Dogs walk to raise funds for Cats
Dogs and their owners helped to raise funds for the Cat Foundation.
Animal lovers came together to walk their dogs to raise money for the Cat Foundation at the Smuts House Museum in Irene on Sunday.
Founder and managing director of the Cat Foundation, Sandra Baumgartner, said the initiative was to raise money to pay for vet bills and feral and stray cats.
Feral cats are cats not socialised with human beings, while stray cats are cats who have been in contact with people but have lost or left their domestic environment.
“A feral cat is a wild cat that can become tamed, but a person cannot keep them as a domesticated cat because they do not have trust in people,” Baumgartner explained.
The Cat Foundation, according to Baumgartner wants to implement TNR (Trap Neuter Release) programmes all over Gauteng and later throughout South Africa.
It is a programme where feral and stray cat colonies are neutered (sterilised so they cannot reproduce) and returned back to that area. Feeding programmes are also implemented and the colony’s health is managed through veterinary care.
“Feral and stray cat colonies have an important role to play in society as they keep the rodent population under control,” she said.
She said the Cat Foundation does not remove the cats but only practice TNR.
“Individuals who contact the organisation become the colony manager, if they cannot afford to feed them then we provide the food,” she explained.
Baumgartner also works as a catering manager at the Smuts House Museum and uses her own money to pay for food, vet bills and anything required regarding feral cat colonies.
Dog lovers and organisers from various animal charities came together to pledge their support for the Cat Foundation, these included the Pooch and Kitty Galore, Border Collie Rescue, Husky Heaven, Husky Rescue and others.
For information on the organisation and how to become involved contact the Cat Foundation on their Facebook Page or on 081-334-9823 and thecatfoundation@gmail.com.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 072 435 7717.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
- We have exciting news! We’re offering a free alert to help you always be in the loop. Send an email with the word ‘Subscribe’ to breakingnews@rekord.co.za to receive your free daily breaking news update.
