By ALESHA CAPONE
A BEAUTIFUL and affectionate cat looking for her “furever home” is a perfect feline face for the crisis faced by animal welfare advocates in Brimbank.
St Albans Liliana Iuri, who founded the Pet Neighbourhood Watch Action Group, said she discovered eight-month-old Tortie – short for tortoise shell – living on the streets.
“She is very, very, very docile but was abandoned with a kitten at a shopping centre in Keilor,” Ms Iuri said.
“I rescued her with the help of professional people, including Nathan Miles from the Western Suburbs Cat and Kitten Rescue Inc.”
Ms Iuri described Tortie, who is presently in foster care, as “affectionate, playful, but very calm” and best suited to an indoor life.
“She has been de-sexed, vaccinated, micro-chipped, wormed and de-fleeced. She has also been FIV tested and littered-trained,” Ms Iuri said.
Ms Iuri said Tortie was obviously abandoned at the shopping centre and fed by well-meaning but ignorant people.
In 2011-2012, Brimbank City Council received more than 660 complaints about stray cats and impounded more than 1500 cats roaming the streets.
Some were claimed by their owners and others offered for rehoming, but many were euthansed.
Ms Iuri said the council provided plenty of education around the importance of not feeding feral cats, but she said some people continue to do so.
“They see themselves as being compassionate and doing a good thing when in fact they are creating an environmental hazard and the cats are likely destined for death,” she said,
“It encourages pro-creation, and often cats in these colonies are siblings and parents. If they mate, their offspring will have genetic problems. We once found a kitten with no back legs.
“If people want to do something good for stray cats, they should take them to an animal welfare agency.”
Call Ms Iuri on 0422 378 515 if you are interested in adopting Tortie.
