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Last update - 23:57 11/09/2007 Purring with humanity By Rivi Ronen Tags: latrun The gutsy ones lift their tails and rub themselves up against us, begging to be stroked. One of them leaps onto my shoulder and wraps two legs around my neck. She purrs loudly into my ear. The more timid ones climb the cyclone fence to hide on a lofty rafter, where some of their friends were napping before we arrived. More than 700 cats reside in these two enormous compounds near the Latrun monastery. The structures were used as chicken coops until the Girgurim non-profit organization transformed them into Israel's largest cat shelter a year and a half ago. Setting up the shelter was an almost clandestine mission. Initially, 100 sick cats were transferred from a now-defunct Cat Welfare Society facility in Hadera. They joined 180 felines that were rescued in Gush Katif, during the disengagement from the Gaza Strip. An additional 200 cats, confiscated in Hadera as a result of legal injunctions, joined the others. Another 70 made their way here after the veteran cat feeder who had tended to them passed away, and a further 35 were taken from a home where they were kept in substandard conditions. In time, cats from every corner of Israel arrived in Latrun. Some of them suffered physical or emotional scars. Most cats freely roam the compounds, but cats requiring special attention are kept in separate enclosures. Only half of the facility's felines are friendly to humans. New cats are placed in a large cage, and remain under veterinary observation for 10 days. When they appear calm, they are released to roam the compound. Cats that were not neutered before arriving here have to undergo surgery before they are allowed to investigate their surroundings. Those who fail to fit in remain in closed facilities. These "closed wards" are considerably smaller - one of them resembles a two-room apartment containing sofas, rugs, crates in which to hide and shelves, from which watchful cats can survey their surroundings. Advertisement Two blind siblings from Haifa inhabit one of the closed units. "She's friendly. Her brother is a coward. She would be able to get along outside the unit, but we decided not to separate them," explains Revital Verskain, an active member of Girgurim. Another blind cat strolls through the room. "We found her, pregnant, in Beit Shemesh. She's not friendly, but you can at least approach her a little now," notes Judy Oster, another member of the small voluntary staff. Girgurim operates without a managing director, spokesman or operator to answer phone calls. Public queries come mainly in the form of e-mails to girgurim@gmail.com. The organization employs five salaried workers who fill feeding bowls, replenish water dishes, clean dozens of litter boxes and ensure the welfare of the compound's residents. Veterinarian Dr. Orli Netanel pays biweekly visits to the site. Architect and landscape designer Marta Esterkin volunteers advice on feline behavior and on how to design an appropriate habitat. The Agriculture Ministry has recognized Girgurim as an official cat shelter and supervises conditions at the site. Visitors to the compound must tread carefully to avoid stepping on delicate paws. The quiet here is misleading. Are you sure there are 700 cats? "Yes, but we won't tell you the exact number, lest we invoke the evil eye." Suddenly, we hear a screech. The assailant bristles. The would-be victim runs dozens of meters to the edge of the compound - at last, a fair catfight in Israel and sufficient room for escape. "There are not many acts of aggression in the shelter," Verskain notes. "The space is large and three-dimensional. There is no competition for resources or climbing places. Communities of about 12-15 cats form here that resemble those that form in nature." The formula for rehabilitating abandoned cats appears simple enough: Dry cat food of a superb quality not typically served in shelters (they first fed the felines "Pro-Plan," then switched to "Eukanuba," and now use "Choice," as well as special medical feed for sick cats); proper sanitary conditions and adequate ventilation to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, as well as requisite heating in winter. During the first winter, they filled the compound with tents and during the second winter they attached plastic sheets to external fences. All the organization's activities are currently funded by private donations. (They will only be eligible for minimal government subsidies after operating two years with "sound management practices.") The monthly budget of about NIS 100,000 is mainly used to cover food ("Suppliers try to meet us halfway"), rent, electricity (mainly to operate