Mitchell Park Paws

20/11/2024

Want to spend a morning making cute, kitty-themed crafts, or just want to join us for a coffee and a chat about cats? We’d love to see you this weekend at a fundraising meet and greet hosted at our favourite coffee spot (and unofficial MPP HQ), . Come alone, bring a friend, or make a morning of it with the family. 

We want to meet more of the community who cares for cats, so if you’ve been wanting to learn about fostering, adopting, caring for feral cats in your area, or the work that Mitchell Park Paws does, this is your chance to come by, say hi, and ask away. We’ll have an experienced team on hand, and if we don’t have all the answers, we’ll know who to ask. 

🎟️ Anyone is welcome to pop in, but please note that bookings are needed for crafts, so that we can have your supplies ready for you! Tickets are available at the link in our bio, or you can DM us if you’d rather pay by EFT. 

*Prices include a standard hot beverage. Kids’ tickets include a milkshake or babychino.

18/11/2024

This weekend, Mitchell Park Paws volunteers helped to tidy up the area that some of our kitties have made their home.

While feral cat carers can’t control where their kitties choose to take up residence, and this building isn’t ours to give a full makeover, we feel fortunate that they’re in a leafy, pleasant area. By making sure it’s kept tidy, we…
🐱 minimise danger to the kitties from litter like broken glass or plastic bag handles
🐱 follow the important rule that feral cat carers must remember: keep your feeding site clean and neat, leaving nothing behind that could be inconvenient for other people using the area
🐱 aim to make it clear or other people who love these cats that they’re being cared for – and that everyone’s welcome to join the Mitchell Park Paws mission!

Well done and thank you to everyone who lent a hand – and the people who care for the Park every day.

15/11/2024

This beautiful kitty is the cousin of our other sealpoint ‘siamese’ sweetie, Spud, but we’ve taken a lot longer to post her for sponsorship. That’s in part because her lovely little face is seldom seen outside of a bowl of food – she’s a growing girl and loves to be first in line for breakfast each morning, as you’ll see if you swipe through our images.

We need a sponsor to give her two things: a fittingly beautiful name, and the R200 monthly that our Fund A Feline Friend donors commit to contributing so that we can keep our cats fed and cared-for. If you’d like to name and sponsor her, please use the banking details below to make your first donation and DM us or email [email protected] to let us know her new name. 🐾 💕

Cayleigh Bright
1007681659
Cheque account
Nedbank
101009

14/11/2024

Want to show that you’re part of a community that cares for cats, and support our mission to keep kitties fed and cared-for? Grab a keyring for R20 at the Mitchell Park Zoo or order directly from us – either way, the proceeds go directly to caring for cats.

If you’re a fan of Admiral the Tortoise (and who isn’t?) you can also pick out one of the keyrings commemorating his 120th birthday, with proceeds going to the Mitchell Park Trust’s ongoing improvements of the park (or as we call it, the cats’ home).

Keep an eye out for more cute, cat-themed merch coming soon. 😁

11/11/2024

Oh, hi!

Hugo just wanted to stop by to check in with you after a long Monday. We’re all feeling a little exhausted at the end of the year, and a little damp. 🌧️ But as the unofficial stepdad to all kittens born in the Zoo (he may hiss at humans, but stands back for the tiniest kittens to gobble their breakfast before he digs in), he can report that what we’re doing is working. This time last year, we were dealing with a few litters of kittens of various ages and wondering if we’d ever get everyone sterilised.

This year, there’s just one batch of babies (more on them later), and while it’s still a struggle to juggle funds for feeding with vets’ bills and other costs, we’re dealing with a finite number of cats whose care we can plan for.

So, this is just the beginning: why don’t you join us as we tackle feral cat care one colony and one tiny kitten at a time? Hugo would love to be first in line for breakfast for once. 😇

07/11/2024

Thinking about fostering kittens but feeling overwhelmed by questions like “Do I need experience?”, “Is my space big enough for a cat?”, or “Will my cat be ok with this?”

Mitchell Park Paws may not be a foster or adoption agency, but we recognise the vital need for a strong network of foster organisations if we’re going to succeed as a community caring for cats. One of the ways we’ll be stepping up to support the organisations caring for vulnerable cats is by sharing the information that potential fosters need in order to become a life-saving safe place for kittens and cats.

Get in touch if you,
❓ Have a specific question about fostering kittens.
🤝 Would like to be connected to organisation who could use the specific help that you have to offer.
☕️ Are interested in joining an info session we’ve got planned this month, where experienced animal carers will share what they’ve learned from fostering and help you to get started!

🏡 🐈 💕

29/10/2024

Fund a Feline Friend 💰🐈‍⬛

One of our former volunteers – who has now moved just too far away to help out with daily feedings – has stepped up to sponsor three of our kitties! This handsome fellow is now named Izzy, and his newly sponsored cousins have been named Cleo and Kiko.

‘Kiko’ means ‘hope’ in Japanese, making this the ideal name for the kitty who is Lucky’s baby – and for the thinking behind our Fund A Feline Friend programme. When you sponsor a cat, you help us to plan for their future ensure that they’re not just sterilised and safe, but kept in progressively healthier, improved conditions.

There are plenty of ways to help our cats and others in our community, whether you’re fostering, sponsoring, making a once-off donation of food or just popping a coin into one of our collection tins. If you’ve got questions about how to get involved, send us a DM and we’ll do our best to assist!

