Durban’s feral cats a major problem

FERAL cats in Durban and surrounding areas have become a huge problem for the two dedicated Feral Cat Rescue volunteers who are struggling to cope with the mountains of work at hand.

“The situation with feral cats that aren’t sterilised is absolutely terrible. It is like we are rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Feral Cat Rescue’s Tracey Hartley, one of only two dedicated trustees and volunteers.

Feral Cat Rescue, a non profit organisation based in Durban North is aimed at trapping, sterilising and releasing feral cats. Last year alone more than 500 cats were sterilised.

“The amount of work we have is overwhelming and we are just not coping on our own,” said the rescue’s second dedicated trustee and volunteer, Doug Fairall.

“Let me use a simple example on just how overwhelmed we are. I focus mainly on trapping feral cats so we can get them sterilised. But, I can’t cope with the huge amount of people who call me to trap at their home, workplace or organisation. I have 71 places to visit for trapping alone, that’s not even to mention how many places Doug has to trap at,” Heartly said.

Doug concurred with Harltey’s statement: “I’m so busy and overloaded that I can’t even keep a list anymore.”

Hartley explained that it is equally important for feral cats to be sterilised as it is for domestic cats: “Feral cats are no different from domestic cats. They aren’t a different breed of cat. The only difference is that they are kittens or pregnant female cats that have been dumped or abandoned by their owners and have been left to fend for themselves.”

Feral Cat Rescue, which relies solely on donations to keep afloat, traps feral cats and takes them to a vet who sterilises them at a reduced rate. Each sterilised cat’s ear gets clipped so people can identify if they’ve been sterilised or not.

“We are making a desperate and urgent appeal to residents to volunteer to trap feral cats so we can get them sterilised. Those who want to volunteer, but have never trapped cats before, will be trained to do so,” Hartley said. She also said 23 cats are in urgent need of good homes.

Email Tracey at tracey@feralcatrescue.co.za