matiescat says: I belong to a small group of women who look after and manage the cat population in the southern section of Stellenbosch University campus here in South Africa. We feed them every day (they have their own secure cat-cafeteria with kennels thanks to the university), monitor their health, have them sterilized with the help of Stellenbosch Animal Welfare, and unfortunately then also send the sick and old on to a more peaceful place when the time is ready. We have managed to bring the population of cats in that area down from almost 30 to just three during the past eight years. A big part of these operations over the years has been the removal of kittens from those moms who we were unable to sterilize before they conceived. We find the kittens (usually very well hidden), and remove them at about five or six weeks, before they get too wild. These kittens are then fostered by one of us while we find them forever homes.

Several years ago I removed this litter of five kittens from their mommy, Duchess, who remains on campus, well fed, healthy and very happy in her natural habitat, and with two of her children from a previous litter. It took us ages to find that litter as the Duchess had really hidden them well... we had to climb up walls and do a proper bundu bash to get those five out! The first night we only got four and had to go back for the last little one the next day. We called him No. 5 from them on. :-) These little critters were taken just in time and were already quite wild -- tiny hissing, spitting, and scratching furballs. It didn't take them long to settle in, though they always remained a feisty and mischievous bunch. Two of them went to a new forever home together, and one independent little missy went to a home where a loving older Persian cat embraced her as her own. I, of course, fell in love with the two naughtiest ones -- both girls -- and kept them. You can just see the naughty in their faces!

I sourced their names from a series of fantasy novels written about the adventures of cats. It seemed very appropriate for these two very adventurous kittens. Feathertail was so named because she only has about 20% of a spunky tail. Cinderpelt means "ashen fur" -- perfect for Feathertail's light-grey sister. These two have grown into two beautiful adult females. They remain my most independent, mischievous and adventurous cats -- venturing out whenever they can.

The black-and-white cat in one of the photos is Thomas O'Malley (full name: Abraham Delacey Guiseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat). I rescued him from the Stellenbosch campus just a few months before I got the kittens. He was about four months old and had to fight to survive on his own by feeding from the dustbins on campus. It took us months to catch him. He is now my most loving cat -- more like a dog actually. And interestingly enough, even though he is a tomcat, he is always the one who cares most for any new kittens I bring home -- as is apparent from the one photo of him with Feathertail and Cinderpelt.

I live in Somerset West, South Africa, with my ten cats: Tigger, Bagheera, Tabitha and Tama (who I got as abandonded kittens when they were only a day old), Splotch, Thomas O'Malley, Feathertail, Cinderpelt, Gandalf the White, and Gemmer.

All Photos Courtesy of and ©: matiescat

Stellenbosch University Strays [redux]  kitten
Stellenbosch University Strays [redux]  kitten
Stellenbosch University Strays [redux]  kitten
Stellenbosch University Strays [redux]  kitten
Stellenbosch University Strays [redux]  kitten
Comments and LOLs:
Darcy -
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Darcy
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Darcy -
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Darcy
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cat2dog1 -
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How adorable!!! I love group pictures like this!
CarolB57 -
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CarolB57
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Beautiful little ones! How nice that your kitties, especially Thomas O'Malley accepted the new additions with love. :)
andy.bark -
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andy.bark
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Best photo of kittens i have ever seen.
giovannaciurli -
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giovannaciurli
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OH MY GOD....... I HAVE NO WORDS
ARE TOO TOO FABULOUS LITTLE KITTENS
SWEET CRITTERS TO TIGHTEN THE HEART
giovannaciurli -
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giovannaciurli
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AS THEY ARE DELICIOUS AND TENDER.
CAT AND THOMAS O'MALLEY'REALLI
GOOD!!!BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
LITTLE KITTENS SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!
BooksandCats -
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BooksandCats
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I wanted to choose ALL the photos, but love this one that shows how they've grown into beautiful (almost) adult cats.
giovannaciurli -
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giovannaciurli
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giovannaciurli -
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giovannaciurli -
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AnneFlat1 -
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What a great job you are doing.I have lived in cities where there are so many feral cats and most are not healthy. I visited Somerset West a few years ago on a trip to South Africa. I thought it was a lovely place.
mma -
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mma
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Thank you for your heart-warming story of your life with these lovelies; it's so great waking up to words from one who cares as you do for unfortunate little beings. Great pics.
Snowysmom -
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Snowysmom
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What a lovely story - and what wonderful care you provide for all those kitties! Feathertail and Cinderpelt have indeed grown up to be beautiful cats - and Thomas is lovely, too! Blessings to you for all you do for these kitties!
deborrah -
matiescat - a BIG thanks to you and your friends for caring so well for your feral colony. AND for adopting so many beautiful and adorable kitties!
Darcy -
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Darcy
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I'm sorry to hear that Duchess did not trust you enough over all these years to leave her beautiful babies where you could find them. Wonder if the cats who do that are strays, not those born feral.
SharonK1973 -
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Your story, your work in not only rescuing these cats, but making the stray situation soooo much better really warms my heart. Gives some hope in a world where hope is so much of a novelty sometimes. Thank you. Beautiful pictures, beautiful cats.
joezuc -
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joezuc
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BirmanMama -
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BirmanMama
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Fabulous work you do for these beautiful babies!
Kephara -
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Kephara
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SOOOO hard to choose a favorite among these beautiful pictures!
kibblegirl -
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kibblegirl
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What a wonderful photo of all the catties. Thank you for your up-lifting story and your work to save these campus catties. Difficult to pick a favorite photo as all of them are so adorable. It is marvelous that you can have 10 cats and give them such delightful names! You are truly a kind nuturing person. Thank you for sharing.
judymack812 -
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judymack812
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They are a beautiful litter of kittens and I can't thank you enough for the work you do! I am very glad they all have loving homes. God bless you for your loving heart.
pamaro54 -
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pamaro54
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my heart melted when i saw this photo and it stayed that way through all of the rest. bless your heart for tending to the well-being of these adorable little fur-babies. best wishes to you all...
TortiMom -
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Wonderful story and precious kitties! Thanks for the work you are doing to control the population.
MomcatSooma -
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MomcatSooma
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OMG ~ I'm in lurve, 5 times over.
itigger2 -
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itigger2
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Bless you for the amazinfg work you do for the kitties. These babaies are adorable
Natthecat -
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Natthecat
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Just delightful, the kitties, the photos and the backstory! Thank you, @matiescat. What a big heart you have.
Smooch -
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Smooch
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Oh, they really are gorgeous! I love that you have 10 cats and it sounds like you are a very special person to care for yours and wild cats too. Bringing down the population like that is great. While we all love kittens, ones that are wild and unwanted are a tragedy. Wish we could clone you and have you everywhere there are feral cats! I adore the shot of the five kitties together, made me go awww and awww all over again!
megatha427 -
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megatha427
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Look at their BELLIES!!!!!
Darcy -
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Darcy
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Can't you feel megatha427 rubbing those kitties' bellies through the magic of the Internet? Purrrrrrr!
Buzzy -
Buzzy
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Love these babies!
mrskitton -
mrskitton
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So cute!!!
Mzkabibble -
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Mzkabibble
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Too stinkin' cute!
lisaboese -
lisaboese
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Utterly adorable babies!!!



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