Abandoned cats find a friend in Desmond
While Desmond often received donations of food for his cats, he would like to have all the cats sterilised.
Edenvale resident, Desmond McMillan, is known as the grandfather of the cats.
Although Desmond is well into his 80’s, not a day goes by that he does not feed the abandoned cats at Horwood’s Farm.
“I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that the little ones have not eaten,” Desmond told the NEWS.
As a lecturer, Desmond was involved with feeding cats at both the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and a close-by Damlin campus for many years, before his retirement.
“Before I started feeding the cats at Wits, I, like many others, believed cats can look after themselves. This is by far not the case, they need food, water and interaction,” said Desmond.
In 1994, Desmond started volunteering his time with the SPCA and has since become an honorary life member.
In 1997, Desmond moved from his house in Kensington to Edenvale and brought with him his three dogs and three cats.
“At one stage, while living in Kensington, I was looking after 30 rescue cats at my house,” said Desmond.
Shortly after moving to Edenvale, Desmond was walking his dogs Fritzle, Rocco and Gaby at Horwood’s Farm, when he saw several feral cats around the old farmhouse.
“At the time, there was a restaurant and the owners would throw out food for the dog and the cats,” said Desmond.
While teaching at Damlin in 2007, Desmond was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was told he would have to go for an operation.
“I was hesitant. Who would feed the cats? Friends and community members approached me and while I was in hospital, they took over feeding the little ones,” he said.
“How could I know I have food when they have not eaten?” he added.
Recently, Desmond slipped and fell outside the old farmhouse. The fall resulted in a broken hip and again, he had to rely of friends to assist with feeding his feline friends.
But, the moment Desmond was well enough to be on his feet, he was back at Horwood’s Farm feeding his cats.
Over the years, Desmond has received help with the sterilisation of the cats.
“If we do not sterilise the cats they interbreed, which can cause severe genetic problems in the kittens,” he said.
With the help of Kitty and Puppy Haven, two of the tamer cats were caught, sterilised and put up for adoption.
About a year ago, Desmond became aware of several cats living on the other side of the river at the popular park.
“People often dump their cats at Horwood’s Farm, or simply move house and leave their cats to fend for themselves,” said Desmond.
While Desmond often received donations of food for his cats, he would like to have all the cats sterilised.
“I am old and do not know how long I will be able to continue doing this. The community has been wonderful, I have received food donations for the cats but what we need is for the cats to be sterilised to stop the breeding,” said Desmond.
Anyone who is willing to sponsor a sterilisation for one or more of the cats at Horwood’s Farm can contact the Avenues Vetrinary Clinic on 011 453-6049 to enquire about the process.
