Tanya Kitching, co-founder of Springs-based NPO Kattitude, and her partners have been hard at work to sterilise feral cats in the Springs area.
Feral cats are rampant in Springs, and sterilising them is the best way to reduce their numbers. Kitching explained the situation isn’t an easy one to address, but they have always found a way to keep their organisation doing its part.
When did you start at Kattitude?
Mandy Thorpe and I founded Kattitude five years ago. Our main goal is to find and trap feral cats in the area.
We then take them to Selcourt vet Dr Thulani Mthimmunye who sterilises them.
After that, we release them back to where we found them. We also run a feeding scheme. We recognise areas where there is a large number of feral cats and we put food out for them.
What made you and Mandy decide to start Kattitude?
We wanted to reach out to our community and help where we can. Dr Mthimmunye then told us about the problem with feral cats in the area and we decided to get involved.
We looked around Springs and saw how bad the situation was, especially at rubbish dumps and parks.
How has Covid-19 affected Kattitude?
It was quite a big setback for us. Sadly, many people lost their jobs and were no longer in a position to support us.
But we have slowly recovered and are doing the best with what we have.
What has your biggest challenge been thus far?
Our biggest challenge so far has been getting people involved. Transport is also quite a challenge. One of our aims is to buy a Caddy so can work more effectively with more traps.
The sheer amount of feral cats is a very big challenge as well. It is an ongoing issue and we will always work hard to help where we can.
How has the response from the community been?
The response has been amazing. I’m often blown away by our community and their willingness to help.
We have WhatsApp groups where people inform us about feral colonies, which has made us very effective.
How can people get involved?
People can find us on Facebook and we are currently working on our website. We hold auctions on Facebook where people post and sell their items, and this is where most of our funds come from.
They can also contact me on 082 860 2971 if they want more information.
