Cat Blog 4c

Trapping a wary cat

If a feral or community cat is wary of a trap, it could be that he or she has been trapped before, or that they’ve seen other cats being trapped. Trapping a wary cat requires time and patience. You may also have to use different methods and/or traps.

• Begin by leaving a regular trap at or near the cat’s feeding station for at least a week. (Chain it to something if you’re worried about theft.)
• At first, remove the trap door if it is a loose one. If it is attached to the trap, tie it up in the open position. In this way you’ll be making sure that it won’t slam shut at the wrong moment.
• Sprinkle Happy Cat (obtainable from some vets and shops and from Takealot – https://www.takealot.com/all?_sb=1&_r=1&qsearch=happy%20cat%20valerian&via=suggestions&_si=85588e7042023ace10649761ec46b47f) inside and around the trap to help set the cat at ease.
• Use yummy, strong-smelling food as bait, but place the food dish outside the trap for the first day or two.
• Then begin placing the food dish inside the trap, but just beyond the mouth of the trap. This will enable the cat to eat while most of his or her body remains outside. Move the food deeper and deeper into the trap on consecutive days without actually setting the trap.
• Once the cat is comfortably eating inside the trap, set the trap in the usual way. If possible, use the ‘stick’ method (https://iamcat.blog/how-do-i-trap-community-cats-part-1/). Be careful not to sprinkle Happy Cat near the stick, because some cats will roll in the powder and knock the stick over.

Should you have no joy with a regular trap, try trapping the wary cat in a ‘drop’ trap. A drop trap often works because it has no floor. This means that cats don’t have to enter it as they would a regular trap. You can trap a number of cats at once in a drop trap – usually at least two.

Once you’ve caught the cats, cover the drop trap with a blanket to help calm them. You may also have to weigh the trap down to prevent them from crawling out. Then use a ‘transfer’ trap to move the cats one by one from the drop trap to normal traps. (If you’ve caught only one or two, you can usually transport them in the transfer trap.)

A transfer trap has a sliding door similar to that of the drop trap. Once you’ve positioned it next to the door of the drop trap, remove the blanket from the drop trap to cover the transfer trap. Then slide open both doors. Cats usually prefer to move from the drop trap into the transfer trap, as it now seems like the darker, safer option.

If you’re having no luck with a drop trap either, try feeding the cat in a large cardboard box for a few days. Once the cat is comfortably eating in the box, place a trap inside the box without setting it. Move the bait food deeper and deeper into the trap on consecutive days as described above.

I recently trapped an impossible-to-trap cat in this way, thanks to this great tip I received from Charlmaine Perreira from Jozi South Feral Cat Carers (https://www.facebook.com/jozisouthferal/).

After reading the guidelines about trapping a wary cat above and those in Cat Blogs 4a and 4b, check out some videos on trapping on the internet. This will give you a better idea of how trapping works in practice. See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF_omFE7Etc

You now have all the information you need to start trapping feral or community cats humanely and effectively. Wishing you much success in this important undertaking!

Cat quote of the week

Perhaps one reason we are fascinated by cats is because such a small animal can contain so much independence, dignity, and freedom of spirit… He demands acceptance on his own terms.

Lloyd Alexander

Cat Story 7

NCat – an unusual cat welfare organisation

This group is very close to my heart, as I co-founded it 12 years ago, and I’m still very involved with it today. We’re a registered non-profit organisation (https://ncat.co.za/content/view/welcome) that was formed with the intention of offering cats and their carers something different.

We act as a kind of networking portal to help cat carers get the help they need for their cats – mostly sterilisation, cat food and sometimes veterinary treatment. This means that cat people from across the country contact us for help. We then network on their behalf to put them in touch with the resources they need. Since our inception, we’ve been instrumental in organising thousands of steries countrywide. We’ve also helped scores of carers feed more cats – especially in these challenging times.

On one or two occasions though, when all other options had been exhausted, we’ve gotten involved in protest action – mostly in collaboration with the amazing BAT (Ban Animal Trading – https://www.bananimaltrading.org/).

Whenever possible, we love getting involved in teaching children about cats. On one occasion we worked with SARAC (Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre – https://www.sarac.co.za/) to tell kids how to respect and care for community cats.

We’ve now also joined forces with another group, Speak (Society for People, Environment and Animal Kindness – https://speak-up3.wixsite.com/speak) in producing and distributing a colouring-in storybook – Khosi and the Little Cat.

