John Culatto
A CAT sanctuary in Gibraltar’s Upper Town is on the lookout for more volunteers and donations as they try to rescue more abandoned felines.
Susan Wink-Sampere wants to have a team of volunteers for her charity that run its cat sanctuary close to the Upper Rock.
The local woman started Gibraltar Street Cats took off after stray cats who are old or ill, catching them and bringing them to the home for a happy retirement.
The cat sanctuary was originally founded in 2014, but the Cat Welfare Society closed down two years ago.
Wink-Sampere founded ‘Save Gibraltar Street Cats’ and took over the running of the pet home.
Set in what she calls ‘a fantastic location’ it cares for cats rescued from the streets of the small British city on the Mediterranean.
“We normally get the abandoned cats that are poorly or elderly to give them a good life as long as we can,” Wink-Sampere tells The Olive Press.
The group now has 20 cats in the sanctuary, taking in five or six of them during the last eight months.
First Wink-Sampere traps them, gets them all the veterinary treatment the charity can afford and then slowly tries to build a bond with the animals.
She treats them for cancer, kidney failure and other illnesses, gets them neutered with a government grant and gives them a comfortable place to stay.
At least two of the cats have had their noses removed after they got cancer while sniffing about.
But some of the felines have been at the sanctuary for longer than a decade, reaching ages of 16 or even 18-years-old.
That compares favourably to the average lifespan of a cat, which is normally between 10 and 15 years.
Raffles, a flag day and donations keep the cat sanctuary afloat financially but she always needs more.
“We want this place to become part of the community even though it’s a long walk up from town,” Wink-Sampere says.
“We always have volunteers in the mornings but we were planning to get a team to come in the afternoon too.
“Time spent with cats is the best time that you can spend – that’s for sure!”
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