Cats are traditionally thought of as independent creatures, pretty much doing their own thing and not needing much affection.
Scientists say they remain wilder than dogs even after countless generations of domesticity and that they really are more independent than dogs and fussy about who they bond with.
This can be a problem for rescued street cats who find a safe haven at animal shelters. People want to adopt a friendly cat but when visitors arrive, very often cats turn up their noses and escape to a private space, which makes people think they don’t want to be adopted.
Because of this, Mandy Store, Operations Manager of TEARS animal shelter in Cape Town South Africa, came to Network for Animals (NFA) with an unusual request: Would the staff of our South African office visit the TEARS cattery and spend some time socializing with the cats there to get them used to strangers who might adopt them?
Sadly, many of these cats come in having very little trust in humans because of abuse. Socializing helps them to build up this trust.
NFA loves cats and we support TEARS financially, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to take a break from the office to be nice to cats?
Some 140 cats live at Tears, NFA pays for spay and neuter programs and veterinary care for them, and the cats live in comfortable conditions. 25 to 30 cats get adopted each month, but new cats arrive all the time, so numbers remain pretty stable.
Lots of the cats are rescued from poverty-stricken areas and arrive at TEARS in terrible condition, often diseased and with open sores. With our help, every single one gets fixed, fed and housed.
It was our pleasure to spend an afternoon with the cats and they must have liked us because we got out without a single scratch.