Feral cat population increases in Sandton
SANDTON – A resident has taken it upon herself to help the growing feral cat population in Sandton.
A concerned resident has taken it upon herself to try and help the feral cat population that call Wierda Valley in Sandton their home.
Tracy Lane works at a company on Wierda Road West and said the feral population is in dire need of assistance. “There are about 50 feral cats that I counted in the area, and it is kitten season now so the population will increase.”
Lane has been feeding the cats for four years. She currently feeds nine cats on a daily basis and many more come at night for food. “I do this seven days a week where I come to the office block to feed them.”
She uses around seven tins of wet food and 12 kg of dry food a week. “I also deworm the cats I feed once a month and ensure their bedding is cleaned once a week.”
Lane has provided around 15 kennels and shelters and has also had some of them sterilised. The cats only respond to her calls and as soon as she fills their bowls, a few cats appear out of the bushes to come and eat.
Lane said they are getting tamer, but they are still feral and it is quite hard to catch the cats to have them checked by a vet.
“Feral cats are difficult to relocate as they are very territorial and the vets in the area are not interested to help with the feral population and the companies in the area are not involved,” said Lane.
“Most of the cats have feline Aids, leukaemia and wounds. I have found numerous cats and/ or kittens that have died.”
Lane said can’t do this on her own anymore and has spent thousands over the years to help the cats. “The SPCA needs to get involved in a neuter project in the area.”
She said that two of her semi-feral cats that were relocated to Cottesmore Road in Bryanston have gone missing and she is urgently looking for them.
Jaco Pieterse, general manager at the Sandton SPCA said, “The Sandton SPCA promotes the sterilisation of feral cat colonies where they are welcomed. Unfortunately, feral cat colonies are not always welcome at every site.”
“The public must realise that when you do not sterilise a feral cat colony they will simply breed and multiply. It also does not help to simply remove the entire feral cat colony as a new colony will simply move in. It is therefore very important to maintain a feral cat colony and sterilise them in order for the colony to keep other cats away.”
Pieterse said the Sandton SPCA does not have an active feral cat project at the moment. “We want to start an active feral cat programme whereby we can trap feral cat colonies, sterilise them and ensure that they are maintained – but this can only be done with the support of the community.”
Pieterse said a programme should be established in order to control the feral cat colony. “A feeding programme can be started, if it is at a school, business or other entity then money can be raised or put aside for the sterilisation of the cats.”
“If sick or injured feral cats are observed then the SPCA should be contacted immediately.”
Pieterse said the Sandton SPCA offers reduced rates for the sterilisation of feral cats.
