MT. RAINIER, Md., Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Alley Cat Rescue's African wildcat conservation program operates in South Africa to protect the unique wild cat species (Felis lybica) from hybridization with domestic cats (Felis catus). The program, which launched in 2018, sterilizes colonies of domestic cats that exist near African wildcat habitats. Target colonies come mainly from rural towns and farmland along the borders of Kruger National Park and other areas in the Cape Province where African wildcats still live.
Sterilized cat, marked by a tipped ear, in a rural farming town in Western Cape Province, South Africa
Alley Cat Rescue (ACR')s program reached and exceeded a total of 15,000 domestic cats and hybrids spayed and neutered. Small teams consisting of experienced cat trappers and veterinarians have travelled significant distances in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Limpopo provinces to reach locations where African wildcats and domestic cats live in close proximity with each other.
Cat overpopulation is a problem in South Africa, and many citizens do not have the resources to spay and neuter their cats. ACR is asking the animal welfare community in South Africa to help people sterilize their cats - it will improve life for domestic cats and will help the African wildcat population as well.
ACR Founder and President, Louise Holton, created the African Wildcat Conservation out of love for both Felis lyica and Felis catus. She explains, "African wildcats are the ancestors of our beloved domestic cats and an irreplaceable species. Only one percent of donations for wild felines goes to small wild cats, and of course only a tiny portion of that one percent goes toward saving African wildcats. This beautiful cat deserves and needs more resources dedicated to its survival."
Alley Cat Rescue is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, feral, and small wildcat species. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information about ACR, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
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