Our goal is to help colony cats in Western Sydney. We do not come in, trap your cats, and take them to the pound for you. We are not council rangers.
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We ask that if possible, anyone experiencing a cat situation or knows of one and we do offer assistance, that you help in some way eg. donation, fostering (training and resources given with contact and monitoring of any animals in care) as our resources and time are stretched to the limit. We cannot guarantee that we can help in a particular situation, as our particular skills may not be what is n
eeded. We do not loan our traps out for this purpose. If cats cannot be TNRR'd and returned to a viable site and live safely then we cannot help you. We generally work in the suburbs of Parramatta, Granville, Guildford, Merrylands, Smithfield, and some in the South West. If you contact page or phone asking for help, please firstly read our description and decide if we are the right organisation to help you. If you do decide to contact us, please note that lengthy back and forth discussion online or via phone may not be entered into on our part. Consultation and the giving of advice as well as going out to assess a cat situation may also be subject to fees in the form of a donation. If you do decide to contact us for help. Please arm yourself with as much information about the cat situation. That is:
Location. Your involvement in situation and/or how you know about it. How many cats. Who owns or feeds them? Is it viable for the cats to live there? If any pregnant cats, sick or injured cats. Are there any kittens? Any actions taken so far to help. Helping felines is time consuming work that is fit in around everyday life. 99% of it is paid for out of our pockets. It is important that we use our time wisely and keep it directed towards the right areas of need and use our meagre manpower and resources accordingly. We gratefully appreciate any donations of items or money to help us continue our work. Wish list items are:
Cat and kitten food - wet and dry
Kitty litter
Petrol vouchers
Feline worm and flea products. Direct deposit donations can be made to:
Westie Cat Support services
BSB: 062202
Acc: 11060497
What is TNRR? A very helpful website for more information is an American group called Alley Cat Allies. www.alleycat.org
17/08/2024
Today is International Homeless Animals Day 🐕🐈 And when both of my little characters were abandoned and on the streets before fate brought them into my life, it’s an important day in our family…��For Cricket, she was left in a cardboard box on a cricket oval with a broken leg before being found by a caring family. ��While for Buzzy, he was found wandering the streets of Sydney with his brothers and sisters. That was until Rescue Hub picked him up, brought him to the AWL and (literally) into my arms when we first met. ��So…a big shoutout to all the animal rescue orgs that go above and beyond every day to give the time and love that homeless rescues deserve. Those little faces are all just waiting for their moment to pick you as their forever home ❤️
13/07/2024
Too many cats to trap and desex and sort, too many community outreach cases, and so it goes on. Due to life changes, finances and basically just being burnt out, we are winding down our activities. It's time to hand over the batton. There's seem to be more rescues who have started up which is great, more people seem to have grasped the situation that cats are in and want to help them, starting with reducing the number of kittens. I do worry about some of them though as they go hard and then it's like whoah, what has hit us?
While we still have cats awaiting adoption, and a kitten to sort out, we like most smaller rescues have found adoptions really slow, so care for kitties continues with the odd trapping expidition when I feel up to it, which isn't often. Pictured is one such expedition where the mum cat who had apparently been dumped at the park across the road according to enquiries made and her two big kittens were trapped. No one could get near her so I TNR'd mum earlier with intention of doing same with kittens when situation changed as where they were living was no longer viable. The kittens didn't want to go in the trap but with my remote trap (kindly gifted to me from Adrian) I stayed a long distance away and just waited, and waited. You can see them in bottom right of photo. Willing the little brats to stop flitting about and just go into the trap. Then they were both driven up to the very experienced and capable SAFE Animal Rehoming, thank you you legends. Mum was later trapped by the lady who was feeding her.
An endearing photograph taken in 1945 during WW2 in New Guinea. Signalman H.G. Gladstone, B Company, 2/5 Infantry Battalion, with his kitten ‘Tiger’. He found the kitten in a deserted village at Malba and it is content to ride on his shoulder. Lest We Forget. Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM 093960
This is the incredible story of how the Giants started rescuing street cats.
In November last year, Giants assistant coach Craig Jennings was walking back to his car after training and noticed a malnourished cat in the bushes.
Wrapped around its neck was a plastic container, making it really difficult to breathe.
Jennings called two cat rescuers to come and take a look at sweetheart the Giants now call Greyboy.
But Greyboy wasn’t the only cat hanging around the bushes behind Giants HQ.
There was Papaya. Then there was Paw Paw.
Beyond that, there’s Pebbles, Pendles, Coco, Joey and Torti.
