Symposium 2011 was held at the Perth Zoo on 26th November. 

It was deemed as one our most sucessful and that all those attended were hands on welfare and management people which gave it a life of its own. People coming together with a common interest and a common goal of putting the welfare of our cats first.

Brief Notes :Thank has to go to all the rescue groups that participated and for the AVA(WA) for a very informative address, Microchips Australia (who once again donated the Microchip reader that was won by 9Lives) and of course Joe Francis (via Tim Mayne) and of course thanks to Tim Mayne for taking on the task of speaking for both the RSPCA and Joe Francis whilst he is off fighting bush fires. Petrescue had us in fits with her presentation and thanks so much for the donation of 13 Redemption books that were snatched up very quickly. Del Zimmerman from Cat Haven has all that is required to be a stand up comic and had us in fits with "peoples excuse for not getting their cats desex". Lyndell wowed us with her professional presentation and I am sure the rangers will be contacting you soon for advice and assistance. Nat 9lives and Lorraine from Banjup Rescue were the most effected by the technical hitches but came through with flying colors and both brought up so excellent points and food for thought. Cat Haven has made some fantastic changes and major in roads into G2Z. It was also great to hear they are working madly on being pro active in front of the new laws being implimented. RIEWA talked on their pet friendly lease and I think that will go a long way to stop people abandoning pets due to "no pet policies". I did not manage to get my speach in with my flashy presentation but did get to have a quick say about TNR and commercial, industrial and farms feral cat responsibiliies plus abandoment of pets when property is sold or leased. We were all a bit stress because technology failed us ie apple computers need adapters and some programs only play on some computers so a huge thanks to Chris Rapoff from Pro Cam who was again videoing the symposium doubling as our technical support. Made some wondeful new friends and put a face to a few old friends via facebook and chat.

One thing that came across loud and clear is that the Public do car about animal welfare and are embracing new technology in the way of Facebook to let everyone know. Animal welfare is no longer a backyard phenomenon but a Global affair and via Facebook we have built alliances not only on a local level but world wide.

Video of the symposium will be posted within a couple of weeks so please stay posted.

Thank you one an all...Christine Yurovich President Cat Alliance of Australia Inc.

TNR - two strays with ear tipped.

SYMPOSIUM 2010

Video's of guest speakers at this years symposium can now be viewed by clicking link below

Thanks to Petrescue for the fantastic work in uploading the video's and donation the fees for the uploading. http://vimeo.com/user2716577

http://www.PetRescue.com.au

some reflective notes on the day:

Despite being a poor second cousin to our eastern states counterparts for attendance which could have something to do with lack of population over a vast area we had some very new and progressive cat rescue groups join us this year one being 9lives(non kill) and another very progress lady Pat Anderson who you would all know from our first symposium undertaking the very sucessful Toodjay TNR program a couple of years ago and has now moved into a new country town Northam and is duplicating her sucess there. Some of the other smaller groups are gathering momentum.

There were expressed dissappointment at some of the entrenched larger animal welfare groups not being progressive enough over the years and some had actually reduced their ranger capacity which has left very little assistance out there for cats in trouble.  But given credit these organisation have increased their holding capacity by fostering or expanding their cat programs.

There were some highlights with the Cat Alliance spay clinic progressing this year with the assistance of Eric Yeoh who has spent three years with Noah's Ark doing a similar program in both Singapore and Malaysia. The other is the new desexing and microchipping laws that despite some opposition will be imposed here in WA which will bring it in line with all other states despite it varied sucess in other states.,

Michelle Williamson from Petrescue gave and innovative and inspiring presentation aimed at marketing and increasing adoption from shelters. During her speach I looked around the audience and could see a number of shelters madly scribbling notes so hopefully some shelters who are normall full will be able to clear their shelters with some new innovative marketing strategies with the compliments of Petrescue.

