Meet Benoni’s cat woman
If you thought that only America had a cat woman superhero, think again because Benoni has its own cat woman who takes care of 1 200 cats.
Irma Teller (67) was born in Germany, but moved to Benoni 16 years ago where she and her late husband settled to create a piece of heaven on earth for stray cats.
BCT: Why did you decide to look after cats?
IT: It was a calling.
My late husband and I always donated to charities, and 12 years ago, we decided to open our own sanctuary for stray cats.
BCT: When you say that you look after cats, is it a full time job?
IT: Yes, they all deserve love and a safe, clean environment, it does not matter what they look like or where they come from. I just love all the cats.
I even have two cats which are blind, so they need my attention.
BCT: How are the cats taken care of?
IT: I have five staff members and regular volunteers who help to look after the cats.
The cats receive a meal every day which includes chicken, pumpkin, liver and rice along with their treats and dry snacks.
The cats live in Wendy houses, so they are treated like gold and taken care of especially when they are sick.
I make sure they are taken to the veterinarian.
All my cats are sterilised except the kittens, which I will sterilise when they are older.
BCT: Do you only help cats who are found in Benoni?
IT: No, I receive calls from various people who have found stray cats from all over and I take them in and help them to trust a human again.
BCT: When you started taking care of cats 12 years ago, how many cats did you start off with?
IT: We started off with 22 cats which we took from a foster home.
Today, we still have two of the 22 cats that we started with.
BCT: If you take care of the cats as your full time job, how are they financially supported?
IT: We have several companies that donate to the cats, so I am able to give them a warm blanket, good food and a safe place to live every day.
BCT: Do you have a hobby, other than look after your cats?
IT: No, I spend all of my time taking care of them, loving them and giving them a piece of heaven on earth, something stray cats did not get when they were abandoned.
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