The Appin Cats Project has been following the story of Syl for almost 6 months. When a concerned citizen contacted us for help, we began by supporting their attempts to capture and rehabilitate him. When his potential rescuers moved away without successfully trapping him, he disappeared from the neighbourhood.

The vision he cut was heartbreaking, and we could not forget him. Soon, we made a post about him and a number of like-minded residents from the neighbourhood stepped in to help. And they located him.

Syl has been living on Canaan Street these last few months, neighbours reporting that he had been living there previously, but had gone missing for a couple of years. Locals have guessed that he has been around for 8 or 9 years, and that he is likely older than that.

Canaan Street is currently home to a 25+ cat colony that is at risk because of the crumbling abandoned home that serves as their shelter. The Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals have graciously accepted this colony into care, and we are currently assisting them with trapping and transporting them to rescue.

Syl has taken a special place in our hearts and, although we are at capacity, we have the right approach and environment to transition Syl into a loving retirement.

Today, December 15, 2025, Syl was finally trapped and sent to the vet for treatment and observation.

Everyone knows how expensive things are, and we won't complain. However, we usually only fundraise once a year (this is our second time), and the costs of taking care of our rescue's permanent fosters, feeding two dozen plus cats, along with specialty diets and medications, largely comes from our own pockets.

Funds raised by this fundraiser will be used to give Syl the best veterinary care, and to further benefit the many cats in our care.