Her love for cats to the extent of turning her home into a feline Sanctuary has seen her don the nickname ‘The Cat Woman of Mihang’o’.
As a young girl, Rachel wanted the cows that her parents owned to be cared and treated with dignity. She called for them to be well-fed and cleaned. Who knew that she would one day be an animal rights activist?
Rachel Kabue lives with 386 cats in her home, and she says that the number keeps on rising each day.
The 50-year-old woman says that she rescues cats and provides them with a good place to live. Rachel Kabue is the founder good the Nairobi Feline Sanctuary, located in Utawala, a safe haven for stray cats and kittens. The NFS mantra is “All cats are welcome.”
Founded in 2020, the NFS is her homestead, but she is looking to move the animals to a bigger sanctuary. She says that she has rescued cats from the streets and others that have traveled as far as Nakuru and Kisumu to Nairobi to be at the Sanctuary.
The mother to ‘all cats rescued from all manner of places’ says that at NFS, the cats have access to food, medical care, sleeping quarters and above all, love.
“We rescue a lot of kittens that are thrown out in cartons or are left without a mother, usually three weeks or younger,” she revealed.
Her love for cats began in 2013, when she had traveled to India where she learned about the ‘no-cruelty’ concept. Upon returning to Kenya, her eyes were opened on the insane amounts of animal cruelty, cats particularly, experienced.
“We value cows, treating them as prized possessions. But cats, not at all,” she stated.
Ms. Kabue experienced insomnia for several nights as she thought of ways to improve cat lives in Kenya. And this is how she slowly converted their family home into cat rescue center.
Together with her five children, they began hosting rescued cats and sooner than expected, the community around them termed them ‘The Cat Family’.
With the cats’ growing numbers, Rachel and her children had to donate their expensive bungalow to cats specifically, while she moved out to occupy a smaller space around the compound. The home has been modified with a small bed, patches and feeding places for the cats to sleep, play and eat from.
In addition, the cat sanctuary has a maternity wing for neonates and she has employed a veterinary doctor who operates on the cats and controls their reproduction.
She has created jobs for several youths and women, but to qualify, one must meet a certain threshold. They have to love cats.
Rachel Kabue is a diploma holder in Community Development and she works as the Africa and Country Liaison Manager, at Animal Save Movement.
As endearing as her venture is, she says that running it requires deep pockets. Building and furnishing the sanctuary cost her over Sh. 1 million, supplemented by a $2000 grant.
When asked about how she manages the Feline Sanctuary, Ms. Kabue disclosed that she spends up to 90% of her total salary on cat food, but this isn’t enough to sustain the cat home. She has to resort to cat food donations from well-wishers who resonate with her.
“Most of the food is donated by Petstore Kenya, which saves NFS almost Sh70,000 monthly. We also have virtual adoptions, where someone adopts a cat and pays $10 per month for its upkeep plus donations from our wonderful supporters,” she noted.
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“In a week, they eat about 50 kilograms of cat food and about 70 kilograms of minced meat. In a month I am spending upwards of Sh. 250,000 and Sh. 280,000,” she said.
She at times puts the cats up for adoption. But potential adopters go through a thorough vetting process to determine placement. Follow-up on the cats’ well-being is conducted for two months after adoption.
“We ensure that the cats are going to a safe place,” says the 50-year-old.
To adopt a cat from her Sanctuary, one must part ways with Sh. 3,000 because what is free is not valued. Many adopted cats have found forever homes.
But this is not the last of Rachel. She has a bigger vision in mind. She wants to build an animal hospital.
“My goal is to have cats in a place where they can roam free and still get the standard of care I am giving them. I also want to build an animal hospital,” she says.
