ianhutch1

Anyone got any experiences they can share with us?

We originally said we were going to leave our cats with family but the more we look into their sad eyes the more we are considering taking the youngest one with us

We were originally going to look at 3 bed apartments in the City but I suppose that would be out of the question with a cat although she is a house cat so doesnt go out at all in the UK so it wouldnt be a problem from our point of view.

But really I want to know how landlords feel about us having a cat and whether it is going to hinder our chances of us getting what we want out there.

NikiL

This is one I'd really like to know about as well! Not going to be able to buy for 6 months, so would really like to know if my boys are going to cause problems

rockpeblar

It will limit your choice of rentals but there are still several around that will accept cats - just make sure they don't kill off all the wildlife!!

chrispy

Hi,
We came with two cats, in Perth i would say that about 50% of rentals will not take pets, whihc leaves half that will. Some rentals don't state and in that instance a well behaved indoor cat will be more likely to be accepted than a dog. We found a rental in a week and had no trouble. The problem we had is that some of the rentals were real tips and about as secure as a outside dunny.

Although one of our cats has since died (crappy kennels) i think it is worth bringing them over although it is not cheap, probably about £900!!

Good luck

St.Georges Girl

He Ian, It really all depends on how desperate a landlord is to rent the property and I doubt very much you'd be allowed one in an apartment. Why don't you take a look on www.reiwa.com.au rentals to get an idea? Can I ask why you are only considering bringing one of your cats?

ianhutch1

Thanks for the info, yes we are only considering taking one because our oldest cat is a nervous wreck at the best of times and my gran has happily offered to give her a home and she loves my gran to bits and she will have a great home there.

The youngest one is a difficult cat at the best of times and finds it very hard to trust people so although my wifes parents have said they will take her we arent convinced she will fit in properly - she hates my wifes mum!

Not an easy decision this is it, I dont want us to have to live in a sh*t hole for 12 months just because I have a cat

Cheetah7

We have always had cats and when we moved into our existing flat, we had two cats and a whippet.

We promised to replace anything that our animals damaged (by christ there is quite alot), have the carpets cleaned and that they wouldn't be a pest to the neighbours.

Now we are moving to Perth in March, we just have one cat - he is an indoor cat which I firmly believe any cat being exported should either be confined in a cat proof fence in the garden or kept indoors.

I think it is how you word it, if you say that you realise cats are harmful to wildlife and your cat will be contained/indoors, you will ensure that the property you rent will remain in good condition and you will pay for any damage caused, then you should be fine.

It's about responsible pet ownership and how you initially talk to the landlord/estate agent that will have a bearing on the outcome in many cases.

We met our estate agent and ensured that we were smartly dressed, we had our references and assurances given that we would be responsible tennants as well as pet owners.

I just hope we will be OK in Perth - fingers crossed.

Good luck with taking your cat, we were initially not going to take Gordon but the fat ginger one has got his own way

He gets taken to the export kennels on 4th March and flies out on 5th March

worzel

We had 3 in the UK and it was a hard decision to leave them but I believe the right one. It would have cost a fortune for one thing. There are lots of cats around so don't worry about what some people say that Aussies don't like them - you get that in the UK too. But they can kill rare native animals. The rental issue is another factor. My main reason would be that the flight and 6 week quarantine is tough for them and the hot Aussie weather even tougher. A guy told me yesterday he showers his in cold water when it gets really hot as the cat suffers in the heat with palpitations etc.

DMH

Why's that?

Cheetah7

To stop them killing wildlife - some of it endangered.

Its funny when people say that their cat is too lazy to hunt, because you cannot be sure of that.

And it is not acceptable to take allow your cat to hunt Aussie wildlife, I did some voluntary work at Currumbin wildlife sanctuary and they told me that cats do a huge amount of damage.

It might be nature to some, but as Ive said before, it is nature for a greyhound to rip your cat apart but that doesn't mean its right.

One lady was exceedingly proud that her cat caught a black cockatoo - proud my foot, she wouldnt have been laughing had a python caught her moggy and eaten it - oh no, nature would then be cruel.

DMH

Same could be said of anywhere then really? That pets that potentially could act on their natural instincts should be kept indoors where they cannot do any damage?

I have 2 cats and the only thing they've ever brought into the house or been seen to attack is one worm and the girl-cat has had a go at few flying insects (she may regret that if she does it in Oz). A normal run-of-the-mill earthworm, seriously. Oh what talented little moggies I have. For 5 and 6 year olds, you think they'd have managed better than that.

