“We decided to see what we could do to make some sort of positive impact on this situation. We started off knowing nothing, and soon found out that this job is tough! Cats can have kittens on average every three months and in these feral colonies, the populations are exploding.
The only way to curb the growth is through a comprehensive plan called “TNR” – Trap, Neuter and Release and this has become a big part of what we do. 

We trap and catch the cats; sterilize the males and the females and then release them back into the colony that they came from. This is important, as they have already formed a safe colony and do not allow new cats in, so you now have control over the growth of that colony. If, for whatever reason, we are unable to return the adult cats back to where they came from, we relocate them into one of our two Sanctuaries. At present, we have nearly 100 cats in our Sanctuaries! 

Rather than letting the cats forage for scraps, we set up feeding schemes to feed the cats at least twice a week with enough food and water to see them through to the next feed.

We are only two people who, while working full time, are doing what we can to make a difference, and we welcome all offers of assistance. While we do need financial help, we also need people who can volunteer their time to help us trap cats or to foster the kittens where they are still too small to re-home. 

We raise funds by having a stall at local Markets most weekends. Donations of gently used clothing, household goods, books and CDs – in fact, pretty much anything –  are most welcome. In addition to the Markets, we have joined forces with 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲❜𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 where we raise funds by selling second hand and new goods at our combined Charity Shop in Benoni. Please support us by donating your unwanted goods, popping in to find that special bargain or by sharing our post – or – all three!!  We also arrange cake sales, entertainment evenings, golf days and raffles to ensure that we continue to be able to feed and protect these feral cats. Keep an eye on our Facebook Page to see what exciting events we have planned.

All proceeds go towards our vet bills and the feral colonies we support.

We are based on the East Rand, and should you come across any cats or feral colonies in distress, please get in touch. Your dedication and willingness to share the costs or contribute in any way you can will make a significant impact on improving the welfare of these cats, and providing us with much needed support. We believe that it’s important for individuals and companies to work together and support initiatives like sterilisations and feeding schemes. We also encourage sponsoring a bag of cat food or to sponsor a cat for R250 a month for people who value what we do. If you can assist with your time or your money, please do so!” – Leigh-Anne & Mike

Some important points to consider regarding feral colonies:

• The National Council of SPCAs as well as Onderstepoort advises that businesses and communities could maintain healthy colonies of feral cats by means of feeding and sterilisation to keep rodents and snakes under control.
• Note that removal is not advisable: research has shown that this leads to the creation of the ‘vacuum’ effect, which sees new, unsterilised cats taking the place of cats that are removed. Cats that are removed, are also mostly pts, since there is no alternative refuge available to them.
• Maintaining a stable, sterilised colony has been shown to prevent new, unsterilised cats from entering the area.
• Feeding is important not only to facilitate trapping for sterilisation, but also to ensure that cats remain healthy enough to keep rodents under control. Should the cats not be fed or food be withdrawn, the cats are likely to begin entering buildings in search of food.
• Sterilisation is vital to maintain a balance in cat numbers. In this instance the custodians and animal welfare experts in your area are prepared to undertake the sterilisations, should you agree.
• Should there be any health concerns, kindly note the following:
  • Community cats make an important contribution to the health of your premises. They are clean animals and keep the premises rodent-free without the aid of poison, which is environmentally unfriendly.
  • Humans cannot contract feline diseases. In fact, a number of hospitals countrywide maintain colonies of community cats.

The cat friendly community have large, countrywide social-media networks, it would give us great pleasure to advertise that your restaurant has been added to our list of environmentally friendly and cat-friendly businesses – see http://ncat.co.za/content/view/cat-friendly-businesses for details