Cat Adoption

Giving a Cat a Second Chance

Cat Welfare Society Inc trading as Cat Haven. Licensed Charity 17686

Contents
1

Your New Cats Details

11

Your Cats Health

Adoption Packages

12 Sterilisation

60 Minute Home Makeover

12 Vaccinations

When You Get Your Cat Home

13 Microchipping

When You Get Your Kitten Home

13

Flea and Worm Treatment

Feeding Guidelines

14

Practice Preventative Health Care!

Home Sweet Home

15

Useful Links

About Your Feline Friend

16

How You Can Help

Cool Kids and Happy Cats

17

Cat Act (2011)

Your New Cats Details

Congratulations On Your New Family Member!
Cat Haven would like to wish you and your new friend many happy times and a joyful life
together. This booklet will help you to provide the best care for your new pet. Please dont
hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.
Cats Name:

ID number:

Kennel Hand:

Receptionist:

D.O.B:

Cat Haven Contact Number:

Flea and Worming Dates

Revolution:

//

Tapewormer:

//

Vaccination:

//

Please bring your cat to Cat Haven for vaccination/surgery on:

Date:

//

Time:

Sterilisation
Cats and kittens must come to Cat Haven between
on the morning of the surgery. If you
are running late please phone 9442 3667 ASAP.
Any cats later than will not be admitted.
It is essential that your cat has access to water but
NO FOOD after 10pm and no breakfast on the
morning of surgery.
If your cat has eaten please make our vet nurse
aware of this as it can have serious consequences
during surgery. Discharge times will be advised
at time of admission.

Adoption Packages
Cat
Adoption
Packages

Cat Package
2 Cats Package
Golden Oldie Package
2 Golden Oldies Package

1st bag of food

can be purchased
at 20% off

Golden Oldie & Cat Package

Golden Oldies for Seniors Package
All cat packages include:

Kitten
Adoption
Packages
1st bag of food
can be purchased
at 20% off

Sterilisation
Microchipping
1st F3 Vaccination
2nd F3 Vaccination
Initial Worm / Flea treatment
FIV/ FeLV Testing
Urine Test (Golden Oldies only)

Kitten Package
Mum & Kitten Package
Kitten & Unrelated Cat Package
Kitten & Golden Oldie Package
All kitten packages include:
Sterilisation
Microchipping
1st F3+L Vaccination
(or 1st F3 and 1st F3+L vaccination)
Initial Worm / Flea Treatment

Office use only: 2nd F3+L vacc vouch. purchased

2

Yes

No

Rec. no__________

60 Minute Home Makeover

The top 3 things to do when bringing your new cat home.
Purchase supplies
A secure cat carrier.
A large, shallow uncovered litter box and a fine-grained litter or one that the cat has
been using at Cat Haven.
Separate food and water bowls.
Resting spots (a bed).
Hiding spots (boxes are preferable to the underside of beds or chairs).
Safe, stimulating toys.
Use the bedding/toys that the cat already had at Cat Haven.

Set up a newcomers sanctuary

Allowing a cat the run of the house straight away can be overwhelming and stressful.
Prepare a separate room.
Choose a quiet, warm room with a door to prevent access for other pets.
Place the cats supplies in this room.

Cat-proof your home Provide a safe home for your cat

Get rid of or secure items the cat can chew on or ingest including pencils/pens,
rubber bands, electrical cords, cleaning products, medications, toxic and
non-toxic house plants, eg. lilies.
Secure unstable shelving and breakable display items.
Limit the use of air-fresheners and incense.

CAT FACTS
A cat will often facially rub an object to deposit her facial pheromones on it.
Pheromones are scent chemicals that contain information about the cat.
Facial pheromones are known as the friendly pheromones. A cat tends to
facially rub in areas where she feels comfortable. There is a product called
Feliway that contains a synthetic version of feline facial pheromones. It can be
used on objects in the home to help a cat feel comfortable.
Johnson-Bennett, P. (2007). Starting from Scratch. London: Penguin Books.

