Sleek Cats focuses on colony cat management and kitten/kitteen rehabilitation in one specific industrial area of inner north eastern Perth, WA. This allows us to be strategic and goal oriented, while improving the lives of the often forgotten community cats. These cats have their lineage in the unsterilised pet cats, left to wander by suburban humans. Homes have been found within the concrete and wire fences of business and industry, built after the dust settled on bulldozed, native bushland. But these cats are not feral. They are still reliant on humans, their hangouts and their handouts - and the mice and rats this attracts. But, this is not enough - they need compassion for their plight. These cats are an animal welfare issue.
Our mission is to improve the lives of community cats by reducing their stresses, including hunger, over population, continual pregnancy and mothering by females, fighting and territory maintenance by males and struggles for life by undernourished kittens and depleted mothers. The management of colony cats requires many different tasks - feeding, fostering and rehabilitation of kittens and cats, trapping of cats for sterilisation, transport and holding of cats after surgery, education and communication with the business sector and many, many hours of colony observation and monitoring.
As independent, but collaborative individuals, we each bring particular skills and abilities to Sleek Cats. Everyone has a role to play and we continue to seek other individuals to assist us in achieving our goals. Apart from funds and foster carers, one of the restricting factors we face is having enough individuals to act as ‘committed colony feeders’. This involves taking on a location, perhaps with a partner, and providing food several times a week on a long term basis. Once structures like this are in place, the cats in the area can become part of the wider program. If you work or live nearby, or think you might be able to assist in any way, please make contact! Be part of the solution!
This page is primarily a personal record of Sleek Cats, which has now been active for nearly 3 years. As we enter Spring 2018, over 200 kittens and up to 100 cats have been helped mostly by a couple of people, with the last 2 years focused on successful teamwork. The main colony has been reduced from over 60 known individuals, to half that number. In the beginning it was one person and then another person, each unknown to the other - and an awful lot of cats. But, then ‘red plate person’ finally met ‘green plate person’ and a vision was created. Since then, several other people have stepped up to help this colony project - each in their own way.
I often take a moment to recall the despair of frosty, late nights sitting alone with a long line of teenage cats, and a few mums and dads. They all trusted that I would continue to show up every night with their dinner - and, so I did. I had been known to be sick in bed all day and remember at 11pm that ‘the cats’ needed feeding - and up I would get and drive 30 mins to ‘the colony’. How could I not! It was a long 12 months trying to find help and continually being presented with obstacles. Now I have help - the cats have help - and I consider that to be quite miraculous! From those lonely days, we have come a very long way and made a visible impact.
Along the way, we sadly and unexpectedly lost the beautiful Sleek, just as she was due to return to her colony home. She, more than any other cat, taught me what it was to be a colony cat and succeed as a mother cat on the streets. She raised 4 litters of four kittens while I knew her. For nearly 3 years, she was my sleek, black ribbon of the night - a quiet, but constant presence. I was waiting to give back her old life, to see her realise she was home and watch her settle. But, instead, there was sudden grief, felt for the loss of one little, sleek black cat who was such an affectionate mother. It was confusing and overwhelming. Although, it was circumstance, her experience delivered the strong message that some cats should never leave the streets.
Ironically, Sleek was the only cat I ever named properly - sort of - just in my head - just for me - but still, an actual real name. The lovely Speckle and much missed The Boy Who Stayed Home .... they were good names too. All quite excellent names, now glimpses into the past. There have been many silent midnights, standing on the dewy grass surveying the quiet, shadowed streets waiting for these cats and others, etched in memory. They will never come. Still - I rewind and replay the last time I saw them and wait one moment more. Just in case.