The Giants decided to rescue them all: afl.com.au/news/1090324
27/02/2024
Donations Needed!
This little girl was rescued by a member of the public who had reported her to us after seeing her hanging around a kebab van at a service station one night when they bought some food there.
Her left eye had erupted and was weeping. I picked her up and took her straight to the vet clinic yesterday and she underwent surgery today to remove her eye. She is staying in hospital for a couple of days while she rests, gets pain relief and cuddles. Already the vet nurses can see her sweetness emerge as the little hissy hoo from yesterday has changed. No doubt she had been in a great deal of pain.
If you can donate towards the cost of the eye removal surgery, that would really help us out with the vet bill. And greatly please the vet practice manager...!
Kylie who was rescued from the grounds of a unit block by a TNRer in the Western Suburbs along with her litter is now finally up for adoption. Yes, finally! After a long socialisation process Kylie is now a complete smooch and she loves other cats too. She and Claire are buddies and often curl up together in a cat bed or on someone's bed.
Kylie has had all her vet work done and is up to date with flea and worming. 1 year old.
Adoption fee is $180.
27/01/2024
Rescued via our community outreach, Raffi, Carlos, Madonna and Florence are delightful, smoochy and friendly juveniles who are waiting patiently for a furever home.
Please message us if interested in adopting any one or two of these sweet cuties. All vet work done, kitty litter compliant, flead and worming up to date.
26/01/2024
One of the hardest parts of colony work is finding dumped cats, more often though it's kittens. I've written about this before where I turn up with my heart in my mouth wondering what I'll find. TNRers can't fill their homes with rescue animals and do TNR, though many do. We've tried to strike a balance but it's difficult.
These poor kittens were found in the early hours of this morning in a cooler bag by the lady who feeds the colony. She is very proactive in wanting to help the cats and wheeled into action and was able to find rescue for them. Apparently there is possibly another kitty out there from same litter. Can you imagine the fear of tame kittens just dumped to get on with it? Revolting behaviour for sure.
24/01/2024
Street Cat Rescue - Catmint Cottage do fantastic work helping community cats. Marg is an absolute legend and I have immense respect for her. Help her move some puddies!
So glad I finally trapped this little girl. Now I just have to trap her ellusive mum.
22/01/2024
Urgent rescue in progress. Muppet appeared on an internet classifieds yesterday.
We are very grateful to the person who raised the alarm when she appeared and to the adopter who tried to urgently find muppet a home before they had to leave the country.
She is not well. We have her on the way to MKC and she is very dehydrated and sad.
Muppet is a Ragdoll, but cat breed doesnt matter in rescue. She has come from a backyard breeder in this horrible state and probably was expensive. We will never know what happened, all we know is this last stage, getting her safe and into our care.
This happens a lot and many times now the team have intervened with students or rescuers leaving animals behind. This person clearly tried to find a home and we were fortunate to be able to take Muppet in.
She is not in a good way, and we would appreciate any help with donations to support Muppet through the next weeks of care and treatment.
Thank you so much everyone and to the vet teams that are now supporting her care.
24/12/2023
Merry Christmas everyone.
The time has come for people in our suburbs to step up! Learn how to care for cats and kittens, learn what to do when find kittens and no mother, learn how to TNR, become a foster carer, donate to rescues and TNRers, educate your neighbours, friends, family about responsible animal ownership. Don't just leave it to the beleagered rescues, we haven't got the time, money or a shelter to help every cat or kitten that needs help. And with the Government seemingly hell bent on mass killing of community and stray cats (like that isn't already happenning now in our pounds or through their contractors), in unprecedented numbers, the situation is more dire. A civilised society treats animals with some God damn respect but we aren't seeing that out there. It's like we are living in a third world country sometimes and it is distressing.
The amount of people contacting rescues to surrender their owned cats, to report found cats and kittens, to report that the stray cat they have been feeding "suddenly" just had kittens on their property is just nuts. They seem to think we will be able to wave a magic wand and sort their situation out. Like yesterday, like right now. The calls, texts amp up just before Christmas too. It happens every year. Want it all sorted so they can enjoy a nice Christmas...
Rescues can't deal with the number of abandoned, lost and undesexed cats in particular suburbs of Sydney, namely Western Sydney and South-Western Sydney and in particular areas of NSW. If we had more community involvement, the plight of community cats could be helped far more. Are cat rescues and TNRers the only one's that care about our cats and kittens?
30/11/2023
OK, well we knew this would happen.
There's a familiar pattern emerging in society. Wait till something gets really bad, no constructive initiatives, and then come down like a ton of bricks, claiming it's needed.