When You Get Your Cat Home

Thank you for giving one of our beautiful
adult cats a second chance at life! When
you first get your new family member
home, please understand that he or she
is likely to be extremely stressed and
may seem unhappy to begin with. This
is perfectly normal! Cats are creatures of
habit and when their routine is disrupted,
even slightly, they can be quite distressed
by this. Imagine how they feel when
they are removed from the home they
have always known and shut in a kennel
surrounded by many other cats then, just
when they become settled there, they are
moved to a new home!
Make sure your new friend has some
hiding places that are enclosed. Hiding
will make them feel more secure and
assist with their assimilation into the new
environment. Hiding spots should be off
limits and inaccessible to other pets and
people, and should ideally be elevated.
Be patient it will take your new friend
at least 3 weeks to adjust to life his/her
new home.

Before you get your new family member

home, try to have one room set up ready
for them to go into. See page 3 for more
information on setting up your newcomers
sanctuary. Treat this as the cats own space
where they can feel safe and secure. They
should be confined to this room for at least
a week. As they become more settled
you can very slowly introduce them to the
rest of the house, one room at a time.
The slower the introduction to the new
environment, the more comfortable your
cat will be.
It is strongly recommended that you do not
let any new cat outside the house for a
minimum of 4 weeks. Even if they seem
very much at home after a short period,
they may get very disoriented if let outside,
and could easily become lost. When first
letting new cats out, spend a lot of time
outside with them to help them feel more
secure and at home.

When You Get Your Kitten Home

By adopting one of our beautiful kittens
you are giving it a chance at a wonderful
long life. Kittens have very special needs;
they require as much as 18 to 20 hours of
sleep each day to ensure they grow and
develop properly, so it is very important
that you dont disturb them while they are
sleeping. As with adult cats, it is strongly
advised that you have one room set up
ready for your new kitten to go into. See
page 3 for more information on setting up
your newcomers sanctuary.
It can be extremely stressful for a young
kitten to be introduced into a busy, noisy
household and it may seem unhappy or
unsettled to begin with. Allowing your
kitten to hide will make it feel more secure
and help it to adjust. Hiding spots should
be enclosed, off limits and inaccessible to
other pets and people. Be patient - it will
take your new friend at least 3 weeks to
adjust to life in a new home.

If you want to adopt more than one kitten,

please speak to our staff about any
special offers.
If you have only one kitten, you may
find that he or she can play rough
with you. This is not a sign of being
vicious or aggressive, it is simply normal
behaviour that is important in the kittens
development and would normally involve
play fighting with siblings. If you find your
kitten is playing too roughly, try holding a
stuffed toy of some kind and allowing the
kitten to attack that rather than your hand.
Kittens should remain fully inside until they
are at least 6 months of age. Before this
age they are too small and vulnerable to
defend themselves should they need to,
and their sense of direction will mean they
will find it very hard to get home should
they become lost. When you first let your
cat out, spend a lot of time outside with
them, to help them feel more secure
and at home.

CAT FACTS
Play is an important part of learning the skills of adult life. Through play kittens
learn how to recognise body language in other cats and respond appropriately.
They develop their natural hunting skills and learn about their environment.
Play is essential to provide exercise, to relieve boredom and to prevent the
development of behaviour problems. Play is also an important way to build the
bond between pet and owner that gives pleasure to both.
Report of the Cat Personality Survey. (2004, January).

Feeding Guidelines
Cat Haven exclusively feeds and
recommends Hills Science Diet foods.
Hills is a nutritionally complete and
balanced, veterinary recommended diet,
available in Science Diet, Ideal Balance and
Prescription Diet ranges. As a nutritionally
complete food, Hills is designed to be
fed as a dry food-only diet, with no
supplementation needed however, tinned
varieties are also available. All Hills foods
have feeding guidelines on the packaging
and recommended daily amounts.
It is recommended that you provide a
free-choice diet for your cat which means
you should always provide access to food
in its bowl. Unlike dogs, cats are generally
able to regulate their caloric intake to
match their requirements. A free-choice
diet allows for better balanced rations and
helps to reduce the incidence of urinary
tract disorders.