Very soon after Sleek left us, a shy young cat darted in to eat and darted out, just as quickly. Over the next few weeks, this playful young feline grew more confident and no longer felt the need to hide. It became clear that this was the missing and identical sibling to Jemima, our cover photo cat. I was saddened to realise that this youngster, although older, had been left without a sibling and without a mother. I named him Son of Sleek, assuming his still slim figure to be male. Having a memory of Sleek on the streets provided a sense of continuity, a genetic history. Recently this black streak ‘Mini Sleek’ was finally trapped for sterilisation and has a new name - Daughter of Sleek!
Adoptions
Many of our rehabilitated kittens and teenagers have gone to other rescues for adoption, because there were so many we needed to make room. It is very hard to find foster carers. We are also a small operation and our mission is ultimately not kitten care, but helping the adult cats and stopping the breeding cycle. This means we do not receive any generally receive any adoption fees and absorb all costs, but still have to find funds to sterilise the adults. We will still try to work with other rescues, but do also have our own adoption process. This page will allow us to share adoption profiles from time to time and contact details will be available for that kitten/teen/cat on the post. All adoptees come with vet work, including microchip. This page itself may not be monitored or updated regularly, so direct contact with the foster carer is encouraged if we share posts. If a cat has been adopted this should be noted on the original post.
We have an adoption agreement, fee noted on the adoption post and seek indoor homes, preferably with a cat run. Home check may be required, mostly for security reasons. Cat laws will develop requiring cats to be confined to the owner’s property and it is safer for the cat - especially rehabilitated cats that have had so much time invested into their development and welfare. There are many businesses devoted to building cat runs and catios, and many cat enclosure pages where people share inexpensive ideas suitable for rental homes.
Business and Industry
There is an opportunity to make a difference. If unsocial cats are present at your place of business, then the best option is to sterilise the cats and provide food or allow a colony feeder to do so. Eventually, cat numbers will reduce, but existing cats will maintain territories and keep new cats out. We offer a very reasonable option, where we will trap, sterilise and return cats if the business can contribute to costs. If foster care is available we can rehabilitate kittens up to a certain age. This is a humane option - where the cat keeps their life and does not go to an imaginary ‘forever home’.
People to perform this service may be available in other areas - please make initial contact via the messages section of this page. The coverage of vet costs is a token contribution - in no manner would it cover total costs, or the time required to carry out the activity. Where possible, it is invaluable if the businesses can offer to assist with sterilisation costs. This is a community problem, but rescue volunteers can only run so many raffles or make so many ‘cat beds’ and knit ‘cat hats’ to sell- and there will never be enough funds. We would like to encourage all members of the public to explore their ability to respond to a community problem in some capacity. Even in a small way, everyone can Be part of the Solution!
Cat Rescue Contacts
Due to the already heavy workload of multiple colony management, we cannot take on other colony or rescue cases (or lend traps). A-If you require help, as a starting place, please contact The Cat Alliance of Australia (based in WA) http://www.catallianceaustralia.org/ This page has a great deal of information about community cats and important resources. Numerous other rescues are listed on the ‘Want to Adopt’ Link for the Cat Alliance page.
All rescue organisations are ‘staffed’ by volunteers and all rescues find themselves overwhelmed with animals needing care. Very few rescues have the foster carers to deal with feisty, un-handled street cats and the outcome for the cat should be considered. If you are seeking help with colony cats, try to find out if someone is looking after the colony already. If they are - offer them help instead of leaving it in their hands.
You may need to contact several rescues in order to find assistance. Lost and Found Pet pages can be a good resource and are frequented by rescue people. If someone offers trapping advice or assistance for cats that won’t come near you - take it. A trappers time is valuable and when you find that this cat later shows up with five kittens, that trapper may be not be available. If you would like to be Trained and Mentored in how to trap ethically and manage your own colony, please make contact with Sleek Cats via the messages section of the page.
Please ‘trap ethically and never without a plan that will improve the cat’s life’ and ‘never leave mum behind to have more babies’ if you take kittens. Persistence is the best attitude and that might involve ‘stepping up’ and taking responsibility for what most people call ‘someone else’s problem.’ Perhaps you can Be Part of the Solution!
