If you haven't yet heard about them, the Mid West Cat Shelter is a local community organisation that's run by a number of volunteers dedicated to improving the welfare of our feline friends in the Midwest.

Their stated aims are to • Rescue and re-home unwanted cats • Support responsible pet management • Develop Community Education programs

Each year around WA, thousands of cats are put down, mostly due to irresponsible ownership. While the cat haven has existed in the Perth metro area for some time, no formal service existed up until now in the Midwest to help re-home unwanted or abandoned cats.

The Midwest Cat Shelter has volunteers in a range of capacities. One way some people help is by becoming a foster carer.

Foster carers get to enjoy company of a new feline friend and directly help save a life in the process. They provide like food, clean water and a clean litter tray every day, a secure home and plenty of love until the cats are adopted out into their new forever homes.

Others help out at the new Davies Rd facility, run by the Mid West Cat Shelter.

The shelter does not take direct surrenders. They only take cats that are in danger of being euthanised from the RSPCA or the pound.

Under new state legislation, registration, sterilisation and microchipping are now requirements of being a cat owner, and local councils now have the job of managing cat registrations.

Why should I buy a cat from the Mid West Cat Shelter for $150 when I just saw free kittens being given away on Facebook?

While the kitten may be free it will cost you around $60 to micro-chip and anywhere upwards of $95 to sterilise a male and $160 to sterilise a female cat. Remember, these are legal requirements now for all cats over the age of six months. Add in a worm treatment, flea treatment and vaccinations and it adds up very quickly to a lot more than $150. The shelter's adoption fee is fantastic value and by adopting from them you also get to save a beautiful cat from euthanasia.