Hope for feral cats

The homeless man has received numerous donations of cat food (and some hand-outs for him) since he appealed to Benonians for assistance.

READ: Can you help a homeless man feed 13 cats?

Van Eeden first noticed the felines about a year ago, where he lives in the veld near the Kleinfontein Lake.

The animal lover told the City Times he earns a small income as a car guard at a local church when there are funerals.

Although he is also in need of supplies, he said he feels a “heavy burden” to feed the animals.

The community of Benoni responded to his plea for help and several people came forward to ease van Eeden’s “burden”.

The donors included Nadine Osner Garcia, who donated hundreds of Rand worth of cat food and supplies for van Eeden, as well as Carlbank Mining Contracts (CMC), which is based in the Benoni CBD.

Employees Coleen Oosthuizen and Martie Ferreira, along with owner André Hattingh, have given van Eeeden a cat cage to catch the felines.

CMC will then pay for the animals to be sterilised, after which they will be taken to Cat Village, in the Benoni Agricultural Holdings.

Van Eeden is saddened to have to see the cats go, but said he will try to keep his closest companions: Monster, Mammie and James.

“I am broken that these cats I have been caring for for over a year will be gone,” he said.

“When I wake up James is waiting for me.

He said he will have to let some of the animals go, because he cannot keep asking for hand-outs in the newspaper.

“I sing for them, too, to give them comfort and a family atmosphere,” the cat lover said.

“It’s medicine for me.”

Van Eeden added that he will keep Monster, Mammie and James if he continues receiving food for them from the community.

He told the City Times he hopes he will find work and afford a place to stay, so that he can take his companions home with him.

“I will never drop them, they are a part of me,” he said.

Donations can be delivered to the City Times office, at the Northmead Square.