Author Robert A Heinlein wrote: “How we behave towards cats here below determines our status in heaven.” It is in this spirit that students and staff of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng are asked to donate funds to ensure healthy cat colonies.

The maintenance of a healthy and stable cat population is extremely important for the prevention of disease and overpopulation, says Dr Rebecca Quam, a veterinarian at the Dale Beigle Centre for Animal Health Studies on the campus.  

Cats help to control the rodent population which carry diseases and parasites and can cause damage to property by gnawing into piping and cables. However, too many cats can disturb the balance.

Since a female cat can have her first litter at six months of age and can have three litters a year, a cat population can quickly get out of control.

Dr Quam is now at the forefront of a project to sterilise at least 80% of the current cat population on the campus.

The project, the length of which will be determined by financial donations, commenced late last year and is expected to run for about two years. 

Dr Quam says the cats will also be tested for the deadly Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukaemia. Infected cats will be euthanised.

Healthy cats will be sterilised and vaccinated for rabies through the Track Neuter and Release (TNR) project.

The Animal Health Clinic will resume its cat sterilisation project on Monday, 25 February. The clinic is appealing to NWU students and staff for financial donations and cat food. Payments can be made at the animal clinic and any brand of cat food may be dropped off at the same venue. Enquiries can be directed to Dr Madeleen Struwig via e-mail: 12516309@nwu.ac.za.

Several feeding stations have been set up on campus to keep cats out of student residences.