After a year of sterilizing practically every cat that has crossed our paths, we hope the kitten season this year won't be too fruitful! We know there will always be people who can't be bothered or are ignorant about the plight of cats in our town. Of course, this problem is not unique to us and is far worse in some other cities and small towns across SA and, indeed, the world. Sadly, people allow their cats to have "just one litter" or several, and we are literally left to pick up the pieces. Without the help of our generous, caring supporters we wouldn't achieve much, so we thank every person who has helped us in any way to make it possible for us to continue sterilizing feral and stray cats, as well as feeding established colonies, thereby improving their quality of life and preventing unwanted kittens from being born. Our Project has been doing this for over 6 years now and, before this, I and a few others did the work independently for 20 years. We will continue working to educate the public about feral cats and creating greater awareness about their plight and dispelling the negativity some folk feel towards our beautiful feline friends. Remember, adult feral cats can't usually be adopted, so leave them in peace, but ensure they get sterilized first and, if possible help them further by setting up a small feeding station for them in a quiet corner of your garden or business premises.

Wishing you and your families, including furred, feathered and finned members, a peaceful and blessed Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous 2016.

Lorna

This will be our last newsletter for the year, as I will be enjoying some family time in Australia. I am also not sure what will be happening for the first 2 to 3 months of 2016, as the organisation for which I work is moving premises and things promise to be extremely hectic! I'll do my best to at least keep you up to date with news of trapping and donors. In the meantime, may I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic and happy 2016. Thank you for all your support throughout the year - we couldn't do it without you!

Lynne

STILL MISSING!

Tigger is new in the Hellier Street, Fort England area and went missing from her new home on 12 October. Tigger was one of Beth Dickerson's cats and may have tried to make her way back to New Street. If you see her in either area, please contact Lorna on 076 353 0726. She is a very timid cat and will be afraid. Thanks.

A great supporter of the Project, after reading about Sooty, expressed an interest in adopting her, so David and Margaret (their granddaughter-in-fur is a GFCP kitty) came in from Port Alfred and I managed to pick Sooty up and put her into the cat box but she was very wily and with a flash she escaped out the door before I could close it. Spent twenty minutes coaxing her back and once again she allowed me to pick her up but the minute I tried to enclose her, she shot out of the cage. David eventually left and I promised to try again and keep her at home and gentle her. He was very keen to take her and said she would fit in perfectly at his house. On Sunday I managed to catch her and took her home. She was very unhappy but by Sunday night she had settled and was rubbing herself around my feet and happy for strokes and tummy rubs.

I woke up on Monday and she was gone! I cannot understand how she got out - you have seen my verandah - it is fully enclosed and the only way she could have got out was to climb up the chimney. I have not seen her since - I was hoping that she would make her way back to the ditch but not as yet. I am so worried. Anyway, will keep looking and just hope that she arrives back at the ditch.

A while back we decided they were mostly calm enough at night to be allowed into our bedroom and most nights they join us. Moggy generally jumps onto the bed then scratches her way under a cover or two, heads down to the end of the bed and spends the rest of the night under the covers; how she doesn't suffocate I don't know. Morris generally jumps onto the bed, stomps purposefully on us for a while then settles down on top of the covers either between us or on my side pinning me down somewhat.

Thank you all for your parts in our now having them in our lives! They are lovely and loving enough to (almost!) be able to ignore the mouse or rat guts and faces they leave behind. Yes! With the last two rodents that have suffered their torturing and gone down their hatches, they have left the faces with the dead eyes staring back at us -- I don't remember any other cats I've had doing that. Yughh!

No cats in sight but when you make the bed they appear out of nowhere! This is a little rescue cat was thrown through a security gate into a pack of dogs. Digit is a delight and just loves change-of-linen day!

Last month we reported on the removal of a heavily pregnant female. The family no longer wanted her and none of us had the heart to have her babies aborted as well (we'd aborted 16 kittens from other females there) so urgent calls for a foster home resulted in Mama Grey and her unborn babies being adopted by Carmen Henning and her family.

The Grahamstown Feral Cat project promotes responsible pet ownership. This includes proper care (feeding, vaccination and preventative treatment against parasites, etc.) and sterilisation to prevent unplanned kittens and reduce the number of homeless animals.

See
http://www.ru.ac.za/greenliving/action/petwise
and
http://www.ru.ac.za/greenliving/action/animalwise/feralcats

Useful Facebook Pages:

Grahamstown Animal Network (GRAN): https://www.facebook.com/groups/GRanimalove/
Grahamstown Missing Pets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/341158359327237/