What is the procedure for getting a reference code to have my feral or stray cat spayed with one of your participating vets? **
Your full name;
Your address;
Your telephone number;
The number of cats you would like sterilized (kittens must be at least five months old); Please note the welfare rate is between R400 and R500, depending on the vet you use. You have to check the welfare rate directly with the vet you would like to use. (Please note we will see if we have this vet onboard with us, otherwise we will use the closest participating vet).
Please note that your fee is payable directly to the vet. You must make your own appointment with the vet at their convenience. The vet will clip the ear to designate the cat as a stray.You will need to drop the cats off at the vet and collect on the same day. Please note the cats must be over 5 months of age.
Your reply to this mail is confirmation that you have read all the terms and conditions, and have agreed to them.
**Please note our mandate is not to sterilize your pets, we assist with feral and stray cat sterilizations. The vet will clip the ear of the cat to designate it as a stray. If you do not want this to happen, then please notify us in your first query and explain your reasons. If we are satisfied with your explanation, we will request in our booking letter that the vet does not clip the ear.
I have a cat/kittens needing a home. Can you help?
We do not find homes for kittens or cats. We are a feral/stray sterilization agency and our job is to PREVENT unwanted kittens. If we lost our focus on that, we would not be effective, so we devote all our energies and funds towards sterilizing cats so that the number of unwanted cats does not increase.
However, if you are looking for a home for your cat or kittens, you have three options:
The first option is to take the most attractive pictures of the cat and kittens that you can. Post these pictures on every Facebook or social media outlet that you can find. There are a number of sites that deal with animal rescue, homes for animals, homes for kittens, etc. Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable site. Sites like Gumtree ask no questions about where the animal is going, and there have been cases where kittens have been given away and have ended up as bait for dog-fighting. All reputable kitten or cat homing organisations have strict criteria for homing kittens and cats, and will make sure that the cat goes to a good home.
Your second option is to approach a reputable kitten homing organisation like Kitty Care, Kitten Action, or similar organisations, and ask them to help you find a home for your kitten. Just remember that they are usually inundated with similar requests, so you might want to try both options – ask them to help, but spread the word yourself as well.
The final option is to take the kitten to the SPCA. Please remember that the SPCA deals with thousands of abandoned and unwanted pets every year, and if they cannot find a home for your kitten, it will be euthenased.
We would strongly recommend that you approach us to sterilize the cat that produced these kittens in the first place, as otherwise you are going to find yourself with unwanted kittens every six months!
I have a mum cat that has just had kittens and I need to find them homes.
Just like the first question, we do not find homes for kittens. Our mandate is to sterilize adult cats. We prefer that you approach us BEFORE the mum cat has her kittens! What we would recommend is that we will sterilize the mother cat and you will have to find homes for the kittens (see the previous answer).
Please remember that we will only sterilize the mother cat when her kittens are at least six to eight weeks old, as they cannot survive being away from their mother while they are younger than that. We would also recommend that you remove the kittens only after six to eight weeks, when they are eating solid food and able to run around. For the procedure for sterilizing the mum cat, read the further questions.
I want to get a free sterilization for my cat.
There is no such thing as a free sterilization. Someone has to pay. The vets cannot work for free. Where people are genuinely indigent, we are prepared to help with costs.
We have an arrangement with several vets across Durban that they give us sterilizations as a very low rate. However, these are NOT for people’s pet cats, these are for ferals or strays. We raise money through private donations to pay for the sterilizations of feral cats only.
I feed a number of stray or feral cats and I cannot afford the food. Can you help?
Unfortunately, we cannot help with donations of food as that is not our mandate. We sterilize stray and feral cats and all our funds go towards that. There will never be enough money to help with food.
However, a number of our regular feeders have arrangements to buy food in bulk and this brings the cost down. If you would like to buy catfood in bulk, we can put you in touch with a feeder in your area. There are also other ways to bulk up the food – we have several people who feed hundreds of cats. They boil cheap chicken meat or fish with rice, and dish this up for their cats. This can also be mixed with the dry food to make it go further.
Ferals and strays can supplement their protein requirements through hunting rats and mice – however there is not enough nutrition in the average rat to sustain them completely. But a mixture of dry food, cooked meat, and rice is enough to keep them fed and healthy.
Members of Cats of Durban have access to discounted food through our feeder sub-committee. If you would like to take advantage of this discount, you need to be an active member. Contact admin@catsofdurban.co.za
I have stray cats in my yard and I need to get rid of them.
