Help Murphy Cat Project raise funds to cover vet bills
“We need cash donations for our vets' bills to keep our cats healthy. We also need food donations, old blankets and hot water bottles.”
The Murphy Cat Project’s latest campaign aims to raise funds to support the hundreds of cats and kittens in their care.
The shelter hosted its first-ever market on September 2 to raise funds to cover its ballooning veterinary bills and to provide care for its 200 cats and five feral colonies.
According to the founder Cecilia Morris, they spent around R170 000 between December and April on veterinary care, which necessitated the fundraiser.
“We need cash donations for our vets’ bills to keep our cats healthy. We also need food donations, old blankets and hot water bottles,” she said.
Despite the funding shortages, the organisation continues to care for stray and abandoned cats and those needing emergency care.
Morris said the warm weather is the start of kitten season and there will be many cats and kittens.
“We all need funding. That’s why we have organisations here helping,” she said.
“Everything helps. We have 200 cats and have five feral colonies – three at Carnival Mall, one at Benoni Lake, and one at my workplace.
“All these cats out there that haven’t been fixed are having babies. So, it becomes a serious problem. We have to fundraise to pay the bills.”
Feral colonies
She said it was expensive to sterilise and vaccinate the feral cats, adding they are introducing the trap-neuter-release (TNR) programme, which emphasises the humane trapping of cats, taking them to the vet to get neutered, vaccinated and then released.
“You will find feral colonies where there is food. They keep moving because they are hungry. We feed them and get them used to us.
“We then trap and fix them so they stop breeding. When they are breeding and not been vaccinated, they get sick and spread diseases. You will then find dead cats everywhere, which we don’t want.
“We are trying to educate people to trap, neuter and release. If you have feral colonies, fix them so as to not have babies. They will keep the other ones away and you will have a healthy colony,” she said.
Morris said feral colonies were a good thing. They help control rodent populations exacerbated by garbage in the city due to illegal dumping.
She advised areas with a problem of feral cats to contact organisations that do outreach programmes like TAG, which will trap and give the animals veterinary care.
Donations can be made to:
• Absa Bank
• Account number: 4050740197
• Reference: 44047 Carnival cats
• Send your proof of payment to cecilia@mgeng.co.za
For enquiries, contact the organisation on 072 463 6916.
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