Here are some questions we're commonly asked.
If you can't find the answer that you need, please feel free to contact us.
If you have concerns about an animal being neglected or treated with cruelty, please contact your nearest SPCA centre.
SPCA is the organisation tasked with upholding the Animal Welfare Act 1999 in New Zealand, and are the only ones with legal powers.
If you have no luck, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
Abandoning (deserting – see s 14 Animal Welfare Act 1999) a cat is an offense but unfortunately it happens all of the time.
In the first instance, contact your nearest SPCA centre. It is important to note that language can be important – the cat has been deserted, and you have not fed them.
If you have no luck via this avenue, get in touch and we’ll see if we can help.
The first step is to make sure they’re actually stray. A stray cat doesn’t have an owner or anybody to look after them.
Have a chat to your neighbours, and if they don’t belong to any of your neighbours, you can pop them into any vet clinic or shelter to be checked for a microchip at no cost.
If they’re not microchipped, the next steps are to pop a paper collar on them to see if anybody responds, and to advertise them as found. Create a free found pet listing on the LostPet website and share it to your local community pages on social media. The New Zealand Lost Pet Register on Facebook also has a huge reach.
If after seven days you haven’t been able to find their guardian or owner, please get in touch to see if we're able to help.
If they are vulnerable (very young, very old, sick, or injured), please get in touch straight away.
Sure can! We can take in your kittens, and point you in the direction of affordable desexing for your māmā cat if you need a hand.
Get in touch to make a plan.
Unfortunately, unless they were adopted from us (or from Paws 4 Life prior to October 20th, 2023), or there are special circumstances (e.g. you’re fleeing domestic violence), we’re unable to help with this sort of cat as we prioritise animals with an immediate need.
Desexed cats can be privately rehomed responsibly so we do encourage you to try this first. After all, you know them better than anybody else.
Reach out to friends and family and advertise them on Trademe. You can also advertise them on the Pet Rehoming New Zealand Facebook group. A good blurb and quality photos will help to ensure your success.
If the cat has been adopted from another rescue or shelter, get in contact with them too as there may be a safety net clause in your adoption contract.
If you are unable to rehome them yourself, please reach out to other shelters and rescues as some will happily take on this sort of cat. You may need to look outside of your immediate area.
Get in touch to see if we’re in a position to help.
We love helping but in order to stay afloat financially, we do ask that you make a small contribution if you’re in the position to do so. This helps offset what the charity will have to spend on them before they’re adopted into a new whānau (food, litter, vet checks, desexing, vaccination, microchipping etc.).
Unfortunately, we are generally unable to help with most cases involving unsocialised or wild cats.
If you live within the Hamilton city limits, traps are available to hire at Hamilton City Council Animal Education and Control.
If you are outside of Hamilton, please check with your district council to see if they have traps available.
If you are struggling to have your cat desexed, please check out the community desexing scheme run by our friends over at New Lives Animal Rescue.
The Pawphanage runs a small Pātaka Kai to distribute pet food to whānau experiencing temporary financial hardship in an effort to keep their pets out of shelters.
What we can provide is dependent on donations, so please reach out to see if we're currently in a position to help.
NB: You'll need to be able to pick up from the shelter, or arrange pick up. The shelter is based in Glenview, Kirikiriroa.