Written by Anneke Malan – Chairperson National Cat Action Taskforce (NCat), Spokesperson Cats of South Africa (CoSA)
Professional photography by Charl Durand
Alexandria is a rural town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa known for its natural beauty and historical heritage. But it’s also home to a large population of feral and stray cats who face many challenges such as hunger, disease, predators, and human cruelty.
Cathy, from Heritage Guest House, and a few individuals try their best to improve the lives of these animals, and Cathy in particular has been instrumental in arranging Our Community Cats, a project of The National Cat Action Team (NCat) (https://www.happytailsmagazine.co.za/news-articles/national-cat-action-taskforce/), a non-profit organisation that promotes humane and effective solutions for cat population management to Alexandria.
Our Community Cats was started by Adri Moller, a passionate animal lover who travels to Alexandria at her own cost to assist the community with trap-neuter-return (TNR) programmes. TNR is a method of humanely controlling cat populations by trapping, sterilising, and returning them to their original locations, where they’re cared for by local residents.
Adri has been doing TNR in Alexandria and at The Old Station, an abandoned railway station that serves as a refuge for many cats, for the past year. She’s received support from Alley Cat Rescue Inc., an international organisation that funds sterilisations for feral cats.
Kariega Veterinary Clinic, based in Kenton, assists with the sterilisation, vaccination and medical treatment as needed, and Kowie Veterinary Clinic, based in Port Alfred, provides emergency medical services for the cats on weekends and public holidays.
A small group of dedicated people have come forward in Alexandria and are working hard to improve the lives of these cats by providing them with food, water and shelter. Where they’re able to, they also make a monthly contribution for medical care and sterilisation of their community cats.
Adri hopes that more people will join her in helping the cats of Alexandria, who deserve a chance to live a happy and healthy life. She appeals to anyone who can to make a donation to the veterinary account, no matter how small, by using the bank details below. Every donation will make a difference for the cats and will be greatly appreciated by Adri and her team.
Account name: Kariega Veterinary Clinic
Bank: Nedbank
Account number: 1093760273
Branch number: 198765
Reference: Feral Cats + Your name
Kindly send a notification of payment to 082 888 3206.
Our Community Cats is a project of The National Cat Action Team (NCat), NPO 81546.
Thank you for your support and kindness. Together, we can make Alexandria a better place for its feline residents.
