Animal attendants - Stray Cat Rehab Centre, Sunny Days Rescue & Rehab
Sunny Days Rescue & Rehab's Stray Cat Rehab centre provides long-term housing and rehabilitation for cats rescued from environments where they have never known the warmth of a home or the love of a human, and those who have had those things but were let down and dumped at a pound, left behind after moving house, or booked for euthanasia and luckily we have been called by the vet clinic.
We also take in cats and kittens that have been placed on pound "Death Row" (euthanasia lists). These cats are killed every week across Australia despite being fully socialised, super friendly, healthy and of all ages. If you would like to foster a friendly, confident death-row cat so we can get it out of the pound, please let us know in your enquiry email.
ABOUT OUR SHELTER
Our large, group pens are surrounded by open space, trees, and birdlife, making the environment calming for both the cats and volunteers. Our rehab cats are with us for months to years depending on their temperament and past trauma.
ABOUT OUR CATS
Our cats are humanely trapped (once identified as wild or abandoned) or provided to us by a community member who has been trying to help a cat on their street. When they first come to us we have them desexed, vaccinated, micro-chipped, parasite-treated, often FIV-tested and anything else needed for them to be healthy and recover from their past. We also assess their temperament to decide where they will best fit in and cope with rescued life.
Most are used to other cats and actually need their company, having grown up in family groups (colonies). They develop deep bonds with their new friends and this helps them relax and learn to play.
ABOUT OUR PENS
Our group pens are the size of a living room with another small room attached for their litter area. They feature repurposed items and materials fashioned into platforms at different levels, ladders, branches to climb, hide-y holes and beds to snuggle in, and soft blankies to "make bickies" (knead) on. We also have calming music playing at all times and use calming products and supplements to help the cats de-stress.
VOLUNTEER SHIFT REQUIREMENTS
Own transport and licence. There is no public transport to our centre.
Commit to 1 shift per week of 2-3 hours plus regular communication with the team via online chat.
Self-motivated and able to work without supervision. You may or may not have another volunteer working with you.
High level of cleanliness – litter trays, bowls, bedding, floors, etc. Hygiene is of utmost importance in animal shelters.
Patience and compassion towards fearful animals and a willingness to perform the rehab techniques we teach. Consistent daily rehab interactions accelerate transformation.
Age 18+. Or 15+ if volunteering with a parent, but volunteers as part of a duo still require weekly attendance and for both parties to do the work.
SHIFT TASKS
Tend to cat pens daily: provide wet and dry food, water, clean litter trays, sweep/clean surfaces, shake out/change bedding, and wipe down pen furniture.
Build trust with cats by sitting quietly with them, offering treats or feeding wet food from a spoon, encouraging hand sniffs, and teaching them to be patted through lots of little touches when possible.
UNDERSTANDING WILD-BORN CATS
Socialisation for these cats isn't a matter of days or weeks; it takes months to years. Our centre is their home during this time and we are their caretakers, so it's important we provide a clean, enriching and stress-free environment. In return they learn to trust us and gradually do what cats born into domestic homes do – play with toys, purr, vocalise to us and each other, "make bickies" on soft beds, snooze in the sun, enjoy pats, be picked up and cuddled, and do zoomies Wild-born cats do all of these things.
RISKS INVOLVED
Working with our cats poses very little risk due to their large pens allowing them to withdraw from us while we tend to their needs, and the training we provide in scared-cat behaviour.
If you love cats and have an interest in saving lives and making a difference, you'll thoroughly enjoy our work and the awesome people sharing it
----- PLEASE NOTE YOUR ENQUIRY MUST INCLUDE AN ANSWER TO THE BELOW QUESTION TO BE CONSIDERED ------
TO APPLY
Please tell us on the next screen why this opportunity is of interest to you and list any relevant experience you have. You will also find a link on this page to our online application form – please send THIS enquiry AND complete our application.
Thank you.
Category
Animal Welfare
Commitment
Regular – less than 6 months
Type Of Work
Working with Animals
Time Required
Volunteers complete one shift on a weekly or fortnightly basis, the same day each week. Shifts take 3-4 hours; volunteers are welcome to stay as long as they like to build relationships with the cats or other volunteers.
Training
We provide training in being around the cats in their living areas safely, reading their body language, disease management and infection control, behaviour modification, and low-stress handling. We need hard-working, committed volunteers who are in it for the long haul, who understand consistency and predictability is key to animal rehabilitation.
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