I'll let them play when they get to Oz, and see how they get on. If the Aussie wildlife is anything close to as sprightly (sp?) as their UK cousins, then they'll be as safe as houses from my two. If they start getting things, I'll do something about it.

ianhutch1

Its a really, really hard decision....

Ours doesnt go out at all although she is a born and bred murderer once anything gets into the house.

Spiders beware! Well actually, are Redbacks poisonous to cats? Im getting conflicting information on the internet.

katamina

I'm taking all 5 of mine with me!! I couldn't leave them & don't really care that it's gonna cost me a fortune to get them there!

I think the damaging of wildlife is the same the whole world over - I'm never happy if they kill anything, but I couldn't not let them go out during the day, as they'd be as miserable as sin They can cope with being in at night (in my experience its night & dawn when they do their hunting anyway), so will present less risk in that way.

I'll have to get a VERY understanding landlord! My favourite bit about it all though is that in Brisbane, you have to have a cattery licence for owning more than 3 cats - so, I get 2 dreams come true - moving to Oz & owning a cattery

St.Georges Girl

I have another take on this. I am an animal lover. Anything, be it spiders, birds, cats, dogs etc.etc., but I let my cat out here. She doesn't go far and doesn't stay out long, not unless she falls asleep on one of the patio chairs. I could never keep her confined indoors, cats need to be outside as much as any other animal needs to. I know some aussies are anti cats. Infact, one shire decided to ban cats entirely but of course it didn't work. They then said they'd fine anyone who let their cats out of their property boundaries. Quite ridiculous.

There is a large group of aussies who are doing a fantastic job of destroying the wildlife here. They are called 'Land Developers'. Thousands upon thousands of hectares of bush has been flattened and wiped away since we came here over 10 years ago. Now what do you think happens to all the flora and fauna that once existed there? The 'roos, mice, lizards, birds, moles, etc.etc. If they carry on the way they are doing, not only in Perth, but all over Australia, the wildlife will be driven to extinction. There will not be enough habitat for it to exist. I joined a group that was trying to fight against the bush between Burns Beach and Mindarie from being bulldozed. I was so very sad the day it began. We weren't listened to at all. It's only money that talks. Imagine the thousands of terrified animals that lost there habitat in a day. Where did they go? Nowhere, because there is virtually nowhere left for them to go.

I could list dozens of species of birds that used to roost in that land. I could also list the mammals and the flora which no longer exist because of the Land Developers, so please don't think for one minute that a domestic cat could match anything like the destruction and harm you are led to believe they do.

Right, I'm off my soapbox now and off to work. Anymore info' needed, just shout.

Cheetah7

That is a good point but domestic cats can do significant damage themselves. If every cat owner allows their animals to hunt, and in turn if just a few of those cat owners allow their cats to breed then in its own way and over time, it will do considerable damage - fair enough not to the point of developers and the damage that they do but if everyone does their bit in the way of damage then it will only get worse, if we all try and do our bit and prevent our cats from killing the wildlife then it's better than not doing anything at all.

It might be nature for cats to hunt but they are not indigenous and as I have mentioned, anyone and I mean anyone who is not bothered by their cat hunting parrots/cockies/small marsupials is irresponsible.

Yes they do it in the UK, songbirds have drastically reduced but the point I am trying to make is if we are going to contribute to Australias non indigenous species, then it is down to us to be responsible pet owners and at least not allow our cats to make in their own small way, an impact on local wildlife and sometimes rare species.

Nature it might be and their natural hunting instinct fair enough but not in Australia because technically they don't belong there so it throws the 'nature' theory out of the window, and I bet there is no cat owner alive who would be happy if their cat become prey for a larger predator and then agree it was just one of those things.

Your cat doesn't go far, my cat's brother doesn't go far either he just sleeps in the garden but the other week he brought in a Robin and my friend was so shocked as she had never seen him go any faster than a walk and wondered what had got up his arse to make him hunt.

I see nothing wrong in cat proof gardens, but I do wonder if any cat owner on here would seriously be annoyed if their cat killed a parrot and if they would make the same comparison as hunting in the UK? Or would it not bother them?

It's not just cats, some arsehole allowed their staffie to attack and kill a female koala - that was on an aussie wildlife programme.

It just takes responsible pet ownership and being aware of your new country and that the flora and fauna are not only completely different to any other country but so is their eco system and the rules of respecting the wildlife that go with it.