?

the smell! it’s pretty hard work in the hot weather and you have some emotional days but largely the positives outweigh the negatives.

are there any particular qualities you think you need for this role?

All you really need is a ‘get stuck in’ attitude – it’s not too physically or mentally challenging, but you just need to get on with it.

Your ideal future for Cat haven?

it would be really nice to get some funding for a more efficient, better equipped utilities room to improve the cleaning process. this would leave more time for volunteers to engage in cat behaviour enrichment and playtime!

Kerry Meacher

VoLUnteeRs Our greatest resource

i saw an opportunity to give

back in a more tangible way

and thought giving my time

may be more valuable.


volunteers

trish hazelltrish Hazell has worked as our Foster Care Coordinator for nearly two years. With a tireless passion for cats, she has seen thousands of cats find temporary homes to get them ready for adoption. We asked her a little about what drives her…

how did you come to work as Foster Care Coordinator at Cat haven and what did you do prior?

i first started working at Cat Haven in 2013 as part of the reception team until a position came up in the Foster Care department where i have been for nearly 2 years now. Before coming to Cat Haven i worked in the renovation industry as a kitchen designer for over 6 years.

What inspired you to work at Cat haven?

i have always had a passion for animals but had never really come across an opportunity to work with them until i saw a position available with Cat Haven. it was a big change from what i was previously doing but one that i have certainly not regretted.

What exactly do you do and what qualifications/experience do you need?

i manage a small team of staff and together we are responsible for finding foster homes for all the cats and kittens that are not quite ready for adoption yet or the ones that have been looking for a home for a while and really need a break. We can have up to 600 cats and kittens in foster care in the middle of kitten season and drop down to about 250 in care during winter. the job is very busy and very hands-on as we are the main support for the 400+ carers who help to care for our cats in their homes. Daily we deal with cats that are sick, grumpy, infant kittens needing bottle feeding or foster carers needing advice on their foster cats, so we need to have a solid knowledge of all areas of cats and their behaviour. i try to have a team that has vet nursing experience as this helps us to provide the best care and advice possible.

What aspects of the role do you enjoy the most?

i have to say the best part of the job is seeing the weak thrive!! We often receive little kittens that are not in the best condition, whether they’re severely underweight, sick from flu and other illness or little ones that have been abused or neglected. We send these kittens off to some of our more experienced carers for that extra special tLC. Seeing these kittens survive, against all odds, and come back looking so happy and healthy, really is just an amazing feeling. it’s these little fighters that really make me love what i do and make me fight harder for them all.

What are the more challenging aspects of your job?

Definitely the most challenging part is that we can’t save them all!! Sadly, we see some kittens that just don’t thrive no matter what we do. With the thousands we send out to foster each year the reality is that we are going to lose some… but that doesn’t make it any easier. i have often taken home very ill kittens to try to syringe feed them. i give them fluids and constant care but this isn’t always enough. i’m not one for giving up on a kitten and it is very hard to not get emotionally attached, but as we deal with such fragile little lives every day it’s not that easy. i try to focus on the ones that do make it, the fighters, the little rascals and the absolute sweethearts that steal our hearts regularly. they make it easier to cope with the ones we cannot save.

Your ideal future at Cat haven… your wish list…?

in my ideal future Cat Haven wouldn’t need to exist… but for now, i’d love to see us be able to go even further with getting to zero. in the last few years we have seen such a massive difference in the amount of lives we are able to now save due to the foster program, better funding and also a better understanding of how things can be improved. Saving lives does cost money and if we are to go that bit further we will need to have the funding to cover it. my wish list would be to see more support from some of the larger companies. if we could get even a small, regular donation from a handful of companies, we would really be able to improve so much more. We could buy the equipment necessary, hire the staff required and perform the surgeries needed to save just about every cat that comes through our doors!! And to me… that’s an ideal Cat Haven!!

if you’ve ever thought about fostering or haven’t considered it before, please have a look at our foster care application on our website which gives a fairly good overview of what is involved. Fostering isn’t for everyone but is so rewarding for those who can.

