Kitty Care in search of ‘purr-fect’ homes

WITH people failing to sterilise their pets and an ever-growing feral cat population in Durban, there are an overwhelming number of kittens that are in dire need of homes.

This is where the volunteers of Kitty Care Durban step in. The volunteers sacrifice their free time and funds on a daily basis to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome feral cats.

Currently, the small organisation, started by local resident, Tatum Ridgway, has 40 volunteers situated across the city, working tirelessly to find homes for the 50-odd kittens in its care.

Two of these volunteers, Durban North’s Carol Dickson and Roxanne Kisch, a Kloof resident, spoke to the Northglen News about their dedicated work.

“We are mostly involved in the fostering and rehoming processes. Many of the kittens in our care are bottle-fed, as people tend to rescue kittens they see on the side of the road. The problem here is that they forget about the mum, and then we are forced to bottle-feed with special formula,” said Dickson.

She urged concerned residents to contact organisations so that the mother can be caught with the kittens.

This way the kittens can continue to feed naturally and the mother can also be sterilised to avoid additional kittens, she said.

When asked about their demanding volunteer work, she said, “I once had to rear this tiny little kitten that was rescued in Inanda. It came in in a terrible state and then it was adopted by this lovely family in La Lucia. I still get regular updates. In most cases, if left unrescued, these kittens do not stand a chance at survival. That is what makes this work worthwhile.”

Kisch echoed her partner’s sentiments, saying, “That is why we insist on doing home checks before a kitten is homed. We spend so much time with them. We want to ensure that they go to a safe and secure home,” she said.

For more information, visit the Kitty Care Durban Facebook page.

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