He was so thin you could feel every bone.
A tiny kitten in Windhoek, Namibia – barely alive. So weak he could not properly stomach food. So dehydrated that fluids had to be pushed under his skin just to keep him going. To save him, he had to be syringe-fed bit by bit, hour by hour.
Without help, he would have died.
Too weak to eat and severely dehydrated, this tiny Windhoek kitten was nursed back to health by our partner, one syringe-feed at a time. Source: Triglav Trust
This is the reality sisters Tanja and Ronja Lyhs, founders of Triglav Trust, face over and over again.
Cats are born behind hospital buildings, on school grounds, at recycling plants and in other neglected corners of Windhoek. They are sick, injured and starving. There are feral mothers with tiny kittens. Some of the cats are so weak that if no one intervenes, they simply disappear and die somewhere alone.
Two sisters are all that stands between these rescued cats and a terrible end.
The cattery is home to 140 of Windhoek’s street cats who otherwise would have nowhere else to go. Source: Triglav Trust
For the last four years, Triglav has been rescuing cats across the Namibian capital city of Windhoek. Today, the rescue organization is caring for 140 cats at its cattery while also feeding cat colonies in the city. Triglav steps in where others cannot: trapping cats, sterilizing and vaccinating them alongside its veterinary partners, caring for mothers and kittens, treating the sick and injured and giving sanctuary to cats that cannot survive alone.
These two kittens were rescued by our partner and nursed back to health in the organization’s cattery. Source: NFA/Dan Snyders
Much of this burden falls on the sisters, who are trying to keep going while funding much of the kitten and cat care from their own pockets. It is a tiny but vital rescue operation trying to hold the line in the middle of a growing crisis.
Thousands of homeless cats roam the streets.
The cat problem in the areas Triglav serves has ballooned in recent years, with thousands roaming the streets of Windhoek. These desperate animals need food and urgent medical care.
They are suffering from ringworm, cat flu and painful injuries from being hit by cars. Some are so emaciated they need syringe-feeding every hour.
Then there are those animals that are too weak, injured or vulnerable to be returned to their colonies. They come home with Triglav — and once they do, they need food, veterinary treatment, quarantine space and ongoing care.
Life on Windhoek’s streets is brutal. Cat flu, car accidents and other dangers leave many cats sick, injured and in urgent need of veterinary care. Source: Triglav Trust
The cattery where Triglav cares for the vulnerable cats needs critical repairs. The cats need electricity to be installed for a fridge and a treatment space. More roofing is also needed.
Daily food costs never stop. Medicines, traps, transport and cleaning all cost money. And every time another sick, starving or injured cat is found, the pressure grows.
Please help us stand with the cats of Windhoek.
This is how your gift today will help:
- $25 (£20) provides food for rescued cats and managed colonies
- $35 (£26) provides vital eye drops for cats suffering from cat flu
- $100 (£80) helps cover emergency vet care for a sick or injured cat
- $250 (£200) helps provide traps, transport and colony care
- $500 (£400) helps build safer, better-equipped spaces for rescued cats
Please give as generously as you can today.
Because when a cat is starving, sick, abandoned or badly injured in Windhoek, there is often nowhere else to turn.
Many of these cats would be left to suffer unseen without our team. With your help, they can be fed, treated and given a fighting chance at survival.
