TUFCAT

Who is TUFCAT? A feral cat organization based at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Bellville, Cape Town with a ‘Home for Life’ cat sanctuary situated on a farm in Grabouw (since May 2021). What do we do? Although based at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville, Cape Town, TUFCAT has a ‘Home for Life’ cat sanctuary for unwanted and feral cats in Grabouw. We have an active adoption and volunteer programme. We also help with TNR (trap-neuter-return) for feral cats on farms.  We offer free and subsidised sterilisations for farmworkers and other indigent communities in and around Grabouw. Fortunately, the feral cats and TUFCAT are supported by the university, and the project is viewed as a success by the university’s operational services. This environmentally-friendly method of rodent control has not gone unrecognized and UWC has won the Green Campus award 3 times! It was based on 6 ‘green’ innovations and practices, including the use of feral cats instead of poison for pest control purposes. The TUFCAT project is in line with UWC’s overall mission and guiding ethos, which emphasises ethical, environmental and social awareness. Campus cat numbers have declined steadily over the years, demonstrating the success of TNR and humane feral cat management programmes. We started off with more than 400 cats and now have around 128 cats living on the UWC campus. The TUFCAT Sanctuary is currently home to 144 cats and 32 dogs. We try to help other animal welfare organisations where possible. We have also taken in cats from owners who have died. As a result, we have started a ‘Surviving Pet Programme’ for those owners who want to make provision for their pets, should they outlive them. Anyone who wants to ensure that their cat (or in some cases, dog) is taken care when they are no longer around to do so, should contact TUFCAT to discuss options. We plan to develop the sanctuary so that we can help more animals. Some of our exciting future plans include: renting out our petfriendly self-catering accommodation to animal lovers, upgrading our cattery, and opening up a pop-up cat café and an event and educational centre to raise funds for the project.