Surrendering Your Cat to Cat Haven

We are currently sitting at a 5 week wait for surrenders!

If you feel you have to give away your cat for any reason, Cat Haven can help!

We will try to provide you with advice and resources to make it possible for you to keep your cat but if you have to surrender it, we will take your cat in to our shelter and try our best to find it a good home.

Before surrendering a cat to Cat Haven

If you are unable to continue to care for your cat, Cat Haven will take it from you. Unfortunately, because of the number of cats we receive and the lack of available space, we will try everything possible to rehome your cat but we cannot guarantee your cat a new home. For this reason we would encourage you to use Cat Haven as a last resort. Cat Haven is an 'open admission' shelter which means that we will take in any cat, no matter how old, sick or feral. It is our goal to try to rehome as many unwanted or stray cats as soon as possible but we also will try to offer as much help and support to you to assist you to keep your cat at home wherever possible.

Please try the following options

  • Friends and family - including circulating an email flyer, if possible, asking friends and family to take the cat themselves or to forward the flyer on to their contacts.
  • RSPCA - they have a ‘no euthanasia’ policy but there is a waiting list.
  • Vet clinics - some vet clinics have adoption centres. It is best to ring around to see if any clinics would be in a position to look after your cat.

Surrendering your cat for behavioural issues 

Behavioural issues are one of the most common reasons people may surrender their cat to Cat Haven for rehoming. Fortunately many behaviour problems can be easily treated. Problems such as inappropriate toileting and spraying, inability to get along with other household pets, scratching the furniture and aggression are often amenable to treatment, which may be a combination of retraining, pheromones and sometimes medications.


What should you do first before surrendering?

Many behavioural problems have an underlying physical cause. Have you taken your cat to a vet for a physical examination? Sometimes issues such as inappropriate urination around the house may be due to bladder or kidney problems which may be easily treated. Nocturnal activity may be related to an overactive thyroid. There may be an easily remedied reason for your cat’s unusual behaviour. All cats that have behavioural problems should have an examination and preferably a blood and urine test before they are surrendered.


Have you talked to a vet about your cat’s behaviour problems?

Your local vet is likely to have quite a lot of experience in dealing with behavioural problems and will know your cat. It is very likely that your vet will be able to suggest some methods that will help you and your cat.

Have you considered speaking to an animal behaviourist?

There are a number of vets in Perth who have advanced training in the treatment of animal behaviour problems. Your usual vet may refer you to them or you can obtain a list from the Veterinary Surgeons’ Board. Their skill and expertise may help you avoid having to surrender your cat.

Have you tried Feliway®?

Feliway is a synthetic version of a pheromone produced by the mother cat that kittens are exposed to early in their life, the Feline Appeasement Pheromone. This pheromone has a calming effect on many cats. It is available as a spray or a plug-in diffuser. It can be a very useful tool in helping cats with behavioural problems due to unidentified stress. You should at least try Feliway for a month before surrendering your cat.

Surrendering your cat to Cat Haven

If you feel you have to give away your cat for any reason, Cat Haven can help!

We will try to provide you with advice and resources to make it possible for you to keep your cat but if you have to surrender it, we will take your cat in to our shelter and try our best to find it a good home.

If you are unable to continue to care for your cat, Cat Haven will take it from you.

Unfortunately, because of the number of cats we receive and the lack of available space, we will try everything possible to rehome your cat but we cannot guarantee your cat a new home. For this reason we would encourage you to use Cat Haven as a last resort. Cat Haven is an 'open admission' shelter which means that we will take in any cat, no matter how old, sick or feral. It is our goal to try to rehome as many unwanted or stray cats as soon as possible but we also will try to offer as much help and support to you to assist you to keep your cat at home wherever possible.

Cat Cat Haven collect my cat and bring it in to the shelter?

If you need to get a cat in to Cat Haven but don’t have your own transport, please contact friends, family or neighbours. For assistance in urgent cases our Cat Rescue Officer can assist - fees apply.

Does it cost money to surrender my cat to Cat Haven?


There is a nominal $65 fee for bringing an owned cat to Cat Haven with a booking made prior please email us at admin@cathaven.com.au to book an appointment. A donation would be appreciated as we are majority funded through community donations, with only minimal government funding received from time to time. If you decide to use the services of our Cat Rescue Officer fees will apply.


Surrendering Stray Cats


If you find a stray and wish to hand it in to Cat Haven we ask for a $20 fee to help with keeping the cat at the shelter. Please ensure you email admin@cathaven.com.au to make an appointment. Once you have booked a stray cat surrender appointment please complete the Stray Cat Haven Surrender Form prior to your appointment. 


When can I surrender my cat to Cat Haven?


Surrenders are by appointment only, Monday to Friday - check our website home page for seasonal opening hours (Excluding Christmas Day and Good Friday, when we are closed). To arrange an appointment please contact reception on admin@cathaven.com.au. Please complete the Owned Cat Surrender Form prior to your surrender appointment. 

We are aware of an emerging issue regarding the HomeSafeID microchip registry.

From 2011 cats adopted from Cat Haven had their microchip registered with HomeSafeID.

If your pet is microchipped, ensuring your contact details are up-to-date with the microchip registry is crucial. If your pet ever goes missing, a microchip significantly increases the chances of being reunited - but only if your details are correct! With the HomeSafe ID microchip registry shutting down, now is the time to act and transfer your pet’s details to another microchip registry.

If your pet is registered with HomeSafeID, you will need to change your microchip registration to another company.

What you need to do:

  1. Find your cat’s microchip number. This will be located on your adoption paperwork from Cat Haven. If you need to get your cat’s microchip number from Cat Haven please fill in the form below.

*Please note if you adopted before 2013 we will not be able to find your cats microchip number, Please contact your vet as they will also have their number on file.

  1. Once you have your cats microchip number, visit Pet Address by clicking here and login, once logged in you can check where your cat’s microchip is registered. If it happens to be HomeSafeID you will need to re-register their microchip with another service.
  2. Using one of the services below please apply to have your cat registered
  3. We also recommend that your pet wears a visible ID tag at all times. This means If they are found the finder will be able to contact you and return your cat to you directly
AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL REGISTRY visit their website here
  • Australian Animal Registry’s charge for registration is $15.00
CENTRAL ANIMAL RECORDS visit their website here
  • Central Animal Records is offering a discounted rate of $11.99
GLOBAL MICRO ANIMAL REGISTRY visit their website here
  • Global are accepting re-registrations from HomeSafeID clients in Australia and are reducing fees
PETSAFE visit their website here  
  • Petsafe has a $10 admin fee.
FAQ
What is my pet’s microchip number?
If you don’t know your pets microchip number or have lost their paperwork with their registration details, you can click here to fill our form and we will check our database and send you your cats microchip number. Alternatively you can contact your vet as they will have your cat’s microchip on file too.
Why do I need to change to another microchip registry?
HomeSafeID has closed down and is no longer working, if your cat goes missing and is brought to a vet clinic or shelter, when they are scanned your details won’t come up, which makes it very difficult to find and contact you when we receive your cat.
How do I change my details on my cat’s microchip?
If you don’t have a HomeSafeID microchip but need to update your details you can still use Pet Address here and check where your cat is microchipped, then log into the subsequent company cant update your phone, email or address.
What does it cost to change to another microchip registry?
Changing to a new microchip registry can cost $10 and over. Its usually a small fee, but if your cat goes missing and their microchip isn’t registered, it can be very hard to reunite them with you.