Being in the front line of an average of 4 calls per day for help with cat problems via various councils you soon realised that there is no help for the cats or the people with a cat problem. Welfare groups do not have the capacity or have a waitlist of 3 months to attend to a problem. Most councils "do not do cat" so the cats stay lost, abandoned and causing problems. People then take the laws into their own hands mostly killing the cat/s or taking them for a drive some 10 kilometers away and dumping them. This is a very common comment I get when asking "so what did you do with the cat". Most cat rescue groups have down sized their ranger service or are overflowing so there is very little help out there at momen. In my experience only the smaller groups or individuals are trying to take up some of the slack. When the new laws come in Councils will "do cats" and they will have some new alternatives so some progress will be made. Talking with some of the councils they are already taking action by offering desexing programs to their rate payers. These councils are taking a proactive instead of reactive approach to cat management and with great sucess. I think with some new smaller non kill cat groups moving forward and finding like minded groups to allien with at the symposium there will not be a mass killing field  along with the new laws as some people would think but more of a communial effort and hopefully an new force on the block with a spay clinic will help alleviate some of the pressures on all resources.

Christine Yurovich

President

Special thank you to our sponsors on the day : Microchip Australia donated a microchip reader and funding, Houndstooth studios vouchers for pet photograhy, Allstock major supply of pet food, Purina pet foods with fantastic pet products and cat food and Petrescue (linking pets with new families) who donated 80 copy of the book Redemption a must read for Animal carers and welfare groups and last but not least from Claire Gick, Benotto Animal Management a wonderful gift voucher I am sure will ensure a well trained and obedient puppy dog -0410 343 413 www.benotto.com.au

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SYMPOSIUM 2009

Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to download the 2008 & 2009 symposium presentations and to view videos for the 2009 symposium

2009 Symposium a success

A successful Symposium for Cat Alliance with the completion of its Cat Welfare and Management Symposium 2009. This year's symposium focused on the new cat laws to be implemented here in Western Australia. The symposium was sponsored by Microchip Australia Pty Ltd who also donated a Trovan LID 560 Multireader which was won by Isobell Griggs, a long time volunteer of Cat Haven.

Representatives from all the cat welfare groups were invited to speak and we had a huge response with over 14 guest speakers who delivered not only inspirational talks but provided informative and progressive news on what was happening interstate.

The highlight was Val Mitchell's address on how the Cat Haven was born and the difficult times that had to be endured by those founders on bare sandy soils and small tin sheds. with wet towels the only source of cooling on our very hot summers.

The day was to discuss the new laws pending here in Western Australia which would incorporate Compulsory Sterilisation and Microchipping and was addressed by Joe Francis MLA who is in charge of seeing that these laws are implemented, the key to implementing these laws being " keep it simple."

The transcripts of each speaker can be viewed on site and the full video will also be posted to be viewed at your leisure.

We thank all those who participated and we look forward to next year's symposium where we can catch up with the new and the old from the Cat Welfare and Management Industry and their associates.

Opening speech for Cat Welfare and Management Symposium 2009

WELCOME TO OUR CAT WELFARE AND MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM 2009

THIS IS AN EXCITING YEAR FOR ALL INVOLVED IN CAT WELFARE AND MANAGEMENT AS WE ARE EXPECTING TO HAVE SOME STATE LAWS INTRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME HERE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

AS I LOOK AROUND I SEE SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED TOWARDS THIS GOAL.  SOME OF YOU FOR OVER 40 YEARS SO OUR HATS GO OFF TO YOU ALL IT IS A THANKLESS TASK.

WE ARE OF THE BELIEF THAT TNR ALONG WITH THE NEW CAT LAWS WILL SEE A HUGE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CATS BEING EUTHANISED HERE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WE BELIEVE THAT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 80-90% OF HOUSE HOLD CATS ARE DESEX BUT THAT 10-20% THAT ARE NOT DESEXED OF THE APPROX 200,000 HOUSEHOLD CATS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA CAN EQUATE TO 20,000 FEMALE CATS HAVING OVER A 12 YEAR LIFETIME OFFSPRING OF  64 MILLION KITTENS. 

THIS FIGURE CAN QUICKLY GET OUT OF CONTROL WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF  SEMI DOMESTIC AND FERAL CATS THAT ARE INTERBREEDING WITH OUR DOMESTIC CAT.

THIS IS WHY TNR IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE TOTAL EQUATION AND CANNOT BE IGNORED.

FOR DESEXING OF THE HOUSE HOLD CAT TO SUCCEED YOU MUST BRING IN TRAP NUETER AND RETURN TO UP HOLD THE GOOD WORK DONE ON DOMESTIC CATS FOR WITHOUT THIS BACK UP THE SYSTEM WILL FAIL.

