Cat euthanasia rates drop but there’s room for improvement

Despite big reductions in euthanasia rates for cats in Campbelltown’s Animal Care Facility, local resident Nea Makowski believes there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

Ms Makowski says compulsory desexing, better opening hours, lower adoption fees and special cat adoption days could further reduce rates.

What’s more, the law should be changed to force cat owners to have their pets neutered.

“Cat breeding season seems to go on forever these days due to lots of un-neutered cats in neighbourhoods, whether they’re pets, strays, or ferals,’’ says Ms Makowski, an environmental advocate who ran for council in 2016.

Campbelltown Animal Care Facility (ACF) cat euthanasia rates have dropped considerably in recent years.

In 2014-15 the rate was 77 percent but a year later they dropped to 44 percent.

In 2016-17 the cat euthanasia rates were down to 6 percent.

Ms Makowski says that while council improvements to the operation of the ACF helped, some of the credit for the drop in cat euthanasia rates must go to a Facebook group called “Community Helping Campbelltown Pound Cats” which was started in 2015.

“The page is run by community members and has no affiliation with the ACF other than to help improve adoption and rescue rates,’’ she says.

“These volunteers work long hours putting together photos and information to advertise the cats; they encourage members to share these FB posts far and wide (including to community noticeboards all over Sydney and beyond); they encourage people to sponsor cats to improve chances of rescue groups stepping in (these sponsorships can cover vet bills, for example); and, when needed, they encourage people to help provide flea and other products for kittens and cats.’’

Ms Makowski says positive measures by council have included allowing the ACF the discretion to discount the adoption fee for long term cats and aged cats and now also for urgent listed cats.

Also the ACF hours have improved slightly in recent years to enable more adoptions – they changed from 9am-3pm to 10am-4pm weekdays (the hours of 9am-12pm on Saturdays have remained the same).

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Current opening hours are not conducive for ‘working family’ adoptions,’’ says Ms Makowski.[/social_quote]

“And even during these hours, from time to time, the pound is closed for some hours at a time for meetings.

“It could be helpful if council could trial longer hours, for example, staying open to 7pm on Thursday nights, and/or open for three hours on a Sunday.’’

The cattery section of the ACF has been refurbished in recent years, and is of an excellent standard, however it has no isolation area for sick cats.

“It really is a state of the art facility here for cats,’’ Ms Makowski tells the South West Voice in Macarthur during an interview inside the cat section of the ACF in Rose Street, where we count 27 cats.

“Council should be commended for that, as it means impounded cats are in excellent care here,’’ she says.

Ms Mamkowski says council also offers subsidised desexing/microchip/vaccinations, but access is limited and the program does not seem to be widely advertised.

As well as reduced adoption fees, Ms Makowski says council should consider a trial of special adoption days.

“Many people complain about the high adoption fee for cats ($234) because the majority of animal welfare groups and large Sydney based pounds will reduce adoption fees and have special adoption days during kitten season to assist in reducing the numbers in their facilities,’’ she says.

“Council could also help clear out the ACF quickly by trialling big adoption days twice yearly – a community day with jumping castle and barbecue where new adoptees can get microchipping, vaccination and registration all done at the Pound on the same day.’’