Cat haven staff profileOur greatest resource


staff

thanks to a very generous benefactor, some of our older or sick cats can find their forever homes with a guarantee to their new owners that their specific health issues will be treated free of charge at the Cat Haven vet clinic for the rest of the cat’s life. many golden Oldies with issues such as Fiv or skin cancer have been successfully adopted out under the Animal Support Program and here are a couple of happy endings from 2014:

animal support program Update– Happy tails


support

Mudcakemudcake is a beautiful boy who was left at Cat Haven overnight with no information. upon his arrival mudcake presented a number of health issues. His first blood test came back positive for Feline immunodeficiency virus (Fiv) and he had quite severe gingivitus and Periodontal Disease.

the next step was to conduct a Polymerase Chain reaction test (PCr) where blood is taken from the jugular and sent to a laboratory offsite for a more detailed look. this is standard for cats that initially test positive for Fiv, as cats that are vaccinated against Fiv will often give a false positive result.

unfortunately mudcake was confirmed to have Fiv and so required a full blood profile to make sure there were no other hidden problems. this showed that he had increased globulins (antibodies) which were consistent with inflammation due to Periodontal Disease and Fiv infection. However mudcake’s liver and heart were functioning normally and a urinalysis showed his kidneys to be working well.

As a result mudcake was able to safely undergo a dental procedure and receive antibiotics to clear up his gingivitus and Periodontal problems. mudcake remains on the Animal Support Program to cover any further dental treatment he may require and any health related issues he may face due to the Fiv infection.

it wasn’t long before this charming, handsome boy was adopted, with his new owners given a full briefing of his health issues by one of our vets.

ChunkyChunky arrived at Cat Haven as a stray from noranda. He had a very lovely nature and was immediately a big favourite amongst the staff. upon his initial health check it was detected that Chunky had a heart murmur.

through the Animal Support Program we were able to book him in for an ultrasound and conduct an electrocardiogram (eCg) to gain a better perspective of how serious his condition was. Heart murmurs in cats are graded from grade i being

the mildest up to grade 6 the most severe. Chunky fell into the middle of this range with a grade 2-3 heart murmur. the cause of his murmur was a mild aortic valve regurgitation, causing some blood flow back into his ventricle.

Overall Chunky was in good health and whilst he had a heart murmur it wasn’t causing him any adverse effects and wasn’t serious enough to require any further treatment. the best thing for Chunky was to return under the Animal Support Program for a yearly heart check-up and further eCg’s if needed.

Chunky was adopted very quickly and has been a joy for his new owners. A little shy at first, he settled into his new house quickly. He is very much a lazy lap cat who enjoys sleeping and sunbathing all day. He is a very much loved member of his new family.


support

Wa needs pet Friendly Rentals and strata properties


law

One of the most common reasons given to Cat Haven as to why people surrender their much loved cat, is that they are not allowed to own a cat in their strata or rental property. it is heartbreaking to see cat owners have to give up their pet, that has sometimes been in the family for many years, just because they have to move.there has been a recent Strata reform process by State government to review and change a number of strata laws, however making it easier and more possible for owners of strata properties to own a pet in their complex is not part of this reform.

Peak industry bodies have been pushing for this kind of reform for a couple of years now and State government has indicated that in recent decades, Western Australia has experienced sustained population growth and all indicators suggest this will continue. the key need is to provide flexible and affordable housing options for a population estimated to be at around 5.4 million by 2056. this includes urban infill, increased density and community living in mixed-use environments. this will mean more strata developments and unless the by-laws are reformed, could mean more people forced to surrender their pet to a shelter.