03/10/2024

It’s long overdue, but we wanted to give special thanks to groups and individuals whose donations of cash, items or their time and attention. When communities come together we have less hungry cats and more feeling happy and well-fed (like Lucky over here) – and we get to think even bigger in terms of goals for helping kitties in our community.

For our Heritage Day celebrations...

Mitchell Park Trust
Numi Consulting
Button Boss +
Tiger Agriculture in loving memory of Nunuz Abraham




, , , + everyone else who spread the word
All those who donated anonymously, joined us on the day, or shared the news
..and for the recent and ongoing help with our cats’ care:


Our dedicated monthly sponsors

26/09/2024

Thanks to everyone who came out of their shell to join us at Admiral’s 120th Birthday!

We loved meeting members of our community as we got creative with face painting, a scavenger hunt, competitions, and more fundraising activities for our kitties and the Zoo. We got to cut not one but three delicious cakes, all made for the occasion by our talented volunteer , as generations of Admiral’s friends and fans sang to him and shared birthday wishes.

Keep an eye on our stories for more photos, competition winners, and thanks to the many, generous donors and sponsors who made the day such a success.

📸: .shaik, , and .

23/09/2024

Tomorrow’s a big day for us at Mitchell Park Zoo, and we’re touched by how many members of the community want to help 💜

We’ve answered a few of your questions, and listed some ways to help us as we work with the Zoo and to make our space even more fun, accessible, and special!

18/09/2024

Howl didn’t let the rainy weather stop him from planning his Heritage Day look – with the dress code “heritage attire or a touch of tropical”, he’s thinking florals for Admiral’s 120th Birthday.

Will he see you at the Zoo on Tuesday for cake, fun, and games? If you’d like to contribute to the day’s success, we’re still in need of the following:
📚 Books
For ’s little free library at the Zoo
🥣 Food for the kitties
We’ll be doing a collection on the day
🖍️ Art supplies
If you’ve got colouring or craft supplies you no longer need, we can put them to good use
🧻 Toilet roll inners
We’re using the cardboard to make bird toys!

14/09/2024

Thanks for spreading the news, Get It Durban 🥳

Join Mitchell Park Zoo in celebrating Admiral the Tortoise's 120th birthday!

On Heritage Day (September 24), Mitchell Park Zoo will come alive with celebrations for its much-loved tortoise Admiral whose time at the Zoo has spanned twelve decades.
Admiral’s story is a fascinating one: dropped at the Zoo in a cigar box around the outbreak of WWI, he was brought from the Seychelles and surrendered by a soldier whose future travels could not safely include a tortoise. Could he ever have imagined the long life that his little friend would have enjoyed at the Zoo in Durban?

The day’s events will include free cake - for people and one for tortoises - while it lasts; activities for children, educational exhibits, the launch of the Mitchell Park Zoo’s little free library in partnership with FAIR, themed souvenirs for sale, and prizes to be won.

Standard zoo entry fees will apply for the public - R15 for adults and R14 for children and pensioners, and all visitors are invited to participate in the day’s activities, some of which will be free and some of which will cost a small amount which will go towards fundraising for the Zoo’s ongoing improvements.

Details: contact Abdool at 067 319 5645.

12/09/2024

He’s met royalty, heads of state, and generations of Zoo visitors, but there’s one person Admiral really wants at his birthday party – you! 🥳

We’re proud to be partnering with Mitchell Park Zoo to celebrate Admiral the Tortoise as he turns 120 this Heritage Day, and all of Durban’s invited to join us. It’ll be a festive, family-friendly day of fun, games, activities and surprises, and Mitchell Park Paws will be there. Will you?

13/08/2024

The face she makes when we tell her food stocks are low 😾

Don’t worry, we’ll keep Lucky’s bowl full, but we could really use your help. Can you donate food or funds?

If you’d like to send food to the kitties, please DM us to arrange a collection or drop-off, or you could drop off your donation at our collection point outside of the . If you’re able to donate funds towards our next big bag of food, our banking details are in the second slide of this post! We appreciate every contribution to keeping our kitties fed.

11/08/2024

As the Olympics wrap up and we celebrate our country’s incredible wins, we thought it was an appropriate time to share some of our cats’ own achievements.

Is there an event where your kitty would be sure to take home a gold medal? 🥇

08/08/2024

Every day is about celebrating kitties here, but International Cat Day makes it official. Scroll through for some words worth sharing about why they’re so close to our hearts. 🐾

02/08/2024

In just over a day, ’s incredibly generous gesture reached and exceeded our fundraising goal of R5,000 – with a total of R5,500 raised, we’ll be able to sterilise 11 kitties at the welfare rate granted by .

That’s 11 happier lives this summer, as our kitties can spread out carefree in the sun without the stresses of raising kittens outdoors. From them, us, and all the other cats whose care can be be prioritised because these are already taken care of… THANK YOU! Sending you all hugs and hisses, purrs, and gratitude from the bottom of our hearts. 🐾

27/07/2024

Your forecast for Sunday: Partly cloudy with a chance of kitties 🐈‍⬛ and 100% chance of learning more about feral cat care if you come to meet Mitchell Park Paws outside Mitchell Park Zoo this weekend.

Join us if you’d like to,
• Buy cute keyrings, gifts, cat toys + more, with all profits supporting the care of our Mitchell Park cats
• Find out more about fostering or volunteering
• Ask us anything about cat rescue in Durban
• Drop off a donation
• Say hi!