Our only constraint is … money! If we had more funds, we could do infinitely more for our beloved cats. (Every cent we receive, goes straight to the cats. We don’t use it for salaries, petrol or any other expense.)

Will you help us do more?

NCat, FNB Sandton, branch code 250655, account 62362218440, swift code FIRNZAJJ, ref ‘Steries’ or ‘Food’ and your name.

Cat Blog 4b

I’ve trapped a feral cat – what now?

Don’t stress if the cat seems to be very afraid and begins to jump around in the trap as you start moving towards the trap. It’s always hard to see a cat in distress, but remind yourself that you’re doing the cat the biggest kindness possible. If it’s a girl, she will never again have to use scarce resources raising young. And if it’s a boy, he will be less inclined to fight with other toms.

• Approach the cat from the side so that he or she can hide behind the towel or blanket that is already in place. While talking reassuringly to the cat, cover the trap completely with the towel or blanket. Cats can injure themselves in their frantic efforts to escape from a trap. So make sure that you never to leave a cat uncovered in a trap. (The towel or blanket should remain in place at the vet’s as well. You could leave a small peep-hole open to enable the cat to orient himself or herself.)
• If the door of the trap is inclined to slide open, you can secure it with a piece of string or wire.
• Now move the covered trap to an area where other cats can’t see or hear the cat you’ve already trapped. This will help ensure that the other cats don’t become afraid of the traps.
• Before leaving the premises, examine the cat for lactation to determine whether she is perhaps suckling. (Place the trap on a higher surface and try to get a good look at the cat’s tummy.) If the cat is lactating, ask the vet to sterilise her as soon as possible and to administer a reversal of the anaesthesia afterwards. Release her four or five hours later, after ensuring that she’s awake and alert. This will enable her to return to her young.

• In the car on the way to the vet, play soothing music. 
• When delivering the cat to the vet, you may want to provide the assistant with a cardboard lid that could be used as a temporary litter box. Alternatively provide a thick layer of newspaper. While the cat is sedated, the vet’s assistant will place food and water in the trap together with the ‘litter box’ or newspaper. (You needn’t remove these when collecting the cat, although you may want to syringe out the water.)
• Ask the vet to tip the cat’s ear during the procedure to show that he or she has been sterilised. This is very important to prevent the cat from being trapped again in future.
• Point out to the vet or his/her assistant if they need to re-secure the trap door with wire or string after replacing the cat in the trap.
• If a reversal has been administered, you can collect the cat four or five hours after the procedure.
• When picking the cat up from the vet, check as best you can whether everything is in order with his or her wound. There should be almost no blood on the newspapers, for example. If you can manage a peek at the wound itself, so much the better!
•  Unless a reversal has been administered, release the cat on the day following the sterilisation only. Make sure that you release the cat in his or her familiar territory – if possible in the same place where you trapped them.

More about how to trap a wary cat in Cat Blog 4c!

Did you know?

 

Cat quote of the week

A happy arrangement: many people prefer cats to other people, and many cats prefer people to other cats.

Mason Cooley

Cat Story 6

The magical, true story of Tao the Siamese cat

(Pics are unfortunately not of Tao himself, and names have been changed.)

Bringing my car to an abrupt stop, I jumped out and grabbed the empty carrier I always had with me. I knew that no cat would be lying in that spot unless he or she were in trouble!

Slowly and carefully I approached the beautiful cat while making soothing sounds. He didn’t seem phased by my presence, but he was panting – a sure sign of distress. I knelt down beside him, and his panting turned into purring. This was also a sign of stress, but he seemed to sense that I was there to help him. It became clear very quickly that he couldn’t move the bottom part of his body.

I placed the carrier next to him and opened it. Then I gently grasped his scruff and began drawing him into the carrier very slowly. He kept purring. When he was all the way in, I closed the carrier and carefully placed it on the passenger seat of my car.

I felt a great sense of urgency to get this poor cat to a vet as soon as I could. For some reason I decided to take him to a vet some distance from where I was, which I intuitively felt would be the right one in the circumstances.

When I arrived at the vet, I explained the situation to the receptionist. Within a few minutes the vet was carefully examining the cat.

‘He’s probably been hit by a car,’ he said after a brief examination. ‘His pelvis is fractured, so he may need surgery.’

The next morning the vet’s assistant called me. ‘We found the cat’s owner,’ she said, completely unexpectedly.

