Written by Riki Yoko of Feline Feral Fund Ballito and professional photography by Ace Photography
Once upon a time there was a tabby cat called Angel, young mommy to five gorgeous kittens.
There was just one small problem: along with her litter, she had been dumped and was facing a homeless existence. Luckily for Angel, they were rescued by a kind human who then handed them over to the Feline Feral Fund Ballito for them to try and sort out the situation. The FFF immediately went to work attempting to solve this dilemma.
A brilliant idea
Four of Angel’s kittens were successfully homed, which left the now-sterilised Angel and her male kitten in a predicament. Sharon Cossey of the FFF was at a loss as to what to do next until Elza Pelser came up with a brilliant idea.
Why not try and introduce them as the “complex cats” at The Boulders (holiday units and apartments situated on the boardwalk), where Sharon happens to live? Now this was a really risky experiment: would Angel and her toddler actually stay there?
Phew! Sharon spent many a sleepless night worrying about this decision, especially when kitten boy fell into the swimming pool on the second night and was rescued by a holidaymaker. At least this experience was a lesson learnt not to go near the pool again.
Despite this “teething problem”, the two cats soon settled in, becoming a popular part of The Boulders life. The little guy was named Pietertjie and has since become quite famous on the promenade, whilst mommy Angel has become the mascot of The Boulders, both having reached celebrity status.
Now for the really good part
During the day Angel sleeps on Rose the caretaker/manager’s desk; when she’s had enough of office work she toddles off to the lifts, waiting there until someone comes along for her to enter and for them to press for floor two, where Elza lives.
By now, everyone knows the drill: off she gets at the second floor and trots off to Elza’s apartment for that long-awaited catnap on the bed. A girl gets tired of snoozing on a desk when in fact there’s a warm, soft bed waiting for her! When she decides to go back downstairs the pattern is simply reversed; people automatically push the ground floor button for this celeb. No wonder she’s so well rounded – she’s spoilt rotten by ALL.
As for Pietertjie, he’s a regular boardwalk feature and naturally laps up all the attention, as any boy would. After all, being a hotshot is hard work! He’s recently realised that strutting the promenade can be demanding, and surfing the lift like his mom is just as much fun. After all, variety is the spice of life.
If only more complexes allowed resident cats, Ballito would be a purrfect place. Kudos to The Boulders, you have become pioneers in your own class – thank you! We challenge more complexes to follow in your footsteps!
This whole experiment would not have been possible had it not been for Sharon Cossey, chairlady of the Feline Feral Fund, and Elza Pelser, the guardian of Mommy Angel and little Pietertjie.
Follow the FFF on Facebook at Feline Feral Fund Ballito.
