By Carol Saffer<\/p>\n
Spring, the season of re-birth awakening after Winter, used to be the clearly defined time of the year known as kitten season.
\nWhile kittens are now born throughout the year, Bacchus Marsh Veterinary Centre (BMVC) owner Dr Sandy Roberts still sees a seasonal influx of litters this time of year being handed into Moorabool Shire Council.
\nBMVC veterinarian Brittany Sykes, who assists Dr Roberts with kitten season adoptions, says during the ten years the program has been running they have adopted out about 2000 kittens and cats.
\nAccording to Ms Sykes abandoned or stray litters or individual kittens are handed into the council where they are assessed and held until claimed or re-housed with people wanting a kitten.
\nThose not claimed are passed onto BMVC for the adoption program.
\nWhile Dr Roberts is the master mind behind the program, Ms Sykes assists and manages kitten season adoptions saying, \u201cI am particularly passionate about it as I have a fondness for cats.\u201d
\nMs Sykes says BMVC work closely with Moorabool Shire, doing the veterinary work to have the kittens de-sexed, vaccinated, wormed and micro-chipped and health checked before being put up for adoption.
\nMs Sykes says \u201cwe house as many as we can for people to come and meet.\u201d
\nShe says the centre gets families wanting a kitten for their kids, older people who want a companion or anyone who just wants to give a home and love to a kitten.
\n \u201cOne of the nicest parts of my job is being able to save the kittens and get them out into a happy home where they are loved,\u201d says Ms Sykes.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t give up on them. We pretty much re-home all the kittens and cats brought into us from council.\u201d
\nMoorabool Council\u2019s Community Safety department said before any feline goes through the kitten rehoming program (and despite the name, cats of all ages go through the program for adoption) they are held as a stray animal for a minimum of eight days in case their owner comes forward to reclaim them.
\n\u201cOnce the kitten has completed its eight days as a stray and is old enough and healthy enough, they go to the vets for a vet work completed check. This includes de-sexing, microchipping, a vaccination, health check and worm and flea treatment.
\nCouncil said If any medical issues are noticed at the time, the Community Safety team and the local vets liaise with each other to decide the best path of treatment.
\n\u201cOften kittens come in underage or underweight and are not able to be de-sexed following their eight-day holding period. If this is the case the kittens will be held at the pound and monitored whilst being cared for until they are old enough to have their vet work done.\u201d
\nThe costs of the kitten season adoption process and program is covered by BMVC.
\nMs Sykes says there is not a simple way of encouraging cat owners to have their animals de-sexed.
\nWhile sometimes it is a personal preference of the owner not to de-sex their cat, domestic and feral cats have an impact on the natural animal life (birds and small mammal) within the shire.
\nBMVC charges $190 to have a cat spayed. If financial hardship precludes de-sexing there are programs that can assist says Ms Sykes. Humane Society vouchers cover some of the cost.
\nIf you would like to be added to the cat\/kitten adoption waiting list, please contact the clinic on 5367 4000 or email bmvet@westvetcare.com.au.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Carol Saffer Spring, the season of re-birth awakening after Winter, used to be the clearly defined time of the year known as kitten season. While kittens are now born throughout the year, Bacchus Marsh Veterinary Centre (BMVC) owner Dr Sandy Roberts still sees a seasonal influx of litters this time of year being handed […]<\/p>\n