I was delighted but also puzzled. ‘What, already?’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ she responded. ‘The lady and her daughter brought a missing poster they wanted to put up in our waiting room. It was only a short time after you had brought the cat to us. They could hardly believe that their missing cat was here, as he’d been missing for several weeks already. They were ecstatic to see him! The cat’s name is Tao, and his owner would like to meet you and give you a reward.’

I was elated – Tao’s humans had been found, and I would be meeting them and seeing Tao again. AND I would be receiving a reward, which my organisation NCat (http://www.ncat.co.za) would be able to use to sterilise a few more cats!

A few months earlier, Rina and her husband had gone on holiday. While they were away, their daughter visited Tao daily. But then New Year came, with its terrifying fireworks, and Tao must have taken fright and gone into hiding somewhere.

Rina and her husband, Wouter, cut short their holiday and returned home, desperate to find Tao. Every day they walked and drove up and down in their area, calling and putting up posters.

After several days of futile searching, Wouter made a pledge to Rina. ‘I will find Tao if it’s the last thing I do,’ he said solemnly.

The very next day, Wouter had a massive heart attack and died.

Upon hearing this, I was filled with a feeling of wonder. I knew immediately that it had been Wouter who had led me down the unfamiliar turnoff on the day I found Tao. It had also been Wouter who had guided me to the one vet that his wife would be visiting that same day.

You see, he was keeping his promise to Rina. He brought Tao back to her.

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Cat Blog 4a

Don’t worry if you’ve never trapped community cats before. If you’ve been able to beg, borrow or buy one or more traps, and you follow the guidelines contained here and in the next Cat Blog, you’ll be fine. And if you commit some blunders or have some disconcerting experiences in the process, you won’t be alone! All of us have experienced those at some time or another.

Preparation

• Rinse the trap out beforehand in a weak solution of bleach (i.e. 1 teaspoon Jic on a bucket of water) to sanitise it. Long-handled brushes such as dish-washing brushes work well. It also helps to set the trap on its ‘bottom’ to reach inside more easily.
• Check that your trap mechanism is working properly. If necessary oil the sliding surfaces with oil that doesn’t have a strong smell.
• If the trap doesn’t have a solid floor, cover the floor with folded newspaper.
• During the week or two before trapping, feed the cats treats every day at the time at which you would like to trap them.
• Don’t feed them at all the day before the trapping, except perhaps a small amount 24 hours beforehand.
• Make a tentative appointment with a vet that is accustomed to working with community (feral) cats. Also check whether the vet will charge you welfare rates.

The trapping itself

• If possible, use the ‘stick’ method of trapping instead of the automatic method.  This entails not setting the trap on the automatic function. Instead, prop the door of the trap open with a sturdy stick, and attach a long string to the stick. This gives you more control over the process and enables you to trap more than one cat at a time. Try to make sure that no other cats watch the procedure, to prevent scaring them off.
• Sprinkle Happy Cat (obtainable from some vets and shops and from Takealot – https://www.takealot.com/all?_sb=1&_r=1&qsearch=happy%20cat%20stressfree&via=suggestions&_si=a9fde250aa8c61bc1cc212afb2f58adc) inside and around the trap to help set the cat at ease.
• Use flat plastic dishes such as the lids of tubs for your bait, and keep ants out by sprinkling baby powder or diatomaceous earth around them. (https://www.feelgoodhealth.co.za/blogs/pet-health-blog-natural-health-blog-dogs-cats/diatomaceous-earth-dogs-cats-health-benefits.) Some caregivers report that smearing petroleum jelly on the outside of dishes also works wonderfully. Use strong smelling soft food as bait – something fishy or a chicken mousse. Place a teaspoonful in the mouth of the trap to lure the cat in, and the rest in the dish you’ve placed right at the back.
• After setting the trap, test whether the door of the trap is working properly and won’t catch on anything. If you’ll be using the stick method, also check whether the stick will slide out smoothly. It is also a good idea to attach a small amount of ‘Prestik’ to the top and bottom ends of the stick. This helps to ensure that it won’t easily slip and scare the cats off at a crucial moment.

• Cover the trap partially with a towel or blanket, in such a way that only the sides of the trap are covered.
• Once you’re ready, don’t call the cat or reveal that you want him or her to enter the trap. Cats are clever and intuitive, so pretend that you don’t care whether they go in or not. And try not to stare too intently!
• Avoid trapping any community cat while other cats (that also need to be trapped) are on the outside looking on. When cats witness other cats being trapped, they will avoid the trap in future. Be patient and wait for the ideal situation.

More about trapping in Cat Blog 4b!

