A cat has nine lives. We give it 10.

Friends of the Cat is a pro-life organisation that was founded in 1991 by Adele Joffe in Johannesburg to help alleviate the plight of homeless, abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens.

Run entirely by volunteers, our organisation aims to educate people about the value cats have in our society, as well as the responsibility we as humans have towards these magical and intriguing beings that share our world.

Despite the attempts of Friends of the Cat and other welfare organisations to stem the tide of unwanted kittens being born to unsterilised queens and toms, tens of thousands of kittens are still born annually to an uncertain fate in South Africa – a situation that could so easily be prevented by owners sterilising their cats before they become sexually mature. The result of this lack of responsible pet ownership is that thousands of kittens and adult cats who are no longer ‘cute’ find themselves without homes, and – if they are lucky -- land on our doorstep.

Friends of the Cat also aims to reduce the problem of feral cats in urban areas through capture and sterilisation programmes. Feral cats are domesticated cats that have returned to the wild and have to fend for themselves as best they can. They will search for food around human establishments, such as work canteens, restaurants and shopping centres. As these cats are not sterilised, their numbers are not contained. They can become a nuisance factor and are then considered vermin.

With our pro-life policy, Friends of the Cat will care for healthy cats for the rest of their lives, should they not find a suitable new home. Euthanasia is only considered as a last resort, when the animal is shown to be suffering and there is little or no hope of recovery. As a result, we have hundreds of cats in our care that could be homed to caring owners. Adult cats will settle into a new home surprisingly easily, provided the new owner follows some basic steps to facilitate the transition, and introduces the cat carefully to its new family. In addition, an adult pet provides an instant, mature companion, with a personality that is already evident, without the additional work and care that a young kitten requires for the first six months of its life. All adult cats re-homed by Friends of the Cat are also sterilised and vaccinated.

If you would like to give one or more of our cats a loving and secure home, please contact us – we’d love to hear from you.We have now just released our newsletter. To view it please click here.