Most cats at Cat Haven are fed on either

Hills Kitten Original or Adult Original
biscuits, but staff will advise you of any
special diet required. Keeping your cat
eating Hills is suggested but if you do
want to switch to a different brand of food
do so gradually over 7 to 10 days, mixing
gradually increasing amounts of new
food with the old, as any sudden dietary
changes will cause stomach upsets.
If your cat does not eat for the first
couple of days in its new home, do not
be alarmed, this is simply due to stress.
However, if the fasting continues for more
than 1.5 days, please contact Cat Haven
vet immediately on 9442 3600.
Cats cannot drink cows milk (they are
lactose intolerant and will get diarrhoea)
but fresh water must be available at
all times.

It is strongly recommended that you keep

your cat on a familiar diet when he/she
goes to a new home, as this will provide
a much needed sense of stability.

CAT FACTS
The cats natural behavioural repertoire includes climbing and jumping, and it
seeks comfort and security from being off the ground. The opportunity to utilise
vertical space in the confined environment can therefore prove beneficial.
By providing features such as shelves, ropes, cat trees and climbing poles,
vertical space can be enhanced, offering cats vantage points, environmental
complexity and the opportunity for active behaviour, as well as the chance to
rest and retreat at different heights.
Ellis, S. (2009). Environmental Enrichment: Practical strategies for improving feline welfare.
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 11 , 901-912.

Home Sweet Home

The first few days

Reality check

Your new cat may become scared or

overwhelmed if released into a large
apartment or house on its own.

While some cats are by nature bold and

adventurous, others are more timid and
careful and may be less confident in
unknown situations. Your new cat may
ignore or even appear to shun you.
Do not take this personally! Its new
environment, and this includes you, may
simply be overwhelming. Be patient and
tolerant. For multi-cat households, relevant
useful information leaflets at Cat Haven.

To begin with, keep your cat confined

to the sanctuary room.
Leave your cat in the open carrier in
the sanctuary room. Let the cat come
out of the carrier in her own time.
Spend as much quiet time as you can
in the sanctuary room.
Let your cat hide do not disturb it.
Provide your cat with a
routine schedule.
Your cat may stay in the sanctuary
room up to a week.

The next few days

Take the time to ensure a positive
and gradual introduction to your cats
new environment.
When your cat feels at home in
its sanctuary and has explored it
thoroughly, allow it to explore the
rest of the house, one room at a time.
Leave the door to the sanctuary room
open so that it can continue to take
refuge in this familiar environment.
Continue to confine your cat to the
sanctuary room at night and when
you are absent.

About Your Feline Friend

Cats use 3 forms of communication:
Scent

Body language

Cats have scent glands from head to toe.

If you draw an imaginary line that divides
your cat in half, the scent glands on the
front half are the friendly pheromones.
These are used when a cat is marking
familiar territory that it considers the
heart of the nest. By rubbing against
inanimate objects, other cats, humans
and other pets, cats deposit their own
scent as well as collect and combine
scents. The scent glands on the back
half are related to stress and excitement.
They maybe used to mark territory, to
threaten, to announce their presence,
to engage in non-confrontational
disputes and to exchange information.

The tail and ears are particularly important

social signals in cats. A raised tail acts as
a friendly greeting while a tightly tucked
tail says leave me be! The tail can also be
fearfully fluffed, indecisively twitched or
aggressively wagged.
Ears can also provide mood clues.
Twitching ears may signal frustration while
direct and forward ears indicate interest.
The T-position signals fear, but when the
ears are rotated back the cat is issuing a
serious warning to disengage!

Cool Kids and Happy Cats

Kids and cats can have wonderful
relationships but they require teaching
from you. Pay attention to the type of
personality and temperament your cat
has so you can teach your child to respect
how much interaction your cat wants and
will tolerate.
A cat will generally choose escape over
confrontation. If your cat scratches or bites,
it may be because it is cornered and has
no opportunity for escape. A child should
be taught to leave the cat alone if the ears
are in a T position or flattened.
A cat needs easy access to certain areas
that are strictly off limits to children
including cat trees and perches, the litter
box, sleeping areas and feeding stations.
8

Tasks related to your cats health and

well-being are too important to assign
to a child. Children may be given ageappropriate cat duties that are supervised.
Help your child to understand that a cat
feels pain, fear, sadness and so forth, and
that a cats body is delicate and sensitive.
Kittens in particular should always be
treated gently and quietly.
The cardinal rule is never to leave young
children alone with any pet.