Cat quote of the week

I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.

Jules Verne

Cat Story 5

Trapping anecdotes

Caregivers who regularly trap community cats have their fair share of frustrating and/or hilarious experiences. Here are a few of them:

• Rita from CAT Garden Route recounts how a security guard that she had informed about the trapping beforehand locked her into a building. She’s also been apprehended while trapping in Pollsmoor’s high security section!
• Another time Rita annoyed the ladies of the night when she was trapping at Cape Town harbour. They thought she was stealing their ‘spot’!
• Christopher from Edenvale Ferals tried to trap an injured cat on an abandoned property and found himself not only arrested but thrown in jail for 2 nights!
• Joanne from Harties Ferals remembers all the different non-feline animals they’ve caught over time, for example hadedas, chickens … even someone’s little dog!

• Beata, active in Joburg in association with NCat, had a boy sterilised but managed to trap him a second time. This time she was under the impression that he was a pregnant female. She was astonished when the vet informed her the following day that the cat was not only a male but had already been sterilised. You will find too that some cats will be trapped repeatedly!
• Louise Holton from Alley Cat Rescue in the US tells how she was almost arrested because they were trapping in an area where drugs were being sold. Another time they cut the locks at an apartment building because cats had been locked in a basement without food or water on a hot day. Fortunately the kind cops let them off with a warning!
• My funniest was when I spent multiple hours trying to trap kittens at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria after a patient alerted me to their presence. I didn’t manage to trap anyone, and I was getting very concerned. Then another patient took pity on me and broke the news that patient no 1 had made up the entire story!

If you cannot trap cats yourself, won’t you consider supporting your local NPO or welfare group financially? The more funds they have, the more community cats they can trap and sterilise!

Sending you thanks, blessings and purrs – until next week!

Cat Blog 3

Moving house with my cats

So you’ll be moving house with your pet cat or cats, and you’re feeling stressed? I’ve been there myself, more times than I care to remember. And as if the entire mission of packing up and moving everything you own to a new location isn’t stressful enough, you’re also very worried about your 2/3/7 beloved feline family members. Will you be able to relocate them safely? Will they adjust happily to the new home?

Fortunately I can reassure you: If you follow the guidelines given here, you’ll have absolutely nothing to worry about, and moving house with your pet cats should run like clockwork!

1 Prior to moving day

Prepare one room in the new house for your feline kids before the big move. Choose a room that you’ll be using often – perhaps your bedroom or your study. Then place some of your cats’ beds, blankets, toys etc in this room before moving day. As we know, smell is terribly important to our felines, so don’t wash any of these articles in advance. This will ensure that they retain their familiar smell.

Sprinkle powdered valerian root such as Happy Cat (https://iamcat.blog/feral-cats-how-can-i-help-them-continued/) everywhere, and perhaps add a Feliway diffuser. Your vet should be able to supply you with this useful aid, or you could order it online (e.g. at https://www.petheaven.co.za/feliway-diffuser-refill.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwv4SaBhBPEiwA9YzZvLUR-6-pbnsXkG4aa1hUTY0Jh5jH-DWbHBnRAGY1bhLQrHklkfG4ZhoChtwQAvD_BwE). 

Place litter boxes (one for each cat) in spots away from where food dishes will be. If your cats aren’t used to using litter boxes, sprinkle some garden soil on top. Close all the windows securely and leave them closed for at least the first 2 weeks (see below). If this will make the room too hot, consider installing screens in front of any open windows.

It is also very important that you add some vertical interest, for example a jungle gym.

You’re now well prepared for moving house with your pet cats!

2 Moving day

On the morning of the move, make sure that you confine your cats to a room in the old house. Bathrooms are usually good, provided no one will be able to enter the room for the entire time that people will be moving furniture, boxes etc out of the house.

Once all your furniture, appliances, boats, bicycles and what-not have been moved to the new home,
you can take your cats there. Use secure cat carriers in which you’ve sprinkled some more Happy Cat (https://iamcat.blog/feral-cats-how-can-i-help-them-continued/). At the new house, place the carriers in the designated room, preferably near a bed or other piece of furniture the cats will be able to hide under if they feel anxious. Make sure that the door and all the windows are tightly closed, and that no one (e.g. a toddler or a forgetful spouse) can accidentally open them. Now open the carriers, but allow the cats to emerge at their own rate.

3 The first 2 weeks

Strictly confine the cats to their special room for at least the first week. Spend as much time with them as you possibly can, and reassure them continually. Don’t wash any of their blankets during this time, to preserve the familiar smells. 

