27/11/2024
Spay It Forward was alerted to 2 never before kittens at one of the colonies we are busy TNR-ing.
As the information received was constantly conflicted, we decided to scout ourselves to get accurate information
Thursday morning early at 5:45 we were walking around searching and spotted them. When the trap was put down, the one scattered under the cars, and the other went up a tree.
At 7:15 it was time to leave and our volunteer had to collect the trap. As she was walking towards the trap, the next-door dog started barking, the kitten got a fright and went up even higher in the tree. She left, but the gut feeling was not a good one.
Then plans had to be made...
She contacted a work colleague and asked what a cherry picker would cost. The estimate was R8K to hire one for the day. R8k we did not have...
Within minutes the colleague called back, "Jimmy (one of their contractors) will be there in an hour".
Wow! Just wow!
When the team arrived back on site, both kittens were up in the tree. Other people tried to catch the kitten on the ground, and it ran up the tree as fast (and too far) as it could.
Then a village came together.
First, the cherry picker had to get over a curb - and if you know how heavy that thing is, you will understand why it is an issue. But Miguel from AutoMagic Menlyn quickly instructed his guys to go get the manual "ramps". This was brought in and James from J Turner Electrical manoeuvred them like a pro.
From there James and Gilbert got on the cherry picker. Armed with gloves, a blanket, and a cat carrier.
The 1st attempt had to be aborted as the cherry picker was too far.
The 2nd attempt again, the cherry picker was too far.
So when it was the 3rd attempt- it just had to work - how does the saying go: "Third time's a charm"?
The first kitten was a bit easier to catch. It was sitting with its back to them in the nook of a branch. With a little stretching, James was able to get to it and it was transported safely into the carrier.
Kitten #2 was a bit more of a challenge. As Gilbert & James maneuvered the cherry picker to it, it decided to go even deeper into the thorny tree...
How to get to kitten #2?
This was when Miguel and Bongani decided it was time to climb the tree. And Bongani climbed no matter all the thorns. Not sure how, but he got hold of the kitten and kept it until an angry little bundle of wool was transported into the cat carrier.
So Brother and Sister are safe, and skin and bones and decompressing. It honestly does not look like they are feral - rather scared after being dumped.
Thank you Jimmy from J Turner Electric for stepping in immediately and supplying a cherry picker without cost.
Thank you, James, Gilbert, and Bongani from J Turner Electrical.
Thank you Miguel from AutoMagic Menlyn.
Thank you Terry from Cartrack.
So from our side: thank you village ###
https://www.jtelectricalservices.co.za/
https://sambra.biz/item/auto-magic-menlyn/
