The Black-footed Cat may look like a domesticated cat, but it is actually one of South Africa’s beautiful wild cats, and it’s a threatened species!
Johannesburg, South Africa (11 January 2020) – The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital treats indigenous wildlife free of charge, relying solely on their community’s support. Their Facebook page is the place to be! It is filled with heartwarming rescue stories of our stunning local wildlife.
They solely focus on smaller species of indigenous animals as there are not many organisations that work or specialise in smaller species.
Recently, they were involved in the treatment of a rescued Black-footed Cat. The cat was found abandoned on a farm in Delareyville and was found to be severely underweight. The rare little cat also had a wound on his head, but it was already healed.
“This juvenile Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) was found abandoned on a farm in Delareyville. Dr K collected him and he was admitted to our hospital. He underwent a thorough medical examination and was found to be severely underweight, dehydrated and he had a wound on his head.
We suspect that the wound was in fact an old scab that had fallen off, and therefore didn’t need any further treatment. He has since his arrival doubled in weight and once he is a bit older, he will undergo a soft release process under the guidance of Nicci Wright, who has expert knowledge of this rare species. “
Thanks to the vet’s feeding programme supported by the public, the Black-footed Cat has been able to pick up his much-needed weight before he can be released. According to the Endangered Wildlife Trust, these incredible wild cats are phenomenal hunters.
The Black-footed Cats catch one vertebrate prey animal, on average, every 50 min which equates to about 10–14 rodents or small birds caught in a night. They are nocturnal, and due to their secretive nature, it has been hard to study them effectively, but progress is slowly being made. You can read more about the species via the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s study here.
This incredible rescue will be released once he is older and weighs his proper weight. Until then, they will keep feeding him all his favourite foods to bulk him up.
The Johannesburg Wildlife Vet’s feeding programme is called “One Meal“, and it allows the public to support their various rescues by paying for one meal. Below are the various payment options for the Wildlife Vet, they rely on donations so if you can, you can donate through the methods below.
Snapscan: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/PXMP5766
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr… (For the USA and international-based donors)
Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account nr: 62658400264
Branch code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
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