heat lamps in winter), workers' salaries, routine veterinary care (vaccinations, insertion of identification chips to allow staff to monitor the cats' whereabouts, etc.), acute veterinary care (neutering, hospitalizations), purchase of cages for hospitalization and acclimatization of new cats and other costs. The Ideologic company assisted Girgurim in the construction of its Web site (www.girgurim.co.il) and the launch of a campaign to promote giving water to thirsty stray cats. The Reuveni-Pridan advertising firm assisted Girgurim in its campaign to promote neutering, and other companies have donated products as well. "We would be more than happy to have a commercial company sponsor us." The non-profit organization has also mounted a project called Girgurim Metzuyarim to raise additional funds: The items for sale - including mugs, T-shirts and greeting cards - are emblazoned with cat illustrations, donated by artists. "This is also a way to increase the volume of items featuring cats and to upgrade the image." The organization recently had to give up one compound to cut costs, and crowding is palpable. In addition, there is insufficient soft bedding to serve the needs of all the cats. "Many people discard blankets, mattresses and beds, but we don't have the money to transport them to the site. We are in need of volunteers with the appropriate vehicles who could perform this task. It's less critical in the summer. But in winter, we try harder to meet this need." The organization cuts no corners where food is concerned. "We experimented with cheaper, regular or intermediate food - but it failed. The cats got diarrhea and their fur didn't look as good. We consider food to be preventive medicine. That is sometimes difficult for donors to understand. But foreign research proves that cats in shelters require high-quality food because of their poor state of health and the need to cope with the inevitable stress of living in a shelter." Placing cats in adoptive homes does not currently head their list of priorities. "It takes a lot of time, and requires us to construct a unit for adoptable cats," Verskain explains. "We can't let people who are looking for a cat come in here. Once, we spent more than three hours with a woman who left empty-handed because she couldn't choose. A few days later, she adopted a cat from the street." Both compounds now provide reasonable living conditions, but the non-profit organization refuses to rest on its laurels. "We are looking for a new site," Verskain reports, "and we already have detailed plans of how to build it. Our dream is to establish a clinic to promote neutering and thereby prevent the unnecessary suffering and death of kittens." For now, they are proud of the praise they earned from the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), who toured the site. "They told us, 'We didn't see one unhappy cat here.'" Bookmark to del.icio.us   Farewell ambassador Even the Arab envoys came to say goodbyeto Israel's UN ambassador Dan Gillerman. A tale of two mothers Israeli documentary 'To Die in Jerusalem' earns three Emmy nominations.   1.   You are doing a true mitzvah 00:17  |  Sharon 12/09/07   2.   GIRGURIM, I LOVE YOU! 00:53  |  hala 12/09/07   3.   In the early 1930s 01:30  |  Mark Lincoln 12/09/07   4.   the Cats of Girgurim 09:47  |  Moriah 12/09/07   5.   Israeli shelters need to change policy 11:09  |  Reuven 12/09/07   6.   Animal Welfare 12:46  |  Anthea 12/09/07   7.   Keep on mind: cats like clean environment 14:25  |  Allergic 12/09/07   8.   Donations to Girgurim 16:58  |  Josette 12/09/07   9.   For donations 18:33  |  dana 12/09/07   10.   To all Girgurim`s friends 18:47  |  Girgurim 12/09/07   11.   Cats and Dogs in Israel 06:41  |  Adam Helberg 13/09/07   12.   #9, Dana 06:59  |  Silvienne 13/09/07   13.   cat shelter 13:38  |  michael 13/09/07   14.   Animals in Israel. 14:22  |  Sara 13/09/07   15.   cats 20:04  |  susanne koren 13/09/07   16.   Feral Cats 22:10  |  Eli Wapniarski 13/09/07   17.   Mark Lincoln 00:46  |  Jo 14/09/07   18.   To # 14 - Making Israel a better place for animals 14:54  |  girgurim 14/09/07   19.   To # 15 - Managing feral colonies in Israel 15:02  |  girgurim 14/09/07   20.   For #5 - A life worth living 18:44  |  Girgurim 14/09/07   21.   Cats of Gigurim 20:51  |  Beth Brown-Gershovic 14/09/07   22.   For # 21 and all those that voiced their support 08:18  |  Girgurim 17/09/07   23.   Donations & Marketing 09:23  |  Jude 17/09/07   24.   #23 - English & Donation 21:26  |  Daniel 15/10/07   25.   English Website 11:40  |  Judy 30/10/07   26.   Contact with Girgurim 12:59  |  Betty Mercey 30/04/08   27.   No replies to emails 11:39  |  Ellen 19/07/08

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