Written by Joanne Kontaxopoulos, Founder of Harties Feral Cat Rescue
Professional photography by André Coetzer
Earlier this year, we received a call about a box of kittens who’d been dumped in a garden at a local restaurant in Hartbeespoort. At this particular restaurant, we have an established colony of cats who’ve all been sterilised, and a feeding programme is in place for them. We were told that a man had arrived with a box, walked to the garden beds close to the feral cat feeding station, emptied at least three kittens into it, and then casually walked away.
The restaurant staff who witnessed this tried to find the kittens and get them to safety, but they all ran off in different directions, understandably traumatised. Sadly, only one little soul was found. The others vanished into thin air.
A Harties Feral Cat Rescue volunteer promptly went to the restaurant and collected the scared, dirty little kitten who was being kept safe in a box in the restaurant. We named him Jiggy, an odd name, but it suited this scrawny, wide-eyed boy. He was no more than six weeks old at the time.
Jiggy went into foster care with Elanza Kloppers, where he had a full vet check-up, received his vaccinations and a much-needed bath.
It didn’t take long for Jiggy to find his feet and gain confidence. So much so that within a few weeks of foster care and TLC, he was out and about, mingling with the resident kitties and making friends with the dogs as if he’d always been there.
We started advertising Jiggy, hoping to find a loving home for him, but his foster family grew to love him and couldn’t come to grips with the idea of letting him go. So it became official – Jiggy was home.
Jiggy’s new moms (both Harties Feral Cat volunteers) simply love this little guy! They said having a kitten as part of the family again has brought a new energy and life to their home, which consists mostly of older dogs and cats.
Jiggy has thrived and continues to grow into a handsome boy who rules the roost. His moms cannot believe he was discarded like trash that day, but as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And Jiggy is most definitely a treasure.
Elanza, Jiggy’s new guardian, shares...
We love fostering and helping cats while they wait for their forever homes, but after we officially adopted Kevin last year (https://www.happytailsmagazine.co.za/happy-tales/when-you-play-your-cards-right-how-kevin-changed-his-destiny/), we were firm on no more permanent residents. Five was enough. We had no intention of keeping this little guy when he came to us. The plan was to fatten him up, get him comfortable in his skin and then find him the very best home. But there was something special about this boy. He has a certain way of looking at you with his big eyes.
Our home can be overwhelming as we already have five permanent cats, two grumpy senior doggos and two toddlers. But Jiggy just walked in, held his head high, and stole everyone’s hearts. Days turned into weeks, and before we knew it, the little adoption appeal for Jiggy on the Harties Feral Cat Facebook page made us cringe. All I could think was, “Please don’t let anybody apply for our Jiggy”. That’s when I knew – it’s over, admit defeat, this little guy is HOME. And then there were six!
