Farrah’s story
In November 2013, Farrah lost her cat Chester in a hit and run. She’d received a call from a neighbour, but by the time she got there, it was too late. At that moment, Farrah would have given anything, paid anything, done anything if there was a chance to save him. It was Farrah’s grief that ignited her desire to change the lives of animals, especially those living in low-income areas; and this experience ultimately led to her founding Feeding the Furballs.
A day in the life of Farrah
Caring for animals never, ever stops. Farrah’s day starts at 5am (she does not have kennelling facilities so all animals that need care live with her), with sorting breakfast for the cats and dogs, any medication, the cleaning of all bowls and litter boxes… all before she’s had a coffee herself!
She then starts coordinating the collection of pet food and supplies by her team members and arranging for these essential items to be delivered to various households who have pets, but either have no or very little income.
Whilst this is all taking place, there will also be scheduled vet visits and calls for emergency assistance, whether it be animals hit by cars and cats trapped in small places or kittens found at factories.
Farrah also has a full-time job so the juggling act is real! Dinner is served to the animals at her home at 6.30pm, after which she settles down for an evening of admin (running a compliant, registered NPO comes with all sorts of paperwork).
The mission of Feeding the Furballs
Feeding the Furballs has been in operation since March 2014. Their mission is to:
- Better the world through kindness to animals.
- Assist rescuers with food and supplies so that they may concentrate on their rescue work.
- Inspire others to adopt, not shop.
- Network animals in need of forever homes.
Feeding the Furballs is a pro-quality of life organisation. At the moment Farrah cares for 25 feline residents, including a few special needs kitties, plus Akira the Husky (Find Akira on Instagram: @akira_the_husky).
Their three core focus areas are:
- Preventative care: sterilisations and vaccinations. Feeding the Furballs provides sterilisations free of charge to low-income areas and helps establish a relationship in communities where access to basic animal medical care is lacking.
- Animal rescue. When any animal needs help, Feeding the Furballs is there to step in, fast.
- Feeding scheme. Farrah and her team currently supply food to over 557 animals in need, across KZN.
The biggest challenges and how you can help
We asked Farrah about the biggest challenges facing her incredible organisation to which she replied: ‘it’s clichÉ to say, but funding is our biggest challenge’. Funds are needed for sterilisations, vaccinations, deworming treatment and vet care. Some amazing pet food companies like Absolute Pets) do support and any support in supplies means that funds can divert to medical care.
Feeding the Furballs would so appreciate any donations, either in food or direct donations to its vet account. As a registered PBO organisation, any donations are tax deductible.
Get in touch with Feeding the Furballs
You can reach the Feeding the Furballs team via Whatsapp on 071 889 3805. For emergencies, call 083 793 6897. Or send an email to admin@feedingthefurballs.org and farrah@feedingthefurballs.org. You can also find out more about Feeding the Furballs here.
A huge thank you to Farrah and the team at Feeding the Furballs. You inspire us every day!