Record number of cats given a home

WA’s largest cat shelter, Cat Haven, has just finished a record year of rehoming cats with the help of the Rockingham and Kwinana community.

Of 6573 cats that were taken in, Cat Haven was able to find homes for 5278.

Cat Haven marketing officer Chandra Woodley said the past year had been the best year yet for adoptions, with a 80 per cent re-homing rate.

“We couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of donors, adopters, volunteers, supporters and staff — it was a tough year with a steady flow,” she said.

“Summer is one of the busiest times for Cat Haven, with dozens of cute kittens arriving daily, along with lost and abandoned cats.”

More than 200 residents in Rockingham adopted cats, with almost 100 from Kwinana also welcoming furry felines into their homes.

Cat Haven has not had any cats taken to them as unwanted Christmas gifts this year and is confident that the message not to buy a surprise cat for Christmas is getting through to the public.

“The summer holidays are actually a good time to adopt a cat, provided it has been a considered decision, as there are so many cats here to suit everyone’s lifestyle and colour preferences, plus often people will have more time at home to spend getting to know their new feline family member,” Ms Woodley said.

“Although so far, due to the long winter, kitten season has started later and there has been a more manageable flow of kittens surrendered to Cat Haven, there are still just too many cats for the shelter.

“It costs over $28 a day to keep a cat here, which equates to over $6000 a day when the shelter is full — as a charity relying only on donations, this means money is always an issue.”