Brighter future for unwanted kittens

Canobolas Family Pet Hospital has found forever homes for dozens of cats and kittens since it partnered with Orange City Council to help manage the city’s stray pets.

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd congratulated the vet hospital on its corporate citizenship for the city’s lost pets.

“Canobolas Family Pet Hospital has gone above and beyond what we had envisaged as a temporary solution to help manage the city’s stray animals,” Cr Kidd said.

“In the 12 months since the partnership began, the hospital has taken great care in helping reunite stray animals but also adopting out the city’s kittens.

“Just this season, the hospital has rehomed 70 cats.

About 35 cats and kittens are looking for new homes

About 35 cats and kittens are looking for new homes

“But they need some help finding homes for another 35 kittens and for a few cats.”

One year ago, Council partnered with the vet hospital to form a new way of reuniting the city’s lost pets.

The vet surgery acts as a drop off point for the public to leave found stray pets.

The vet hospital then attempts to locate the owner via a microchip, or the Reuniting Orange’s Pets Facebook page.

Animals not be reunited are then transferred to Council’s private pound facility.

Orange City Council’s Companion Animals Committee Chair Stephen Nugent said it was terrific Canobolas Family Pet Hospital chose to claim the kittens who did not find their owners.

“Vet hospital staff took it upon themselves to foster the kittens and find them new homes,” Cr Nugent.

“This has been a great service and means a much brighter future for these cats.

“It is however, disappointing to see so many cats which have not been desexed.

“If you can’t make responsible decisions when it comes to pets, then rethink the decision to get a pet in the first place.

“It’s not fair on the animals’ well-being and the well-being of the future kittens and puppies, many of which do not survive.”

Canobolas Family Pet Hospital spokesperson Cass Scurrah said kitten season generally lasts during Spring but this year there had been a significant number of kittens.

“We have been fostering kittens throughout our networks of vets and vet nurses but we’re at the point where we need to find some homes for these wonderful kittens,” She said.

“Each kitten will come desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, flea treated, wormed, socialised and litter trained.

“The cost of a male cat is $180 and a female cat is $200 and that covers the cost of all the treatment.”

Anyone interested in rehoming a kitten should call Canobolas Family Pet Hospital on 63626991.

Orange City Council’s stray dogs, which have served out a waiting period (one week for non-microchipped dogs and two weeks for micro-chipped dogs) have been placed with rescue organisations.

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