A new private vet clinic and café to encourage visitors to stay and cuddle their favourite furry felines will be at the heart of The Cat Protection Society of Victoria’s new shelter.
Up to 300 cats will be able to be accommodated and cared for at the Society’s purpose built pristine new premises, which is due to open in mid-to-late 2020. By comparison, the temporary facility the CPSV has operated from for the past three years had capacity for 80 cats.
“This is an incredible opportunity to help more cats in need and engage with the local community,” said CPSV’s Chief Executive Officer, Ian Crook.
“We will be able to offer short-term refuge for 300 cats. In addition, the shelter will have a private vet clinic staffed by an amazing team of dedicated and compassionate vets and vet nurses,” Mr Crook said.
“It will also allow us to expand our educational initiatives, to assist the community in understanding what is involved in responsible pet care,” he said.
A small café at the new shelter is a warm invitation for the local community to pop in for a visit and cuddle with the shelter’s precious inhabitants. Meanwhile, an outdoor courtyard with cat enclosures, fully-stocked retail store selling products for cats and their human companions, and a community classroom will also form part of the new premises.
Mr Crook said the CPSV has been in operation for more than 70 years, and the new shelter is an exciting milestone in its history offering the best care for cats.
“The goals are very simple,” he said. “Our mission is to find new homes for as many surrendered and stray cats as possible.”
The new facilities were designed largely by CPSV Senior Veterinarian, Dr Ann Enright and Shelter Manager, Lisa Pentecost, to provide a safe, comfortable and enriching environment for the cats.
Dr Enright said the shelter’s staff are completely committed and dedicated to caring for the homeless cats, with their best interests at heart – the search for a new home.
“The staff offer the cats lots of enrichment, with the goal of keeping their stay in the shelter as short as possible,” Dr Enright said.
“At our shelter, we have an advantage in that we care solely for cats. This means we are able to actually hone in our skills and provide the best possible care.
The new shelter is located at 200 Elder Street, Greensborough (next door to the temporary CPSV facilities).
At a glance – CPSV’s new shelter
- Refuge for up to 300 cats
- 2-room private vet clinic
- >5000 cats each year to be cared for at clinic
- A one-stop-shop for cat adoption, care, nutrition and healthcare
- Comfortable and ‘enriching’ environment minimises boredom, stress, and the spread of disease