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What in the cattery is going on?

Many pet owners will tell you that their little fur-babies are more than just animals in their eyes.

May 6, 2019

Sjani Campher 2 minutes read

Some will go as far as to say that their pets are a part of their brood, like a child in their house.
There are plenty of phrases like, “a dog is a man’s best friend” or “dogs may be loyal but a cat will never tell police where your drugs are hidden”.

All jokes aside but for many pet-owners, losing a pet is a traumatic and tragic experience.

This was the case for Ms Petro Steenkamp, the cat mom of a beautiful persian cat named Cedrick.

Cedrick disappeared from his home in March and Ms Steenkamp moved heaven and earth to try and track him down.

Also read: Cats victims of Nyaope addicts?

She believes that Cedrick was stolen. Paying a visit to www.mobserver.co.za several times, she explained that persian cats are territorial and very shy, they are not the kind of breed to wander off.

Persian cats are also on the market from anything around R650 to R6500, making them a target for pet thieves who steal and resell pedigree breeds at exorbitant prices.

The Southern Africa Cat Council has warned on multiple occasions of cat scams doing their rounds on the internet, where fake breeder profiles were created, advertising rare cat specimens.

These fake breeders ask for deposits well into the thousands and never do any face to face transactions. The organisation has encouraged potential buyers to always check with registration bodies whether breeders are legitimate.

Also read: ‘Pregnant’ cat burglar smuggles kittens through Taiwan Airport

Senior Inspector of the Middelburg SPCA, Ms Petro Oberholzer gave out the following tips on what to do if you lose or find a pet.

Withholding a found animal from its rightful owners or the SPCA counts as theft. If you are aware that someone is in possession of your missing pet, a case of theft needs to be opened at your nearest police station.

Many people will keep a stray animal that they found because they believe the SPCA will euthanise them, or maybe just because they like the animal.

Ms Oberholzer pleads with Middelburg residents to always hand over found animals at the SPCA so that they may be handed back to their rightful owners.

If you have lost a pet, go pay the SPCA a visit. The local Facebook page, Middelburg Diere Verlore en Gevind is also a platform where you can place an advert of your missing pet, or one that you may have found.

•Ms Petro Oberholzer has informed that many Dennesig residents have reported their cats as missing. There have been reported sightings of predatory birds in the area, like eagles and falcons. These birds may potentially be responsible for catching cats. Ms Oberholzer emphasised that residents should under no circumstances try to injure or capture these birds, regardless.