Vocalisation
Cats have an amazing vocabulary.
Murmur patterns are produced
with a closed mouth and are used
to seek out or initiate contact and
in greeting. Vowel patterns are
produced when the mouth is open
and then gradually closed, and
are used in greeting and in sexual
and aggressive contexts. Strainedintensity patterns are produced
with a wide open mouth and are
used in defence and to signal
aggression or fear and pain.

Introducing Your Cat

To Other Pets
If you already have a pet in the house,
there are a number of useful tips on
how to introduce the newcomer to your
pet, with the least amount of stress!
Separate information leaflets are
available from Cat Haven.

Cats ears
rotated back
indicates a
warning.

CAT FACTS
You can slowly introduce your cat to wearing a collar from about
4 months old. Always use a collar with either an elastic insert
or breakaway mechanism for safety.

10

Your Cats Health

Two Weeks Free Veterinary Consultation
Any cat or kitten adopted from Cat Haven has 2 weeks of free veterinary consultation with
the Cat Haven Veterinary Team available from the date of adoption. If you are concerned
that your new family member may have symptoms of the flu or is simply behaving oddly
or seems unwell, please call reception on 9442 3600 to make an appointment.
Exclusions:
Dietary related illnesses will only be included provided Hills food is purchased on the
day of adoption.
This does not include injuries sustained due to negligence on the part of the owner.
Consultation is free but there will be a small cost for any medications required.
Please be advised that Cat Haven will not be responsible for costs incurred due
to external veterinary visits.

11

Sterilisation

Vaccinations

As of 1 November 2013, it is law in WA for

all cats over 6 months old to be sterilised.

All Cat Haven cats and kittens are

vaccinated. In the vast majority of cases
we are unaware of the vaccination history
of the animals in our care, so adults and
kittens will each require two vaccinations
three weeks apart initially, then need
annual top ups to retain full immunity.

As part of Cat Havens commitment to

reducing the cat over-population in WA
and in a bid to maximise the health and
well-being of all the cats and kittens that
come through our doors, we ensure that
all animals are sterilised, microchipped
and vaccinated.
Sterilisation surgery is performed to prevent
animals reproducing. There are a number
of benefits to having a sterilised cat. The
primary one is that it will prevent unwanted
litters of kittens, but also:
Male cats sterilised as kittens are
considerably less likely to develop
unwanted habits such as territorial
spraying and fighting.
Females will not have to endure being
in season (and you wont have to deal
with it either).
It reduces the chances of developing
certain cancers.
Both male and female cats are usually
much friendlier and more placid when
sterilisation is performed as kittens.
Sterilised cats are much less likely to
want to roam the neighbourhood.

12

The standard vaccine given for kittens

under 6 months is the F3+L, covering
several strains of upper respiratory
infection (cat flu), Feline Enteritis and Feline
Leukemia virus (FeLV) and the F3 for those
over 6 months.
The due date on your cats vaccination
card is NOT an appointment, it is just an
indication of when the vaccination needs
to be done. Please make an appointment
with Reception on 9442 3600.

Microchipping
As of 1 November 2013, it is law in WA for all cats to be microchipped.
Microchipping is a form of permanent identification which involves the implantation of a
small computer chip between the cats shoulder blades. Each chip carries a unique code
that is linked to the owners details on a national database. Animal welfare facilities, vet
clinics and local council rangers all have microchip scanners, meaning that should your
cat become lost and finds its way to one of these places, he or she will be re-united with
you quickly and easily.
It is extremely important that the owners details linked to the chip remain up to date,
therefore if your phone number, address or other details change, please contact the
animal registry directly. You will find your microchip registry information in your
Adoption Pack.

