Swakop’s feral cats get website

SWAKOPMUND’S beleaguered feral cat population now has its “meow” on the World Wide Web, with the recent launch of the Cat Protection Society’s website ‘The Feral Cats of Swakopmund’.

The site, www.feralcats.in.na, gives an overview of the history and current situation of the approximately 65 feral cats living at Swakopmund. It also gives animal lovers the opportunity to help Karene Brewis of the Cat Protection Society help the cats through several support mechanisms, while a newsletter on current issues will be forwarded to keep interested parties in the loop.”The site is there for people to be more aware of the plight of our feral cats, and also gives them an opportunity to help where they can,” Brewis told The Namibian.According to her, the feral cats have been living in Swakopmund for the past 111 years, where they were originally “deployed” to bring under control a plague of rats that harassed the early residents of the town.”These rats had travelled on the numerous ships that came here and came ashore when one of the boats ran aground on a sand bar.Not only were the rats a permanent nuisance, but dry food stores were contaminated by these vermin, and many people were bitten by them resulting in occurrences of typhus which is contracted from a rat bite,” the website states.It goes on to say that the feral cats living in Swakopmund today are descended, in the main, from these original cats.The inhabitants of Swakopmund had great respect for these cats as they immediately saw the results of their rat-catching abilities.Brewis said the cats are now just as effective in controlling the pests as they were then and should be respected for their role.The Cat Protection Society’s aim is to sterilise the cats and return them to their colonies, where they continue their work as vermin controllers.It has to date, successfully captured and sterilised 65 cats.”They don’t ask money for keeping the town clean of pests; they do it naturally.They just need support, love and care,” Brewis told The Namibian.”That what we’re trying to do, with the support of out community, and hopefully this website will help.”It also gives animal lovers the opportunity to help Karene Brewis of the Cat Protection Society help the cats through several support mechanisms, while a newsletter on current issues will be forwarded to keep interested parties in the loop.”The site is there for people to be more aware of the plight of our feral cats, and also gives them an opportunity to help where they can,” Brewis told The Namibian.According to her, the feral cats have been living in Swakopmund for the past 111 years, where they were originally “deployed” to bring under control a plague of rats that harassed the early residents of the town.”These rats had travelled on the numerous ships that came here and came ashore when one of the boats ran aground on a sand bar.Not only were the rats a permanent nuisance, but dry food stores were contaminated by these vermin, and many people were bitten by them resulting in occurrences of typhus which is contracted from a rat bite,” the website states.It goes on to say that the feral cats living in Swakopmund today are descended, in the main, from these original cats.The inhabitants of Swakopmund had great respect for these cats as they immediately saw the results of their rat-catching abilities.Brewis said the cats are now just as effective in controlling the pests as they were then and should be respected for their role.The Cat Protection Society’s aim is to sterilise the cats and return them to their colonies, where they continue their work as vermin controllers.It has to date, successfully captured and sterilised 65 cats.”They don’t ask money for keeping the town clean of pests; they do it naturally.They just need support, love and care,” Brewis told The Namibian.”That what we’re trying to do, with the support of out community, and hopefully this website will help.”