We do not remove cats. It is cruel and counter-productive. Stray or feral cats cannot be relocated, they will have to be put down and we will not be party to that. In any event, removing cats is counter-productive as more cats simply move in.
However, we will assist with trapping and sterilizing these backyard cats so that they do not breed and do not become a nuisance. A backyard cat that has been sterilized can live a long and happy life. Most of the problems with cat behaviour stems from the fact that they have not been sterilized. An unsterilized male cat will fight, roam, spray and yowl; an unsterilized female will attract unsterilized males, and will produce kittens every six months.
I am a pensioner/not working and need to have my cats sterilized.
We can assist you with a discounted rate at the vet. You will need to send an e-mail to admin@catsofdurban.co.za and ask for a reference number for a discounted sterilization. You will receive, by return of mail, an automated e-mail asking a few questions.
Send back the replies, and you will get a reference number for the vet that you prefer to use. You will have to contact the vet and make the booking yourself, using the reference number. You pay the vet directly when you take the cat in.
Can anyone get a reduction code?
The vets who are participating with us offer us discounted sterilizations for stray and feral cats only. We do not offer this service to people’s pet cats. There are sometimes cases where indigent or genuinely poor people are caring for stray cats and wish to get them sterilized – we are happy to assist with costs if this is the case.
We are fully aware that there are people who can easily afford the full rate, that lie to us in order to get the welfare rate. This erodes the goodwill between us and the vet, and we try our best to eradicate this form of dishonesty. If we discover that people are abusing this discount, we will publish their names.
We have cats at our work and I don’t know what to do with them.
Please do not ask us to remove them as we will not do so. However, we will assist you to get them sterilized so that they don’t breed and thereby become a nuisance, and we will advise you on feeding and care of your feral colony.
A colony of cats at your workplace is an asset, as they combat vermin. They are a vital part of our urban environment. If you need help with educating your work colleagues about the benefits of keeping your cats, please let us know as we can assist you with that. Send a request for help to catsofdurban@gmail.com
I don’t have transport to get my cat to the vet.
Please contact us. We have a list of volunteer trappers and transporters. You can ask any of them is they are prepared to transport your cat. There are also certain vets that are prepared to collect your cat for sterilization. Please note that costs are payable.
I can’t catch the cats to have them sterilized.
You can contact us about hiring a trap. Please note that we only hire out traps in order for you to catch a cat for sterilization. We do not hire out traps for people to trap cats in order to remove them. You can also ask a trapper to trap the cat for you, but please be aware that a donation towards their time and costs is appreciated.
What does POA stand for
It stands for Payment on Arrival. This means that you need to pay the vet directly for the sterilization when you take the cat to the vet.
Do all vets sterilize every day for COD?
No. You need to make a booking with your chosen vet. Some vets only do Cats of Durban procedures on a specified day of the week.
My boss wants the cats gone from our work premises.
We do not remove cats. It is cruel and counter-productive. Rather work with us to manage the cats to solve the problems that the cats are causing. Every cat problem has a simple solution.
If you have this problem at work or at home, contact us and we will attempt to help you with documentation and lobbying.
How do I trap a cat?
Once you have received a trap from us, there are a few important things you should know.
First of all, begin by feeding the cat or cats at the same time every day. Make a small noise when you put down the food, such as jingling your car keys or calling. This gets the cat used to coming to a particular spot at a particular time. Then you place the trap in this spot.
If the cat is very difficult to trap, it is suggested that you leave the trap open with food inside. Let the cat go in and out a few times in order to eat the food. You can leave a small trail of food up to the trap, but make sure you only use the smallest amount of food as a trail – otherwise the cat eats all the ‘bait’ and is no longer hungry enough to go inside the trap!
Do not put traps too close together, as the sound of a trap snapping shut will scare off any other cats. It is preferable either to space traps widely apart, or put them down one at a time. Once the cat is in the trap, cover it immediately with a cloth. The covering will calm the cat and will prevent it from trying to get out. Cats can injure themselves if they try to get out of traps. NEVER leave a cat uncovered in a trap.
Once the cat is inside the trap, and the trap is covered, remove the trap to an area out of sight and sound and put down the next trap.
If you continue to have difficulty trapping, we can help you. Please email us for a list of Volunteer Trappers admin@catsofdurban.co.za