IN AMERICA TRAP NUETER AND RETURN HAS BEEN IN SINCE 1980’S (THIS ONLY MEANS WE ARE 29 YEARS BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD) iN THE US THEY HAVE FLEETS OF BUS’S ALL OVER AMERICA. ONE STATISTIC QUOTES DECREASED EUTHANIASIA RATES OF CATS FROM 17 MILLION CATS IN 1980 TO 4.5 MILLION IN 1995 THAT IS A HUGE REDUCTION AND AN ESSENTIAL REDUCTION BECAUSE WITHOUT TNR THERE WOULD BE VERY LITTLE EFFECT OF MANDITORY DESEXING.

AS YOU KNOW SOME LOCAL COUNCIL’S HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT IN SOME CAT LAWS. UNLESS TNR IS INCLUDED IN THESE LAWS THOSE EXISTING LAWS WILL HAVE NO POSITIVE RESULTS.  WHEN  SPEAKING WITH THE COUNCIL RANGERS OF THOSE COUNCILS THAT HAVE SUCH LAWS AS CURFEWS AND LIMITED NUMBER OF CATS PER HOUSEHOLD. I HAVE FOUND THAT THESE LAWS  HAVE HAD NO EFFECT ON CAT NUMBERS. CURFEWS ONLY BRING OUT THE VIGILANTES WHICH MEANS MORE TRAPPED CATS AND MORE EUTHANSIAS

IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT ON IMPLIMENTATION OF THERE LAWS THERE ARE AN INTITAL RISE IN NUMBERS OF CATS BEING EUTHANISED  BUT BECAUSE THE COUNCIL DID NOT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE THOSE NUMBERS HAVE STAYED ELLEVATED AND STAGNANT AND WILL SO FOR THE DURATION OF THE LAW. SO THE RATE PAYERS A PAYING FOR STATUS QUO.

 THE LAW “ NUMBER OF CATS PER HOUSEHOLD” THIS LAW DOES NOT APPLY TO A NOMAL HOUSEHOLD AS IT IS THE PROBLEM OF A SOCIO ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHIC THAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH VIA TRAP NUETER AND RETURN TO HAVE ANY EFFECT. PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD OR DO NOT HAVE THE MENTAL CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH A CATS “NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS” CAN NOT DEAL WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS. BUT THEY SHOULD NOT BE DENIED THE SOURCE OF A COMPANION. INSTEAD THEY SHOULD BE ASSISTED BY COUNCIL WITH DESEX AND MICROCHIP AND TNR.

WE NEED TO ALSO LOOK AT GOOD SOLID AND PURPOSFUL CAT LAWS THAT NEED TO BE ENFORCABLE.  THIS COULD MEAN THAT WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER WELFARE GROUPS BEING GIVEN INSPECTION AND PROSECUTING RIGHTS TO EASE THE BURDON ON EXISTING WELFARE GROUPS.

WE NEED TO ASK WILL THESE LAWS BE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF CATS AND NOT FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO ASK:  WILL THESE LAWS REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CATS BEING EUTHANISED AND WILL THOSE LAWS STOP THE ABUSE OF CATS IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF THE ANSWER IS NO AS WITH MOST EXISTING ANIMAL WELFARE LAWS THEY ARE NOT SERVICING THE PURPOSE THEY ARE LEGISLATED FOR .

THIS IS NOT “A CAT PROBLEM” IT IS A “PEOPLE PROBLEM” .  WE ARE IN A DISPOSABLE SOCIETY BUT IT IS TIME TO START TAKING RESPOSIBILITY FOR THE OUTRAGEOUS WRONGS WE HAVE DONE TO THE CATS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND VALUE THEIR LIVES ON THE SAME LEVEL AS ALL OTHER LIVING CREATURE…ITS TIME FOR CHANGE.

IT IS NOW WITH GREAT PLEASURE I INTRODUCE OUR FIRST GUEST

JOE FRANCIS MLA

Click here to download 2009 Symposium presentations 

Click here to view the 2009 Symposium videos

SYMPOSIUM 2008

Click here to download 2008 Symposium presentations