You Have A Friend In Me

YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN ME

This is not the usual  story of wildlife rehabilitation. Read on to learn about Beans and Sausage…

In April 2025 we received a kitten that looked very much like an African Wildcat and he needed our help. He was paralyzed in his hind legs, but was feisty and active and wanted to play. We took him to Robberg Veterinary Clinic.  X-rays revealed that his spine was broken, but due to his age they said there was a possibility he could heal enough to be able to walk and be pain free. According to the x-rays and what the member of the public had told us when they dropped him off, it seemed he had little to no sunlight and his bones had become brittle “like honeycomb”
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He had pitch black pads on his paws and they looked just like little beans. So that was how Mr Beans got his name. He needed just the right nutrition, physio and exercise that would help him to heal and not do more harm. The vets put him on Hills Kitten food and it was remarkable to see quickly he was starting to get a little more movement in his hind legs on a daily basis. The vet made it clear that he would never be releasable due to his injuries and although would not be in pain, he would always be a little wobbly.
Of course Kitties like to climb, but until his bones were less brittle he wouldn’t be allowed to jump and climb and play like a healthy kitten, so he was in an enclosure that had tunnels and soft toys to keep his mind active without climbing and possibly falling and injuring himself.

We realised he needed some company as he was so playful, so we contacted Sunshine Animal Rescue and enquired if they had any kittens that were in need of a home. They very kindly donated a little tabby kitten to Tenikwa who was smaller than Mr Beans, but very bossy! Mr Beans was so excited when he saw his new friend…. We called his friend Sausage, as Sausage always goes with Beans!

Beans went from strength to strength, Hills Pet Nutrition kindly donated a few months worth for food for Beans, which Sausage loved as well and it proved to be amazing food, as soon Bean’s X-rays showed his bones were no longer brittle and he was able to be moved into a massive enclosure with Sausage with trees, rocks, shrubs and so much natural enrichment where they could play all day and we knew they would thrive. It was around this time we got his DNA test results back that Mr Beans was indeed 100% African Wildcat

African Wildcats are often mistaken for domestic tabby cats so when they are seen next to each other it is great for people to see differences between them. So not only will Mr Beans be a very important ambassador for his kind, he is also an inspiration to us all to never give up.
Come to Tenikwa and Meet Sausage and Beans and learn more about conservation and how you can help us help wild animals in need.

Thanks to Robberg Vets, Hills Pet Nutrition and Sunshine Animal Rescue, for the important roles they played in making sure Mr Beans and Sausage will both grow up and grow old.