Junk environmental science being used to inform incredibly sub standard Government policy. Again. Domesticated cats whether owned, unowned, semi owned or community cats are being lumped in with wild cats in terms of characteristics and how to kill them. Needless to say, there's a few implications of this...
Have a look at the draft plan and respond by the 11th Dec. We will be.
We are seeking your feedback on the draft updated threat abatement plan for predation by feral cats.
28/11/2023
We need foster carers! Must have suitable space for a cat or kittens and cat and her kittens. We can guide on this. All support given, you won't be left on your own to get on with it. Food and litter provided and we organise and pay for vet appointments.
Please comment or message us if can help out.
We are extremely limited in being able to help cats and kittens in need out there in the community, either in colonies, or people's properties because we don't have anywhere for them to go.
28/08/2023
These 2 girls were trapped last night and are getting desexed today. Slowly working through the colony to desex the girls first.
There's also an older juvenile who I would like to assess for rescue and adoption but no foster carers unfortunately. He's a bit of a character and when I turn up he comes over to me, squeaking and meowing, wanting his dinner. He dissapeared for a period of time and it's the worst feeling not knowing where the cat is. The night I turned up and he came running out was a relief. But gee, I wish I could get him off the street.
18/08/2023
The NSW Government is conducting an enquiry into the NSW animal pound system. Submissions are being sought from members of the public. You can submit by either filling out an online questionnaire or via a more lengthy submission. Click on the link below which has all the details re a submission including the scope of the enquiry/terms of reference.
I would urge anyone who has an interest in this area to make a submission and have your voice heard. The system as it stands has issues, not least of which is the relationship between rescues and the pounds and council, animal management including intake, assessment and adoption, public pound statistics, and community outreach.
As an alternative to providing a written submission, the committee has put together an online questionnaire to obtain feedback and comments from the community on the issues that will be covered by the inquiry. The link to the questionnaire can be found here. Please note, while your responses will fo...
08/08/2023
It's International Cat Day 2023. 🐱
Here's too all the feline rescuers and TNRers doing it tough here and around the world. I salute you.
Thinking about rescue and TNR in other countries, same issues, same dilemmas but there's a few differences. The extremes in weather, being in a developing country, trying to rescue cats from being slaughtered to eat, and being in a war zone...I couldn't imagine trapping in snow or caring for cats and wondering if the place was going to get bombed or how many cats and kittens were going to get dumped at the front door that day or going into live animal markets and seeing cats...
The mass TNRing photo is in Houston Texas. Some states and areas in the US are quite organised with the process and have teams of trappers, some like NY State face a lot of problems with restrictions. Other photos are from Nebraska, Idaho, Vietnam, Morocco, India, and Syria.
24/07/2023
Kylie was rescued along with her sister Possum from the local area a few weeks ago now. Her other siblings were surrendered to a vet adoption program. Kyle's is a bit of a mole but a sweet girl and needs more one on one attention for her socialisation. Being with her sister isn't helping and together they run the gauntlet, hanging out together and showing not much interest in being around humans, except for when a warm bed is involved...She likes a patt but then suddenly goes hang on, I don't like humans, that's right and runs off.
We would love for Kylie to get fostered and the only cat in the home. If you think you would like to foster Kylie or know someone who may be able to, please reach out to us.
11/06/2023
Yesterday with the help of some lovely volunteers, my old boy was loaded up with donations of food, litter, bedding, and toys at the Animal Rescue Cooperative depot. I cannot express how deeply grateful I am for this help as it means we can direct our meagre funds to vet bills and get some relief from the many other associated expenses. Foster cats and kittens, community cats, they will benefit enormously from this donation. Pictured are some of the kittens and cats.
Thank you so much!
27/04/2023
This is the ridiculous reality out there for displaced and vulnerable cats in our suburbs that rescue groups deal with everyday. Very well put SCR.
24/04/2023
I don't think I've ever ever been this elated to bag a hard to trap cat. Madam here who yes is a Torty. Says it all really. Who lives in a backyard with a small posse of other cats was a kitten machine and I could never trap her. Even a drop trap didn't work. Once she knew I was on the property she wouldn't come out, at all, ever and would hide under the house until my car drove away...But finally, after retweaking the strategy, got her last night. She went off her nut under the drop trap. Off to the vet this morning. I also collected her 3 1/2 week old kittens x 5. I was kind of like walking around on a high for awhile afterwards weak with relief! 😄
20/03/2023
Country pounds...the cats have no chance.