After the first week, allow them to start exploring the rest of the house for a few hours a day, making very sure that all windows and doors are securely locked. At night, return them to the primary room.

4 After the first 2 weeks

At the end of the first 2 weeks, start introducing your pet(s) to the outside world, an hour or so at a time, preferably singly and under supervision. It’s also a good idea to teach your cat(s) which window to use to get into and out of the house by physically guiding them in and out of the window several times. When your pet is completely settled in, keep this window open at all times. Alternatively, have a pet door installed in one of your outside doors.

If you would like to know more, I whole-heartedly recommend that you watch a video on moving house with your cats by the inimitable Jackson Galaxy. You’ll find it here: https://www.google.com/search?q=How+do+I+move+house+with+my+cat&rlz=1C1CHBF_enZA982ZA983&oq=How+do+I+move+house+with+my+cat&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.10694j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:fcc46945,vid:a8Gb2Riqle4

And now you should be able to relax completely, at long last, and really begin enjoying your new home together with your beloved cats!

Cat quote of the week

         There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. –

Albert Schweitzer

Cat Story 4

The ‘Angel Child’ of Petrusville

This week’s story is about another remarkable woman called ‘Ingilkind’ (Angel Child) by the people of her town. Here is her story.

Elize had always loved cats, and when her grandmother began feeding the alley cats in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, the 8 year-old Elize was eager to help.

Years later she began working with a feral-care group in Johannesburg, where she learned how to set up feeding stations and trap cats to have them sterilised. She often had to raise bottle babies.

Six years ago, Elize moved to Petrusville in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. She resolved that she was done with rescue work – and besides her own 47 rescues had made the big move with her.

She hadn’t been in Petrusville long when she spotted two cats along the main road. When she followed them into the veld, sheand found 17 more. Needless to say, she reverted to rescue mode without missing a beat, and the rest is history.

Later she discovered two more colonies totalling 74 cats, with numerous kittens. She began to sterilising them, slowly. She didn’t have a trap and used cat carriers placed on their sides with a string attached. One by one she trapped them and drove all the way to Orania, 55 km away, to see the vet who visited on Tuesdays. Elize now cares for 96 feral cats and 59 at her home – all sterilised and healthy.

She feeds ‘her’ ferals every day, come rain or shine, using 150-170 kg per month. She uses litter boxes as food and water dishes, and cardboard boxes covered in black plastic bags as shelters.

Then she began noticing the township dogs, and she simply couldn’t turn a blind eye. It’s a struggle, but she tries to feed them every day as well. She cooks pap (corn porridge) mixed with vegetable skins and inexpensive dog pellets for them.

And now she also cares for sick animals: all the residents of Petrusville as well as the nearby small town bring their sick animals to her. She tries to keep as many medications and remedies as possible on hand for cats, dogs, goats and sheep.

She says: ‘My main focus is my cats, always will be. But the other animals also need help. I am the only one that helps here. Many of the people are very poor, they cannot afford to pay anything towards the meds. I then give it to them, I do not want the animals to suffer.’

Her greatest need is food. She buys food from a store in town at R350.34 for 10 kg, but should anyone wish to courier food to her, her address is:
40 Kerk Street
Petrusville
Northern Cape
8770

Always needed are any old bowls, towels, blankets and beds, and meds such as Protexin, Frontline Spray, and Antesol dewormer. She also needs dips for dogs. And then, of course, financial help to pay vet bills and have new arrivals sterilised. If you can help, please pay any donations into the NCat account, and we’ll make sure it reaches Elize asap! (NCat, FNB Sandton, branch code 250655, account 62362218440, swift code FIRNZAJJ, ref ‘Petrusville’ and your name.)

But the Angel Child didn’t stop there. She also helps the children and the elderly in the community, as they truly have nothing. If you can help with clothes, blankets, anything – it is all welcome. ‘I believe God brought me here,’ she says, ‘and with His help I somehow do it all.’

Cat Blog 2b

1 Feeding and ‘watering’ community cats

This is the second instalment of our Cat Blog about how to help feral or community cats. See https://iamcat.blog/feral-cats-and-how-to-help-them/ in Cat Blog 2a for the intro.

As you can imagine, a dependable source of food and water makes a huge difference to the lives of community cats. If you would rather not feed them yourself though, you could help the volunteer organisations in your area do the job by donating food and/or funds. 

