I work for Sotheby's International Realty in Cape Road, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. We started noticing at night when we were leaving the office that there was a cat or two underneath our cars, or sleeping in the sun on the bonnet. They were completely wild and would dash away immediately we approached. They were very thin and in poor condition. I have 4 cats of my own, a legacy of 2 years of working in a veterinary practice. I started buying inexpensive cat food and putting it out at night for them, and of course every morning it was finished. After a couple of days of doing this, I noticed more and more cats, and one or 2 kittens. I got in touch with my local Catcare Society, who very kindly let me have a trap and over a period of a few weeks, managed to trap them one by one, and have them sterilised. One poor, old ginger boy I had euthanased as he had skin cancer on his nose that was starting to spread. To cut a long story short, I now have a colony of 7 feral cats that I feed daily and who have come to trust me - I have even been able to touch one or two of them. Their names are Callie (a gorgeous calico and my personal favourite), Tigger, a very inquisitive tabby, Big Boo, Fluffy and Scaredy Cat (two longhaired moggies)Smokey and Al Capone, who looks like a gangster! They are all looking much healthier now. Some of my work colleagues contribute to my cause and I have earned the nickname of The Cat Whisperer!

Karen Bowker
Port Elizabeth, South Africa