By NOEL MURPHY
A NEW shelter for stray and feral cats is poised to tackle head-on what animal welfare staff say is a massive and growing problem across Geelong.
A dozen tenderers have lodged their interest with City Hall for the cattery, to be built at the Geelong Animal Welfare Society’s Moolap centre.
Faced with some 2500 incoming cats a year, GAWS is anxious for the new facility, which will hold 85 felines, more than doubling the existing capacity of 38.
“It’s so desperate that we build a whole new cattery because the current one is just not up to standard,” executive director Belinda Russo told the Independent.
“We need to hold a volume that will enable us to re-home more cats and assist disease prevention. The whole new cattery is designed to reduce disease spread.”
Ms Russo said the feral cat population was growing alarmingly and rapid residential growth across Geelong placed more and more pressure on GAWS.
Cat adoptions by GAWS had risen significantly in recent years _ from 616 in 2010/11 to 904 in 2011/12 _ and the new cattery would assist further, she said.
“Every cattery has same the problem. When a cat arrives in a new environment they get stressed and their immune system drops, making them susceptible to disease,” Ms Russo said.
“Ninety per cent of cattery cats contract cat flu which is difficult to control.
“The new cattery design allows for as much fresh air as possible, and also has screens so they don’t see each other, reducing stress because they don’t like other cats.”