If you can’t get to a colony every day, set up a feeding station that you service only every few days or once a week. We recommend that you use the following:

• Use metal feeders (3 kg or 5 kg) under cover. You’ll find these in pet shops, and in South Africa they’re often sold by the side of the road. Raise the feeders off the ground if necessary. Sprinkle baby powder quite thickly around the feeders to keep ants out, and if necessary, attach feeders to posts or pillars by means of chains. A wonderful natural product to use instead of baby powder is diatomaceous earth, which has many other uses as well. See for example https://www.feelgoodhealth.co.za/blogs/pet-health-blog-natural-health-blog-dogs-cats/diatomaceous-earth-dogs-cats-health-benefits. Some caregivers report that smearing petroleum jelly on the outside of dishes also works!

OR

• Or you could place feeders or bowls in square plastic crates with lids and cut a hole in the side to let the cats in. Then you can simply lift the lid when you need to refill the feeder or bowl. To keep ants out of the food, sprinkle baby powder or diatomaceous earth around the bowls, or place the bowls in trays that you fill with water. In the latter case, make sure that the trays are level (use wedges or flat stones to ensure this), to protect the food against ants. Also make sure no twigs or sprigs form ‘bridges’ to the food.
• Place the tubs in such a way that bowls containing food are protected against rain.
• If possible, place the bowls on rubber mats.
• Always provide community cats with water. You could place the water bowls under or outside the tubs.
• If birds such as hadedas are a problem, try to get hold of ‘bottom feeders’, which are bird-proof. At first use strong-smelling soft food and pulverised valerian root (eg Happy Cat) inside and around them to lure the cats inside. Phase them in slowly to help the cats get used to them. (Happy Cat is a wonderful calming product for cats. Order it easily from Takealot at https://www.takealot.com/all?_sb=1&_r=1&qsearch=happy%20cat%20valerian&via=suggestions&_si=85588e7042023ace10649761ec46b47f

You will also find interesting info on feeding stations on Google, for example at https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feeding-station-options-gallery/

2 Providing community cats with shelter

‘Your’ community cats would love you to provide some shelter for them against rain and cold, but here too are a few principles you need to keep in mind:

• Choose your shelters with care, again ensuring that they are neat and in neutral colours. Their placement is very important: try and place them as unobtrusively as possible, for example behind a bush or under a low overhang.
• Fill them with dry hay or straw and sprinkle a little dried valerian root powder (eg Happy Cat, see above) inside to lure the cats in.

See also https://www.saveacat.org/providing-shelter.html for another wonderfully snug shelter idea.

3 Sterilising community cats

Sterilising community cats is even more important than feeding them. Sterilisation will benefit them immediately and for the rest of their lives: they would no longer need to use all their resources to raise litter after litter of offspring. It could also make the crucial difference between a landlord allowing them to remain or not.

Your best bet is to contact one of the welfare organisations in your area for help. You could also borrow traps and take it on yourself – but that is a subject for a later cat blog!

A wonderful site I can recommend about caring for community cats is that of Alley Cat Rescue in the US – founded by South African born Louise Holton. Louise is also one of the staunchest supporters of local South African cat caregivers and cat-care groups. Check out the site and download their guide at https://www.saveacat.org/how-to-help-community-cats.html.

Cat quote of the week

Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties.

WL George

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Cat Story 3

This is one of the many uplifting stories that cat lovers joyfully repeat to other cat lovers. My thanks to the inimitable Rita Brock, founder of CAT Garden Route, who shared the story and pics with me. Learn more about them at https://www.facebook.com/catgardenroute and support the essential work they do if you possibly can!

Little Tom was born intro a life of squalor and neglect. His ‘family’ didn’t even allow him indoors, and they didn’t touch him either, ever.

But one day his life changed forever. He was rescued by Coriza, a member of CAT Garden Route. (Coriza visits the poorest, and sometimes the least safe, parts of communities daily, alone, fearlessly, to save cats.)

On this day, Coriza cleaned Tom up lovingly and whisked him off to his new life.

Soon afterwards, another miracle happened for Tom. He was adopted by a wonderful family. His life is now filled with love, cuddles, good food and snuggly beds. In fact, he is in cat heaven.

Of course CAT Garden Route cannot help cats like Tom without our help. So, if you can donate cat carriers, or blankets, or anything cats need, please get in touch with them. And if you can donate vital funds, here are their banking details: CAT Trust, FNB, acc 626 1567 0800, branch code 210114.

Many thanks, purrs and blessings from the beautiful Garden Route in South Africa!