Pet owners could benefit from a change to the WA strata by-laws to be more in line with victoria, where pet ownership is a lot less restrictive. As a guide only and according to www.stratacommunity.org.au

‘victorian strata schemes are governed by the Owners Corporation Act 2006. the Owners Corporations regulations 2007 include a model rule regarding the keeping of animals as follows:

“3.1 use of the common property Sch.2(4) if the owners corporation has resolved that an animal is a danger or is causing a nuisance to the common property, it must give reasonable notice of this resolution to the owner or occupier who is keeping the animal…”

this model rule means that pets are allowed unless it has been resolved not to allow the animal because it is a nuisance or poses a danger. Owners’ corporations can also make their own pet-related rules by special resolution.

in WA the situation is quite different. Our default by-laws apply unless strata council has put their own by-laws in place to allow pets on the premises:

“By-law 12 A proprietor, occupier or other resident shall not – (c) subject to section 42(15) of the Act, keep any animals on the lot that he owns, occupies or resides in or the common property after notice in that behalf given to him by the council.”

this standard by-law means that residents must not keep an animal if they have received notice from the strata council. the keeping of pets is therefore at the discretion of the strata council. the standard by-laws provided by the Act apply to all strata schemes unless they have created and registered their own by-laws.

A spokesman from Landgate in WA has said that ‘the best avenue for cat owners is to discuss having a pet with the strata council concerned’ and that they consider that the ‘no pets rule is safe for property owners due to problem tenants and their animals’. this seems a shame to negatively impact the majority of responsible pet owners due to the minority of problem tenants.

Sadly there doesn’t seem to be any solid avenue to lobby for reform of the strata by-laws that are used as a default in WA. Owners of strata properties can exercise their rights through their Body Corporate to have the by-laws changed and it might be worth raising this issue with Landgate or your local State mP. We need to be so much more progressive in WA and the more the issue is raised, the more likely things may change.


law

Latest sponsorsOur sincere thanks to the following cat pen sponsors, who have helped Cat Haven cope with the cost of looking after numerous cats staying in our shelter so far this year:

Cat Haven thanks Personal Cat Pen Sponsors:

• nick and gemma gohrt

• Hogg/Ferguson

• Dave Hicks

• miranda Hicks

Please call us if you would like to become a cat pen sponsor; it’s only $500 a year for corporate sponsorship and $350 a year for personal sponsorship, or our new vet Clinic sponsorship is only $100. All sponsors receive an engraved plaque on the cat pen of their choice.

top 20 Cat names in 2014 were: (According to online stats from vet West)

tiger

molly

Puss

max

Kitty

milo

Oscar

misty

Simba

Charlie

missy

Ollie

tigger

Sooty

ginger

Lucky

Blackie

Chloe

Coco

Felix

Wonderful Wheels thanks to hancock prospecting

Our ranger and her precious cargo of cats and kittens, can now range far and wide in relative comfort with our new air-conditioned, automatic ranger van. ‘the best advantage of this new van is not only the aircon in the front for me for those super hot days, but it is the whirly air vents in the back section to help keep the cats more comfortable (and reduce odours).” Our ranger veronica said

We thank mrs rinehart at Hancock Prospecting for her extraordinary generosity in providing the donated funds to enable us to purchase this new van.

tireless towel donatorsWe would like to say a big thanks to the following organisations for their kind donations of towels and linen to keep our cats warm and more comfortable throughout the year:

H. Polesy & Co

Prime Laundry Services

marbret international

Broadway Dry Cleaners

the richardson Hotel & Spa

Blanket Kindness A warm thank you to the ladies at the CWA thornlie branch for their gorgeous knitted blankets and donated cat food.


cat haven news

Protecting every Tom, Felix and Kitty

BLDG

511

To help keep your feline friend happy and healthy, don’t miss their annual vaccination booster and health check at Cat Haven.

Learn more about feline vaccination here.

G511_Virbac Vaccination Reminder CatChat FP Ad v2.indd 1 13/03/2015 12:33 pm

please donate, adopt, Foster, Bequeath, Volunteer.

ReceptionPh (08) 9442 [email protected]

BoardingPh (08) 9442 [email protected]

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! please recycle this brochure and give it to a cat-friendly friend.

open 7 days a week(Closed Christmas Day and good Friday)Please see our website for opening hours.

23 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park WA 6008

www.cathaven.com.au

Documents

Cat haven cat chat march 2015