11/01/2023
These photos of Sq**rt now known as Kiki came into our inbox recently. And what a delight it was getting an update! She has grown into a beautiful fluffy chunk of gorgeousness who continues to bring heaps of joy to her mum and dad's life. ❤️
25/12/2022
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. To the odd person who has donated and the colony managers or people who are looking after a cat or cats in their backyard, that work with us; thank you.
Pictured is one of my own cats Blanca in the garden. So, time to hit a gin and tonic me thinks.
01/12/2022
It goes without saying really but will say it anyway, this time of year is a nightmare for rescuers and TNRers. There are mum cats and kittens turning up on properties, in colonies, and dumped cats and kittens. If you can please help us out by donating to us this would go a long way to cover vet costs for desexing and care.
Back details are:
Westie Cat.
BSB 062 202
Acct No 1106 0497
Any amount would be much appreciated.
29/11/2022
OK these two former street urchins need foster carers. Separately or together. Aleesa is still being socialised and Pumpkin is a cheeky boisy boy. Let us know if you or someone you may know can help.
28/09/2022
Thank you David Hudson for your donation! Will go towards the vet account.
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One of the hardest parts of colony work is finding dumped cats, more often though it's kittens. I've written about this before where I turn up with my heart in my mouth wondering what I'll find. TNRers can't fill their homes with rescue animals and do TNR, though many do. We've tried to strike a balance but it's difficult.
These poor kittens were found in the early hours of this morning in a cooler bag by the lady who feeds the colony. She is very proactive in wanting to help the cats and wheeled into action and was able to find rescue for them. Apparently there is possibly another kitty out there from same litter. Can you imagine the fear of tame kittens just dumped to get on with it? Revolting behaviour for sure.
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Our Story
WCSS was started in 2011 in response to the plight that we were witnessing for community cats in the suburbs and we wanted to help these cats in a way that was workable and more humane. Community cats have it tough - often reviled, misunderstood, scapegoated, often experiencing injury and illness at higher levels than owned cats, at the mercy of various forces like cruelty, hoarders, abandonment, neglect, sometimes well meaning but poor intervention strategies, and are left to continually breed. Kittens can find it particularly tough and the attrition rate is high. The fact is, there will always be community cats. People dump cats, do not desex, hoard cats, and feed cats without any desexing or monitoring going on. Certain councils also do not manage stray cat populations in any constructive way, and despite legislation such as the Companion Animal Act (1998) many councils have their own policies and procedures that contradict the legislation, do not meet the needs of community cats in their area and are generally confused across the board. We believe TNRR therefore is one management strategy, amongst others, that can intervene and help community cats and manage numbers and cats welfare as opposed to killing these cats in pounds or them leading awful existences on the street or dying a horrible death on the streets. At the moment, it is the “killing fields” and community (as well as owned and semi-owned) cats are killed at disgustingly high numbers in pounds or clinics who the pounds use.
WCSS is involved in the trap, neuter, release and rescue of community cats. This is a specialised area of cat management and also does not suit all situations, but it is one solution. This is our main focus and we are not a rescue group as such. We ask that if possible, anyone experiencing a cat situation or knows of one that they report to us, that they help in some way ie. donation, fostering (training and resources given with contact and monitoring of any animals in care) as our resources and time are stretched to the limit. We cannot guarantee that we can help in a particular situation, as our particular skills may not be what is needed.
We do not come in, trap your cats, and take them to the pound for you. We do not loan out our traps for this purpose either. We are not council rangers. If cats cannot be TNR'd and returned to a viable site and live safely then we cannot help you.
We generally work in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, and some in the South West.
If you contact page or phone asking for help, please firstly read our description and decide if we are the right organisation to help you.
If you do decide to contact us, please arm yourself with as much information about the cat situation. Such as:
Suburb and exact location.
Your involvement in situation and/or how you know about it.
How many cats.
Are there any kittens?
If any pregnant cats, sick or injured cats.
Do you know if the cats owned, semi-owned or unowned?
Are the cats tame or unsocialized?
Is anyone feeding the cats?
Is it viable for the cats there?
Are the cats in danger?
Any actions taken so far to help.
Helping felines is time consuming and often exacting work. And we fit this in around everyday life. Our activities are paid for out of our own pockets, and the odd donation. It is important therefore that we use our time wisely and keep it directed towards the right areas of need and use our manpower and resources accordingly.
We gratefully appreciate any donations of items or money to help us continue our work.
Wish list items are:
Cat and kitten food - wet and dry
Kitty litter.
Pet Barn vouchers
Feline worm and flea products.
Direct deposit donations can be made to:
Westie Cat Support Services
BSB: 062202
Acc: 11060497
