Durban North rescue to host mass sterilisation clinic

DURBAN North resident Caroline Gascoigne has always been passionate about animals.

Gascoigne has volunteered as a foster for local non-profit-organsiation (NPO) Project Dog before founding her own rescue and soon-to-be NPO, Little Beans Kitten Rescue.

In 2019, she formed her organisation that rescues, vaccinates, sterilises and treats sick kittens and feral cats.

A few weeks ago, she teamed up with Cats of Durban and Midmar vet Doctor Lee Pachonick to host a clinic where she helped sterilise 57 cats.

Based on the success of that clinic, Gascoigne will be hosting a second mass sterilisation clinic or Spayathon.

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“I’m hoping to make this second clinic just as successful, and I was so grateful for the invaluable work by Dr Lee to make this happen. We are appealing to the community for donations to help reduce the numbers of feral cat populations across Durban, who are often subjected to cruelty and danger. I truly think we can make a difference.
“Any amount will assist us in making this upcoming clinic a huge success. We were really well supported for our first clinic earlier this year, and of the 57 cats we sterilised, nine were pregnant.

“When I was a foster for Project Dog, it really opened my eyes to the need to help feral cats. Because dog gestation periods are longer, cats can get pregnant quicker and as a result, their numbers quickly spike.
“When I started Little Beans Kitten Rescue I specialised in bottle feeding and rehabilitating sick kittens as well as finding homes, where possible, for the ferals I rescue,” she explained.

Gascoigne traps and rescues mainly in Chatsworth, Phoenix, Merebank and Overport.

“We’ve seen the need grow over the last few years. Once a cat is sterilised, we snip the top of one of their ears while they are being spayed. Once sterilised, if the cats are tame, I will give it some time to find a suitable home or we send them to stables to become farm cats. If that isn’t possible, we re-release them where we found them, knowing we’ve done all we could,” she said.

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To date, Little Beans Kitten Rescue has encountered more than 350 successful adoptions, and with the help of the community and business sector, Gascoigne hopes there will be more.

If you would like to assist or donate to the March spayathon, contact Gascoigne on 078 537 3983.

She added the rescue was also in need of food donations, and the public are welcome to contact her if they need assistance with sterilisations.

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