A VOLUNTEER is needed to assist one day a week with cat feeding at the Durban Botanic Gardens.
Lynne Goodman, who has been involved with feeding cats at the Gardens for the past 15 years, said this is a small, controlled colony, and a committed volunteer is currently needed to assist feeding the six cats on the grounds once a week.
Volunteer needed to assist with Durban Botanic Gardens feral feeding scheme
The feeding scheme at the Gardens was started by Bridget Duncan 20 years ago, and Goodman said although Duncan moved to Kloof, she still goes through once a week to feed the cats.
Goodman joined her 15 years ago, and together the two have saved and sterilised cats living at the Gardens.
Goodman is passionate about feeding cats and said her love for the animals started at a young age.
“I grew up with cats and when I lived on the beachfront I got involved with feeding cats at The Ark. If you are a cat person, you just get involved! I worked with Kitten Action feeding cats on the beachfront and on the Point, feeding cats living among the brothels. Bridget asked me if I would join her at the Durban Botanic Gardens, and I decided to move on to looking after the ‘posh’ cats in Musgrave,” she laughed.
She said she and Bridget started trapping in the Gardens, something which was vital to control colonies of cats. She said at one time, there were 14 cats living on the grounds, however through trapping and sterilising, they were down to six cats.
“This proves that if there is control, a colony will get less and less, this is a model colony,” she said.
Goodman was one of the few people allowed on the property during lockdown, and was given a permit to feed the cats.
She said during lockdown, a mom cat and two kittens, a tom cat and two rabbits had been dumped at the Gardens, however they had managed to remove all except one rabbit.
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“If dumping happens, you have to start all over again, so it is important to control this,” she said, adding that some of the cats living on the grounds had been removed, some homed, some had died, and some had been put down.
Goodman said the cats living at the Gardens were popular with tourists, and she had seen French and Japanese tourists taking photos of them or posing with them.
“I was trapping a female at the Sunken Garden one time, and as I pulled the rope to catch her, I heard clapping and looked up to see a group of French tourists above, who had been quietly watching!” she laughed, saying there had been some great stories over the years.
She, along with Morningside animal lover, Erik Glaser, also fed cats in Warwick Triangle, in the parking lot by St Aidan’s Hospital and in the tenement in Noble Road, Bulwer.
“We are now looking for a helper to feed once a week as one of our stalwart feeders is moving overseas. We need someone who will be committed, it is a beautiful place to go to feed cats!” she said.
If anyone can help, they are urged to contact Lynne on 083 559 0530.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
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