Feline Feral mom says goodbye
The Feline Feral Fund has about 30 feeding stations of which 20 are in Ballito.
Like the Pied Piper, Ballito’s Feline Feral Fund chairlady Sharon Cossey is followed by feral cats wherever she goes.
After 27 years of working with ferals, Cossey is ready to pass on the baton as she plans to retire from the full-time voluntary job and relocate.
“I moved to Ballito 15 years ago to take a break from the highly emotional feral work, as I had been involved with them in Hillcrest for 12 years prior,” said Cossey, who has fostered and rehomed about 800 kittens and 150 adult cats.
It was not long after she arrived in the then seaside village that the ferals found her.
“I soon met the ferals at the old Pick n Pay and at La Montagne and I was hooked again.
“Feeding is my therapy.
“The warm welcome I get from the cats is so wonderful. They give me an unconditional love that you do not get from people.”
Her passion and determination to help control the ever growing feral cat colonies has led to the start of the Feline Feral Fund – a registered NPC. She has trapped about 3000 ferals over the past 15 years. They are sterilized and released.
“We used to have the feral cats under control in Ballito, but not anymore. The Dolphin Coast has a huge cat dumping problem which never used to happen. We have to reduce the numbers, because the kittens die horrifically as they crawl into engines for warmth in winter and are run over on our busy roads.”
She said the Feline Feral Fund has about 30 feeding stations of which 20 are in Ballito and the rest are spread across the coast from Tongaat up to Zinkwazi.
It is the feeding that requires the most time and admin.
“I need a volunteer to co-ordinate the feeding. I have wonderful feeders, who help me feed our 300 cats every day, but I need someone to handle the feeder schedule, make sure there is enough food in stock and that the feeders have and use the right amount of food.”
If you can help, get in touch with the Feline Feral Fund at 072 266 9171.
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