About us
What we do
Hi, I’m Valerie, founder of our organisation that rescues street cats. Le Chat Rouge has been helping street cats to live in freedom and safety since 2019. Together with our core team – consisting of Karine, Julie, Nadia, Philippe, Hamza, Sara, Sylvie, Mouna and Redouane – we have achieved a lot in Marrakech.
Our results after five years:
– More than 350 cats have been sterilised in Marrakech and thus escaped the cycle of misery.
– Over 100 were treated and thus did not go blind as a result of ‘cat flu’ (coryza).
– We sell handmade stuffed fish (10 euros/each) at over 15 sales outlets in aid of the cats. 4 stuffed fish finance one sterilisation!
– People from all over the world support our initiative.
– Thanks to regular posts on Facebook and Instagram, our community is growing rapidly – follow us! (fb/Insta)
– Thanks to our regulars’ table, the Catlover’s Club, which takes place (almost) every first Sunday (18-20 h) in the restaurant garden of the Trattoria / Marrakesch, we also network in real life and answer your questions ‘live’.
Follow us to make sure you never miss a Catlover’s Club. (fb/Insta)
Only together can we make a difference. Join our team!
Yes, I would like to support
– I would like to foster a cat (max 10 days, isolated from other cats)
– I would like to become a neighbourhood coordinator in Marrakech and care for the cats in my neighbourhood
– Support with social media (texts, videos, translations)
– I have other ideas
Contact us today: benevole@lechatrouge.org
> Yes, I would like to care for cats in my neighbourhood
WhatsApp: Whats App Karine: (0033 689 27 29 35)
Here we sell our cute handmade fish:
- Inara Camp Agafay
- Manzil la Tortue
- Kasbah Bab Ourika
- Foundouq gargaa
- Restaurant Ayaso
- Restaurant Le Mart
- Restaurant La Bottega
- Riad les Hirondelles
- Riad Dar Zampa
- Riad Dar Sacada
- Riad Charme d’Orient
- Riad Arhababikoum
- Boutique Tipi
- Boutique les Marisiennes
- La petite lbrairie d’Emma
How it all began...
The baby cat was covered in black oil all over its body and was nibbling on a car tyre. I will never forget the sight. When I got my car out of the garage, I took the kitten with me. Her mum had long since disappeared. Baby Bonnel moved in with us. We were able to save her life, but so many street cats have to endure a terrible fate.
My name is Valerie and I love cats. When I moved from Belfort in France to Marrakech in 1998, I quickly realised that I had to do something. Street cats usually start their young lives very hungry. After countless births, their exhausted mum cats don’t give enough milk. Those that are strong enough to survive and are not run over by mopeds or cars in the big city run through the streets in search of something to eat. Most of the time, all that remains is street rubbish, with rotten and often poisonous leftover food. Malnourished and weakened, they are usually afflicted by the cat plague ‘coryza’ (cat flu). If left untreated, they quickly go blind and wander through alleyways…a terrible fate…
I knew I had to do something. In 2019, I founded the organisation Le Chat Rouge together with Philippe Coustal. I quickly found other ‘catlovers’ who wanted to help. Our network now includes committed people from Paris, New York, Frankfurt, Zurich – and of course Marrakesh. Together with you, we not only want to rescue street cats but also to give them a beautiful life.
Why sterilise them? The cycle of misery: up to 21,000 offspring within 4 years
As a rule, the inhabitants of Marrakech like cats and feed them: the misery of the street cats has another reason: there are far too many.
Cats change mates all the time. Statistically speaking, a male cat and a female cat can produce offspring from the age of 4 months and produce around 144 offspring with their children in three years. This exponential growth leads to reproduction that is completely out of control. Without sterilisation and castration, a cat and a tomcat can produce up to 21,000 offspring in the course of four years. With fatal consequences…
This is why birth control through sterilisation and castration is a top priority for Le Chat Rouge.
What is important to us
Freedom through birth control
Cats love freedom. We don’t want to lock them up. Thanks to birth control, they can stay in their familiar environment after sterilisation and castration.
Cooperation with neighbours
Cats need their familiar neighbourhood to feel at home. That’s why we work closely with the immediate neighbourhood. The neighbours feed the cats and look after them lovingly. At the same time, they pass on a respectful approach to animals and respect for the animals to the community.
Adoption and loving homes
Life on the street is very dangerous for cats. That’s why we try to find a loving home for the cats in a safe environment. More than 25 cats have already found loving mums and dads. Here in Marrakech, but also abroad. The cats are healthy, sterilised and already vaccinated.
Get in touch today if you would like to adopt a cat or know other loving ‘cat lovers’. We will be happy to advise and support you in the adoption process. Write to us today: adoption@lechatrouge.org
> WhatsApp Julie 00212 664 22 78 74
Protection against blindness
A terrible cat disease is also rampant in Marrakesh. It is called coryza (cat flu) and mainly affects the lungs and eyes of weakened cats. Many cats go partially or completely blind. Of course, without their eyesight they can neither find enough food – nor avoid scooters and cars…
> Yes, I would like to buy homemade fish for the benefit of street cats.
Transparency of finances
We list every single bag of pet food and every medicine we have bought. From the very beginning, it was very important to us to set up a legally binding organisation (association) that handles money responsibly and transparently. Your trust is extremely important to us. We want your money to really benefit the cats.