KAIREN for the CATS
(Kairen Brooke-Anderson runs the Caspian Alexander Trust, and she sees to it that cats in Woodstock are fed, treated, and most importantly of all, sterilised. She has been struggling for some time, so I asked her to give me a summary of her current situation)
I work in Woodstock and surrounding areas SOLO.
People here are irresponsible and do not sterilise their cats and often even abandon them unsterilised and so there are many stray and feral cats here. I feed 14 colonies every evening and provide food for feeders (people who have colonies in their back yards)
Weekends I feed an additional plus minus 200 ferals in Salt River at Blue Ribbon Bakery, Transnet and surrounds. They are fed during the week by people who work there.
My main focus in addition to caring for these ferals is sterilising many cats owned by poor people as well as stray and feral animals. I am assisted in this regard by Cat Trapping and ARO (R150) per cat. ARO collected 10 yesterday and I have a booking with Cat Trapping next week.
I live in a little 2 bed roomed cottage and never dreamt when I bought that I would end up doing what I am doing because I did not know then how bad the situation was here in Woodstock.
I have 18 resident cats here and 5 bunnies and 2 dogs. All the residents are cats I adopted because they were unhomeable. I cannot take in more. In my front room, I have spacious cages and presently there are 3 adult cats here seeking homes and 12 kittens
The house has no cupboards and I really need to be able to pack things away to reduce clutter and assist in cleaning. I need to redo the lino on the kitchen floor and sand the wooden floors elsewhere to assist with hygiene. I also need more light and need skylights. It is very dark. And the ceilings need fixing. Dust pours down between the old pine boards as they have shrunk over the last 100 years.
I need to be able to afford a maid more than once a week. I need to be able to pay vets’ bills. I can’t keep up.
The PDSA calls to Woodstock once a fortnight. The rest of the time the people bring me their animals and if I don”t know what to do (I am not a vet), I have to take them to one of my vets and it all mounts up.
My car has a deliberately broken off windscreen wiper and smashed indicator and door handles.
I need more traps. I have only two.
I need an auditor so I can become an NPO.
Oh and I need to fumigate regularily and treat all animals regularily for fleas, mange etc because I react to bites so badly
I have been doing this solo since my colleague retired several years ago and have not been away even for one night since I moved here in 2001.
I badly need helpers.
I work as a writer and actress. When I act, I earn well but this is not regular.
I would love to spend more time working with other actors to bring in money and for the joy but do not have the time.
Now after all the money I spent on the mange outbreak so far, I have R200 left till month end and don’t even have enougt to pay for the next print run of the books that are bringing in money (R650)
I am in debt to vets about R7 000.
And they are cutting off my elec and water next week
Regards
Kairen
kairen@caspianalexandertrust.org
P.S.: What Kairen really needs, rather than one-off donations, is sponsors who will assist her on a monthly basis so that her work becomes sustainable.
THEIR BANK DETAILS ARE:
NEDBANK
Account Name: Caspian Alexander Trust
Account Number: 1021280682
Account Type: Current
Branch Number: 102109
Donations are tax deductible.
Trust Registration Number: IT2070/2003
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