Cat Village is a pro-life, non-profit, volunteer based animal rescue organization based near Benoni on the East Rand. The organization is the brainchild of Irma Teller (a lady who has devoted herself entirely to the rescue of abused, abandoned or homeless cats).
The organization provides a safe haven for 1,000 cats. Since Cat Village has a pro-life policy you won’t find cages full of cats who are awaiting their fate on the property. Cats arrive here because they were lost, had to fend for themselves or because they were the result of unwanted litters.
Many of the cats arrive in a traumatized or malnourished state, but are nursed back to health and well cared for by the workers and volunteers. They sleep in warm wooden huts, receive medical care when needed and have access to clean food and water 24 hours a day. All new arrivals are checked thoroughly and are given required medical treatment upon arrival. Once they’ve passed the mandatory medical test they are allowed into the main cat sanctuary.
There is no limit on the period that cats are allowed to stay at Cat Village. There’s lots of grass, shrubs and trees on the property which sets a tranquil and stress-free environment and also provides the cats with natural scratching posts – the feline residents of Cat Village truly are the “lucky ones”. If you currently have cats for sale on Junk Mail this is the ideal home for the ones you’re struggling to sell or give-away to good homes.
Cat Village was born in 2004 when Irma and her husband Herbert decided to make their dream of having their own cat sanctuary where they could care and look after unwanted and neglected cats a reality. After they were offered a property by a friend, they revamped it to ensure that it was a safe haven for cats. It was a lot of hard work and effort but in the end the couple pulled it off. The property was originally only 2.5 acres, but has since expanded to 5 acres.
Sadly Irma’s husband passed away some time ago. Since then she has been left with the massive task of continuing the work at Cat Village sanctuary with the help of workers and volunteers. Irma rises before dawn every day to clean, cook and prepare food for the cats. Her day’s work usually only ends around 10 at night, but if one of the cats are sick she’ll sit with them through the night to look after them. Irma and her team are truly dedicated when it comes to caring for cats.
Watch this video below to get an idea of what it’s like at Cat Village. It really does like a safe haven for kitties
As a non-profit organization Cat Village has no permanent source of funding and solely relies on donations from the public to survive. You can make difference by making a donation, sponsoring a cat for +/- R3,000 a year, becoming a Cat Village member or just visiting Cat Village to spoil the “lucky ones”! For more information and updates, check out the Cat Village website or become a fan of the Cat Village Facebook page.
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Watch this space for regular updates in the Junk Mail Cares and Pets categories on the Junk Mail blog.
