PET TALK

12 Selfs Point Road, New Town Open Mon - Sat 10.00 - 4.00 Sun 10.00 - 2.30 6278 2111 tenlives.com.au

ADOPT

Crisco 8 Years Old Female #17135 She is an absolute delight and a sweet heart. She loves a smooch and a scratch, and to be around her people. The way to this little ladies heart is through food. She loves treats, roast chicken and wet food.

Tammy 1 Year Old Female #17288 Tammy is a sweet and playful cat who has been building her confidence during her time in foster care and now here at the Centre. She is waiting for someone to discover her quirky, affectionate nature!

Bunny 2 Years Old Female #17414 Bunny is a gorgeous loving girl who loves to cuddle up with you for lots of snuggles. She would be suited to a home with older children or children who understand cat body language as she is deaf.

Apricot 2 Years Old Female #15483 Apricot is a sweet and loving lady. She is obsessed with being with you and doesn’t like being in a different room to her humans. She is a chatty girl and would do well with a home where she gets lots of attention.

You can find out more about these kitties along with all of our kitties available for adoption at tenlives.com.au Every cat has a story. Are you part of it? #ADOPT

Maggie Nettleship, who has been volunteering as an Animal Attendant since 2019, with two-year-old Bunny

Ten Lives Cat Centre volunteers all have one thing in common

Rich East, of Ten Lives Cat Centre

WHEN considering volunteering at a cat shelter, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s all about feeding the kitties and tidying litter trays.

Look further and you’ll find that there are a diverse range of roles that contribute to the success of a shelter like Ten Lives Cat Centre.

Aside from the animal attendants who perform those vital daily tasks in caring for the cats, there is also a dedicated team of Op Shop volunteers responsible for sorting donated goods, creating window displays, running the stores, and caring for the resident kitties.

Drivers run supplies between the stores and transport the Op Shop cats when they have been assigned to a store to wait for their new homes – precious cargo indeed!

Volunteers on the Creative Team are responsible for taking photos of the cats and using their skills to promote them on social media.

Volunteers also assist with administration tasks and delivering the Edu.Cat education program in schools. Ten Lives operates a small vet surgery in which volunteer vet nurses get hands-on experience in the industry.

“As Southern Tasmania’s only dedicated cat management facility, we receive no government funding,” Manager Noel Hunt said.

“So we rely on the support of our amazing volunteers, some of whom have been contributing for many years.”

In the 2021 calendar year, 191 volunteers contributed more than 23,000 hours in positions all around the Centre and Op Shops.

That is an extraordinary contribution to the welfare of the cats in Ten Lives’ care, whether it be through their direct care and support, or raising much needed funds to keep the Centre operating.

“We strive to make sure our volunteer program is rewarding, not just for the cats, but for the volunteers themselves,” Volunteer Coordinator Jon Harvey said.

“We are constantly reviewing and improving the program, to make sure it is best practice, not only for our cats and their welfare but also for our volunteers and their experiences.”

Since becoming a member of Volunteering Tasmania, Ten Lives has aligned its program with best practice within the state and the national standards for volunteering.

It’s not just the cats that benefit.

Many people have discovered through volunteering they get back what they put in, whether from the achievement that their contribution is helping animals in need, or from the sense of community they get from being a part of a team.

“Members of our volunteer Creative Team get to learn new skills and develop existing ones in a realworld environment,” Marketing and Communications Manager Joel Diprose said.

“It’s great to be able to give someone a glowing reference and see them move into paid work, whether they are here for three months or three years.”

Jon encourages anyone interested in contributing at Ten Lives to visit tenlives.com.au or contact the Centre.

“No experience is necessary - there’s always a way in which you can help,” he said.

“We greatly appreciate everyone who has contributed over the years. We truly have a remarkable and diverse team.”

Though, there is one thing that all volunteers have in common: a passion for community, environment, and of course, cats.

Ten Lives Cat Shelter is a self-funded animal charity that relies on donations and volunteers to care for and rehome the unwanted cats and kittens of Tasmania. See how you can get involved: tenlives.com. au