INTERNATIONAL Cat Day, to be held on August 8 this year, was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare with the aim of raising awareness about cats and for the public to learn about ways to help and protect them.
An organisation in Durban called Kitty Care is doing just that by rescuing, rehoming and sterilising cats. Their motto is: ‘Our mission is to rescue, but our dream is that one day, we won’t have to.’
Speaking to Northglen News from Parkhill, Tatum Ridgway at the head of the organisation and Nikki Inman-Bamber, a trapper, said they see huge number of cases yearly and last year alone they rescued and rehomed 725 kittens.
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- From the start
Since the inception of Kitty Care in 2013 there have been a huge number cases that have been dealt with by the cat lovers and their network.
“We have a group of members of which 13 are active fosters. We get on average about 20 calls and/or messages per day from people needing assistance with cat-related queries which is why our members have an extended network as we need help from anyone who can trap, rescue, foster, donate supplies and food and the like. It’s really a joint effort from the team and the community that makes what we do possible,” said Ridgway.
Inman-Bamber said the two main reasons for there being thousands of cats and kittens who need rescuing every year is mainly due to a lack of sterilisation and a lack of education.
“People have the misconception that a cat must first have a litter and then only can she be sterilised. That’s not true at all. Cats can fall pregnant from four to five months of age and can sometimes, in rare cases, fall pregnant up to three times a year with each litter comprising about six kittens. So sterilisation is a very strict condition in our adoption contracts, meaning that if you adopt a kitten, she must be sterilised. We check up on this,” she added.
- The cost factor
Vet bills add up quickly and so do the costs of foster starter packs which each foster gets once they take in a cat or kitten.
“The cost of medication alone for 13 packs, which we made up recently, was R6 000. It’s really costly. Sometimes the rescues are ill and need treatment from the vet. That’s also another cost that Kitty Care takes care of,” she said.
“We do give supplies, medication and food to our fosters, but a lot of them spend their own money, as well, to take care of their fur babies, which we are so grateful for. We are also grateful to all our donors who so willingly come on board to assist,” said Ridgway.
One of the cats that the organisation assisted was from Mitchell’s Park whom they aptly named Mitch. He had a blood disease, and his vet bill alone was R10 000. Community members rallied and started the Mighty Mitch Campaign to raise funds to cover the cost. Mitch is now healthy and in a loving home.
Then there is Maya, who was born premature and didn’t look like she would survive. She now lives with Ridgway while Maya’s mom and sibling were both adopted by another family.
“There are sad stories, and cats often come in sick, but there are these stories such as that of Mitch and Maya, that touch everyone’s hearts,” said Inman-Bamber.
“We encourage cat owners to get their cats sterilised as soon as they can. If anyone needs any education or advice about anything cat-related, send us a WhatsApp, and we will be happy to help,” said Ridgway.
To get in touch with Kitty Care, follow them on Facebook – Kitty Care Durban – or join the public group, Cats and Kittens Rescue Durban – open to anyone to post. For public education on cats, contact Kitty Care.
WhatsApp Ridgway on 064 682 6135 or Inman-Bamber on 082 388 5883.
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