Help needed for cat management scheme

Tthe Feral Cat Management Scheme at the UKZN campus is in need of urgent help if it is to continue its work.

The UKZN campus has a colony of 126 feral cats that roam the precinct. According to Wendy Hart, these cats have done a wonderful job of solving the problem of rats on campus since 2002. Hart said in 2002, the ferals were out of control. They were breeding, scrounding in dustbins for food, many were sick and were going into lecture theatres and spraying during mating season. Kittens, some of which were deformed and blind, were found in ceilings of buildings on campus.

“There was a real problem. The Environmental Committee called in the SPCA, and the cats were trapped and euthanised. I heard about it and called in members from Kitten Action, Animal Action and a representative from the Pietermaritzburg campus to meet with the committee to solve the problem. We said the cats needed to be trapped, sterilised and returned. The committee agreed to this,” said Wendy.

The university sponsored the process and area by area on campus, it was carried out.

“It was a success and there were no more kittens. The cats were being fed every day and were healthy. Their presence has deterred rats and snakes and even the students have commented that they help,” she said.

The scheme was the subject of an academic study in 2005 by a Bio Sciences student, Jaclyn Tennent, which showed the benefits the cats offered the university, and that this was the way to control them.

Wendy said unfortunately there was a lot of misunderstanding about the cats, and the current university management believed they were not worthy of support.

Feral cats are not wild animals, they are abandoned domestic cats that have been forced to scrounge out a living around people. As the university does not want to take responsibility for the animals, a number of kind and caring individuals have undertaken to look after the cats and make sure they are fed and cared for. These volunteers also sterilise the cats so their numbers do not grow and they do not have litters of unwanted kittens. This is all being done on a voluntary basis, and paid for by the volunteers themselves.

“The problem is that I have now retired and am battling on my meagre pension to afford the necessary cat food, veterinary treatment and sterilisation fees. If I don't get some assistance, the entire project will collapse. I can't just leave the cats to starve. They are dependent now and are doing an excellent job at the university,” said Wendy.

Not only does she need financial assistance, but she would love to find some caring person who would be prepared to help out on her rounds.

If anyone is interested in assisting Wendy with the feeding and care of these animals, contact her at hartw@telkomsa.net or 082 218 5960.