C.A.T. Garden Route

4th Apr, 2023

George-based Coriza Vermeulen, a C.A.T. trustee and daily volunteer

Photographs supplied by C.A.T. Garden Route

ONE YEAR. ONE THOUSAND CATS STERILISED.

An incredible 1,045 cats were sterilised in 2022 by C.A.T. Garden Route – and, with 344 more sterilised in the first two months of this year, they’re on track to smash that figure in 2023.

“Hunger, disease, neglect and cruelty come from far too many kittens and puppies being born,” says C.A.T. founder Rita Brock. “Sterilisation is the only way forward for animal welfare.”

Cruelty cases are fortunately the least common, but hunger, disease and neglect greet the C.A.T. volunteers daily. In the poorer areas on which they focus, cost and lack of transport mean most animals never receive veterinary treatment, let alone sterilisation.

“Cats are often seen as able to fend for themselves,” Brock explains. “Consequently, they’re left to scrounge for survival in inhospitable conditions. If they’re not sterilised, their numbers quickly explode – and that’s where the trouble begins. People become unhappy with the noise, smell and mating of out-of-control colonies, and use cruel means to rid themselves of the problem. We work with communities, land-owners and, occasionally, local government to help the cats so they don’t suffer.”

Farm cats are another string to the group’s bow. “We place cats in farms where we know they’ll be cared for,” says Brock. “They provide eco-friendly pest control, which is highly valued by farmers who are sensible enough to stay away from poisons. Because all our cats are sterilised, they don’t interbreed with the African wildcats who roam throughout our area – and that keeps the wildcats’ bloodline pure.”

You can follow C.A.T. on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/catgardenroute and read the thoughts of their mascot, Bloozie, on Instagram @help_afri_cat

You can help by:

Volunteering to manage a feral colony in your area. C.A.T. provides training, equipment and food.
Volunteering to help with C.A.T.’s trap-neuter-return campaigns.
Providing a home for cats or kittens. C.A.T. helps you find the perfect match for your home and family.
Holding fundraising events like book sales, sponsored walks, coffee meetings and cake sales (other suggestions welcome).
Donating food, parasite control medicine, FIV and leukaemia test kits, blankets, shelter boxes, traps and bowls.