Animal welfare organisations would help every animal in need if they could, but without funding, even the biggest hearts can only stretch so far. Marcelle Scott understood that and rallied an army of support.
Free State, South Africa (12 February 2026) – In her little town of Ketsell, Marcelle Scott noticed a growing feral cat problem. Like so many towns across South Africa, the numbers are slowly climbing. Unsterilised cats that breed lead to more kittens being born into hardship, and there is no real system in place to stop the cycle.
Sterilising feral cats is the most effective way to stop that suffering before it starts. It’s one of the most important tools in animal welfare, and most organisations make a concerted effort to run sterilisation drives whenever they can.
The reality is that these campaigns depend entirely on funding. It costs money. Each procedure covers the surgery itself, a rabies vaccination, testing for diseases, as well as the practical costs of traps, transport and fuel.
“So, when Marcelle reached out to us for help, with a feral cat problem blossoming in the small town of Kestell in the Free State, we said we would help her, but she needed to help by raising the funds.” shares Cluny Animal Trust. “Again, this is where people who ask for help often opt out, always with excuses as to why they can’t raise funds, but Marcelle was more than up for the challenge!“
Wielding a letter from Cluny Animal Trust, Marcelle took to Facebook, approached local businesses, and asked community members to contribute directly to Cluny’s bank account to fund sterilisations. By the end of it, she had raised enough to cover 12 sterilisations! She also secured petrol sponsorship to transport the cats nearly 200 kilometres from Kestell to Fouriesburg and back.
“12 cats might not seem like a lot but sterilising and vaccinating them will make a huge difference to this small town. We wanted to shine a light on Marcelle for stepping up and taking on this challenge – we wish there were more people like her in the world!” shares Cluny.
This week, the team delivered traps to Marcelle and walked her through how to use them.
“Although Marcelle has raised the money for 12 cat steris, there are still many more that need to be caught and sterilised in Kestell, and if you would like to help support her with this project in any way, please reach out to [Cluny Animal Trust]”
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