I don't like cats

My head is spinning and I don’t know where to start with this letter to you. I know where to finish: it’s always in the same place. We need money. We need you to dig deep and help us end the horrific kitten tossing and cat torturing that is endemic to life on this island of the gods.

“I don’t like cats”, a man proclaimed to me recently. My mouth opens and closes and I die a little whenever I hear these words. They wound, like a knife to the heart. People will righteously explain to me that cats are predators, they kill wildlife, they are noisy, and they are impossible to train. I counter that Villa Kitty totally recommends that all cats are kept indoors during the hours of darkness when creatures are vulnerable. Cats call and cry when they are in season and searching for a mate. Training? Cats will quickly learn to use a kitty litter tray, adapt comfortably to living environments and respond happily to love and kindness.

So many of Villa Kitty’s cats and kittens come to us through callous cruelty and ingrained ignorance. It is crucial that we expand our free sterilisation program throughout the island. I know I’ve spoken about this many times before, but it’s never been more crucial. Tiny kittens are ripped away from their distraught mothers and left to die on rubbish heaps. Why? Supposedly to reduce the cat population. The poor mother then endures another round of coming into season, bearing kittens, only to see them snatched once more in this barbaric fashion. We understand that local families can ill afford the cost of sterilisation, which is why we offer this service free of charge. One simple operation can stop the lonely and agonising deaths of countless babies.

So many kittens come to us without their mums. Villa Kitty has specialised carers to work with infants, to give them every chance of survival. It’s not just the kittens that suffer from violence. We have received horribly injured cats who have had boiling water poured over them, even hot oil, to stop them vocalising their quest for a partner. Boiling water! Hot oil! Could you even contemplate such hideous pain and such toxic disregard for sentient beings? Again, sterilising cats will wipe out this horrific cruelty. We can do this. With sufficient funds, we can increase free sterilisations at Villa Kitty. We can run education programs to reach local communities.

We can make this happen, with your help.

Villa Kitty stands ready to expand our free vaccination programs. If we can roll this out across the island, we can eradicate panleukopenia, the virus that ravages the feline population and fills our hospital wards. Other countries have done this: for us, money is the barrier. We need to get out into communities beyond our own, to supply vets in other regions with vaccines and compensate them for their time in vaccinating without charge. We have the vision, we have the strategy, we just need the money. If we vanquish panleukopenia, we will ease the congestion in Villa Kitty and greatly lessen the workload on our dedicated vets and staff.

Lastly, and importantly, we’re urgently fundraising for our next phase of building, which includes the longed-for operating theatre. The temporary room currently in use is a step up from the old Villa Kitty, but we’re desperate for the permanent facility. Again, money! We know it will bring in huge savings in the long run. A well-equipped operating theatre means we will not be reliant on the services of Sunset Vet for many of our difficult and delicate cases. We’re grateful to them for our heavily discounted rates, but the current bill is at an eyewatering high.

Your support can make a real difference here.

Villa Kitty is asking you to help now. Because we know you could never say “I don’t like cats”.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Henzell
Founder
Villa Kitty Foundation