Our VISION is to support the advance of feline health so that no kitten or cat suffers from a preventable sickness and to ensure first rate treatments are developed to keep cats well.

Our MISSION is to raise and direct much needed financial support to important areas of feline research affecting the breeding and well being of cats in Australia. We envisage that the scientific and clinical research will encompass studies into the causes, prevention and cures of diseases in cats and will be performed at eligible Australian Universities and Research Institutes that have tax deductible gift status. The research will be conducted under strict ethical guidelines ensuring the welfare of cats. We anticipate that the research findings will complement feline research being conducted overseas by other world class institutions.

ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND: The Feline Health Research Fund (FHRF) was established on July 1 2000 as a tax deductible, non profit Ancillary Gift Fund by the Coordinating Cat Council of Australia. The CCC of A was founded in 1979 and currently comprises eight member bodies representing a large number of owners and breeders of purebred cats as well as owners of domestic show cats throughout Australia. The FHRF was initially enabled by CCC of A underwriting the legal costs associated with drawing up the Fund Deed. In addition a dedicated working party comprising of Dr Kerry Fowler, Kel Duncan, Diane Oates, Lesley Roberts, Diane Royal, Sandra Weaver-Hall and Jenny West, aided by solicitors Ken Aitken and Maureen Norberry were responsible for establishing the FHRF.

LAUNCH OF FUND: The official celebratory launch of the FHRF by Dr Kerry Fowler was held on 21 July 2001 as part of the CCC of A National Cat show weekend in Canberra. This was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Ms Jenny West and Mr Dermot Balaam’s company Inanya Holdings and the tireless organisation by Capital Cats of Canberra. Commander Kel Duncan OAM RAN (retired); Director Ainslee Football Club, ACT; Kel Duncan was the Foundation FHRF Chairperson until 2005. The FHRF Foundation trustees were Dr Kerry Fowler, Maureen Norberry, Sandra Weaver-Hall, Jenny West (CCCA representative).

FOUNDATION DONORS: To help complete the formalities associated with establishing the FHRF, several participating affiliates such as Governing Council of the Cat Fancy - Victoria, Capital Cats of Canberra and Council of Federated Cat Clubs of Queensland introduced a small levy - about the cost of a can of cat food on new cat or kitten registrations, and donated the proceeds to the FHRF. In addition, the Cat Owners Association of Western Australia, Feline Control Council of Victoria and Governing Council of the Cat Fancy - Victoria and Clubs such as the Abyssinian Cat Club, Balinese Cat Club, Birman Cat Club, Birman Society, Burmese Cat Society, Holiday Coast Cat Club, Illawarra Pedigree Cat Club, Melrose Longhair Club, Pedigreed Persian Cat Club, Peninsular Cat Club and Russian, Somali, Abyssinian and British Cat Club made greatly appreciated donations. Similarly the C CC of A Judges conference made a welcome donation. Individual contributions have been also received from Rae Ealey, Kerry Fowler, Karen Govier, Alison Hall, George Kennedy,Christine Kindred, Wendy McDonald, Brian Richings and family in memory of Sue Richings,Diane Royal, Julie Ryan, Steven Savant, Denis Turner, Rhonda and Peter Watson and Jenny West. All proceeds have been directed to one of the Fund’s two official banking accounts that have been set up as required by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The FHRF now has its own Australian Business Number and tax deductible gift status.