A 50-year-old woman from Mihang'o Estate in Utawala, Nairobi County, lives with over 400 cats in her home.
Speaking to KBC Channel 1 on Sunday, December 11, Rachel Kabue revealed that she rescues cats and provides them with a good place to live.
Referred to as "the Cat Woman of Mihang'o", the founder of the Nairobi Feline Sanctuary (NFS) provides a safe haven where “all cats are welcome."
Kabue indicated that the home currently provides shelter to 413 cats, some of which are picked from the streets while others travel from as far as Nakuru and Kisumu to be at the sanctuary.
"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.
"It is managed through my income and donations that come in periodically from well-wishers.
"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 between Ksh250,000 and KSh280,000," she added, indicating that the donations were, however, not sufficient.
A Diploma holder in Community Development, Kabue donated her Bangalow to the cats while opting to occupy a much smaller space within the same compound.
"We are sharing life with the cats together. Like the living area, the yard, and the compound. But I have my own private space," she revealed in a separate interview with Citizen TV.
The home has been modified with small beds, patches, and feeding places for the cats to sleep, play and eat from.
Moreover, the sanctuary has a maternity wing for neonates, and she has employed a veterinary doctor who operates on the cats to control their reproduction.
She has employed staff at the sanctuary consisting of youth and women, but to qualify for the job, one must first love cats.
Kabue also indicated that food and medical supplies were her greatest expenses admitting that she was inclined to comfort the felines.
She also offers adoption services for anyone willing to adopt the cats for Ksh3,000 per cat. Furthermore, people traveling can leave their felines at her sanctuary until they return from their journies.
