I am Gail and I have been running Chachi’s Haven cat shelter for about 20 years near Telmond in Israel. The shelter cats and street cats, whom I feed every night, give me purpose and motivation and watching their antics keeps me smiling. Please help me to help the cats.
I run and manage the shelter on my own and Chachi’s Haven relies on supporters like yourself to provide food and shelter for the cats. Please like us on Facebook and follow our progress to help the cats.
THIS IS HOW IT ALL STARTED…
…in South Africa when I met Chachi, a long long time ago…
“Chachi. My angel. This little girl changed my life and the lives of many other cats. I first saw her in the grounds of a huge factory. The connection was immediate. She stole my heart. I started feeding her and discovered many others. One day I ran out of food. I asked one of the workers to buy some food from their canteen that I could give to the cats. He said to me I was wasting my money because they catch and eat the cats!
“I called a cat organisation, borrowed their traps and rented a cottage. I moved the cats in there not realising my life had just changed. That was the first of many shelters. Chachi was originally called Charlie because of her mustache. I had no experience with cats as my mother was allergic to them. Only when she delivered kittens did I realise she was a girl. She already knew her name so Charlie became Chachi. They sounded similar. Because of her I became involved in cat rescue.
“I now live in a warehouse near Telmond with 150 abused and damaged cats. I feed about 250 street cats. I have set up this site because I cannot continue alone. My health has deteriorated and I cannot earn enough to support all the cats. Please join me to continue helping all the future Chachis. Every one of them is special and deserves a chance.”
About Chachi’s Haven
Twenty years ago Gail moved to Israel from South Africa accompanied by 29 sick feral cats who had little chance of finding a home and set up a cat sanctuary in memory of Chachi, the cat who stole her heart. From the moment Gail rescued Chachi, she resolved to never turn a blind eye to an animal’s pain and suffering; in her case, she devoted her life to the care of cats. As for Chachi, well, she gave all abandoned cats the gift of Gail’s love…
On her arrival, and for many years after, she worked all the hours God sent and paid and cared for her cats and gradually the numbers grew; as for Gail, well she just worked harder. A few years ago, when she fell ill, she had to give up her various jobs (she had 3 at one time!) and reluctantly sought help from well-wishers and supporters. She now relies entirely on donations for the upkeep of the shelter and welfare of the cats.
Gail has no doubt in her mind that in order to make a difference, we must be the difference, and she practices this daily. She not only cares for the cats in her shelter, she loves her street cats too! Yep, her street cats are a sight to behold – in the middle of the night, around 2.00am, she sets off with food bags for her street cats. Come rain, hail or shine, Gail is out there, carrying dry food from one feeding station (that’s what she calls her stopovers) to another, and the cats are waiting….they know she will come because she has never failed them.
Gail estimates there are roughly 250 street cats with new joiners every night as word spreads down the pussycat pipeline. And they come, in ones and twos, cautious and fearful, slowly drawn by the irresistible smell of the cat food she carries, encouraged by her presence from a distance, and take their first nibble – and they come again the next night… because she never lets them down.