Flea and Worm Treatment

All cats and kittens adopted from Cat Haven will have been treated for fleas and worms.
This is covered in the adoption costs but all further treatments will be at your expense.
Cat Haven uses Revolution, a topical treatment that is applied to the skin on the back of
the cats neck. This is effective against fleas, ear mites, intestinal worms and heartworm.
In addition, a tapeworm tablet is also given.
Adult cats that are spending time outside every day need to be treated with Revolution
or a similar product once per month. Cats that remain fully inside can be treated less
frequently, every 3 to 4 months. A tapeworm tablet should be given every 3 months.
The dates when your cat is next due for treatment can be found on the inside front
cover of this booklet.
There are a wide variety of other flea and worm treatments available. Topical treatments
are a much better alternative when compared to flea collars and flea powders but there
are a number of other topical products on the market including Advocate, Advantage
and Profender (all available from the Cat Haven shop). Please speak to Reception staff
to determine which treatment plan will be most effective for your cat.

13

Practice
Preventative
Health Care!

Annual veterinary exam

A routine exam should be done yearly.

Weekly health evaluation

Check your cat for signs of health problems.
Ask your vet to show you what to check for.

Dental health
Ask your vet to recommend a dental cleaning
and maintenance plan.

Feed a premium food

Your cat is what it eats. Ask your vet to
recommend a healthy diet.

Maintaining a healthy weight

Make sure your cat gets plenty of exercise
and does not overeat.

Vaccinations
Consult with your vet about vaccinations
and schedules.

Pet insurance
There are a number of companies now providing pet
insurance policies ask your vet for their details.

Grooming
Brush your cat on a regular basis. This is a great
way to bond with your cat and will help to increase
the health of the hair, reduce hairballs,
and reduce the development of skin problems.

CAT FACTS
Toxic Lilies
Lilies are extremely toxic to cats and can cause renal failure and death.
If you are concerned that your cat has been in contact with lilies you
should seek veterinary advice immediately.
14

Useful Links
60 Minute Home Makeover
http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/cat_friendly_home/info.html
http://www.moderncat.net/2008/10/08/unbelievable-cat-friendly-housedesign-from-japan/
Home Sweet Home
http://www.hillsvet.com/pdf/en-us/Feline_Behavior_Guidelines.pdf
An Environment of Plenty

http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/training/training_for_happier_life.html
http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/play/index.php
http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/cat_friendly_home/playtime.html
http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/understanding/safe_dilemma.html

Your Healthy Cat

http://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/felinelifestressors/vet/index.cfm

CAT FACTS
Water Not Milk!
Cats cannot drink cows milk (they are lactose intolerant and will get
diarrhoea) but fresh water must be available at all times.

15

How You Can Help

Membership Join as a Cat Haven member and receive a great range of discounts
Donations Please donate or become a regular donor
Bequests Please consider us when preparing your will
Volunteering and Foster Carers We are always looking for dedicated volunteers
and cat foster carers
Boarding Quality boarding facilities for when you are away
Refer a Friend and like us on Facebook Send us updates on your new cat
Sponsorship Become a can pen sponsor to help keep a cat in a pen for one year
Online Shop Order your cat products from our website

16

Cat Act (2011)

It is a requirement of the Cat Act that all cats and kittens 6 months and older must be:

Sterilised
Microchipped
Registered with your council
Wearing a collar with id tag and registration when in a public place.

As a condition of adoption, Cat Haven will notify your council that you have adopted from
us within 7 working days.

Notes

17

Please Donate, Adopt, Foster, Bequeath, Volunteer.

New Cat Haven Pens Proudly Sponsored by:

Cat Haven Photography is

kindly supplied by Alma Sarhan
and Houndstooth.

Design City Cat Havens

creative brand, web and
print partner since 2005.

Royal Perth
Hospital

Bedbrook Pl

Brockway Rd

Selby St

Randell St

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Nicholson Rd

Shenton Park
Station

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Lemnos St

Open 7 days a week

(Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday)
Please see our website for opening hours.

Reception
Ph (08) 9442 3600
admin@cathaven.com.au

23 Lemnos Street,
Shenton Park WA 6008

Boarding
Ph (08) 9442 3655
boarding@cathaven.com.au

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Please recycle this brochure and
give it to a cat-friendly friend.

www.cathaven.com.au