We've officially swapped Tuesday for Wednesday. Welcome to our first Wednesday edition of Melville Untold. It was a wonderful week in the 'Ville, and it looks like there's an even better one ahead.

In this week's newsletter:

• Are You MakingThese Costly Mistakes With Your Cat?

• Resource Gallery’s Sunday Lunches With Gourmet Gimba

• Wild Jasmine x Zimtoti Bakery: The Collaboration We Hoped For

Let’s go!

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson and Dr Rowena Watson (Digest)

The Digest

Are You MakingThese Costly Mistakes With YourCat? Expert Feline Care Comes to Melville

After the brilliant responses we received from our story on the relationship between dogs and their owners with Donald Capper, we thought it was only fair to balance the scales. Time to cater for our cat families!

We found one of the most amazing humans, Dr Rowena Watson, while reaching out to the Johannesburg Specialist Veterinary Centre. She helped us put together an extremely informative article that can help the cats in our hood.

Meet Dr Rowena Watson: Feline Trailblazer

Rowena Watson is a vet at the JSVC. She's known for her incredible work in contributing to the development of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) treatment in South Africa. Because of her, the treatment is available here for the first time in 60 years.

She researched FIP treatment during lockdown after her own cat was diagnosed with the disease and successfully treated it. Thanks to her work, FIP treatment became available in Mzansi. Her colleagues at JSVC have been campaigning to make it widely known among the public and other vets.

She's described as a "trailblazer" in the industry. At the World Veterinary Association Congress, where she attended many presentations, so yeah, she knows her stuff!

About JSVC

The JSVC is a specialised animal hospital with 8 vets in practice. Their primary focus is on surgical and medical referral cases received from other veterinary practices across South Africa and neighbouring African countries.

JSVC "strives to combine advanced medical procedures, quality medicine and outstanding patient care" to provide an excellent client experience. They assist vets in expanding available medical and surgical options.

Their specialists include:

• Dr Dave Miller, a specialist physician who, along with Dr Adri Scholtz and Dr. Rowena Watson, they run the medical practice

• Services in internal medicine, dermatology, cardiology, oncology (cancer therapy), urology and nephrology, musculoskeletal disease (including arthritis), and endocrine disorders

• Dr Fanie Naudé is the specialist small animal surgeons, with Dr. Steph Chatry, a specialist-in-training

Dr Watson's Expert Advice

Proactive Feline Wellness: Barriers to Veterinary Care

Dr Watson wrote this piece especially for us, exposing the many barriers to veterinary care that can really benefit our feline community.

From crazy kittens to geriatric granny cats, the proactive wellness of our house tigers is essential. Cats are experts at hiding their illnesses. They often appear normal until quite late in the disease process, where intervention and treatment become more difficult, more costly and less successful.

Proactive care takes many forms: vaccinations, regular deworming, tick and flea control, good nutrition (including life-stage appropriate and disease-specific nutrition), and disease screening as our house tigers get older. But before that can even happen, many barriers can stand in the way of simply getting our cats to the vet and back.

The Transport Drama

The stress, drama and chaos of simply getting a cat to the vet is often cited as a reason that cats don't receive as much routine and preventative care as dogs do. So how can we make the whole process easier for everyone?

Just like dogs and humans, the easiest period in which to shape behaviours is as a kitten. This means desensitising our kittens to their carrier, car travel, and the sounds and smells of a vet.

Top tips:

• Leave the carrier out at home to get the cats used to it.

• Feed lots of delicious treats when your cat goes into the carrier (as opposed to it only being associated with vet visits)

• Take your kitty for a quick Sunday drive around the block (with treats!) to teach them that the car isn't the terrifying trip some cats think it is.

• Pop into your vet during quiet times for a weigh-in and a quick cuddle with the staff (and, of course, treats!) to show them that we're not all bad at the vet clinic.

The Financial Reality

Another stumbling block in routine care comes from the unfortunate reality of finances. Veterinary care is not cheap. As much as every member of the veterinary team loves animals, our buildings, equipment, supplies and medicines all have a cost—not to mention we all have families of our own to look after.

Because of the rising costs associated with veterinary care, medical insurance for our kitties is a necessity. Although some will only cover hospital stays or accidents, many insurance plans cover routine wellness checks, helping ease the financial burden. Even as a vet myself, I have insurance on all my cats, which more than pays for itself over the course of a year!

The Medication Challenge

A final barrier to veterinary care and preventative wellness is the drama of giving cats medication. Whilst many dogs can be tricked into taking tablets hidden in peanut butter or other goodies, cats are not so easily fooled.

If we consider the fact that we all age, get sick and get hurt, medication is almost inevitable at some point. Teaching our kitties to accept medication can save us a lot of sweat, blood and tears (literally) in the future.

Teaching our cats to allow us to open their mouths without the consequence of a bad-tasting pill, then progressing to "dosing" treats, can require persistence and patience. But it will pay off when you leave the vet with five different medications to give at home.

The Bottom Line

As much as we want to view our kitties as independent and low-maintenance, vet visits are inevitable. Making those visits as easy as possible reduces our reluctance, as their guardians, to take them to the vet for preventative and routine care. This enables your vet to identify problems before they become disasters.

Thank you, Dr Watson, for such amazing advice!

Contact JSVC:

They offer emergency after-hours services with consultations on weekends and public holidays

Operating hours: Weekdays 07h30–12h00 / 15h00–18h00, Saturdays 08h30–12h00, Sundays & Public Holidays 09h00–11h00

Contact: 011 792 6442 or [email protected] 

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What’s Happenin’ 🤔

Loads of family and adult-friendly events to wrap up the month. We're still a bit light on live music gigs, but Wild Jasmine and chiesa are holding the fort beautifully.

Melville Weather For The Week 🧣

The weather has been as unpredictable as ever. Fingers crossed we can leave the umbrellas at home. Like, rain? In Winter? What?

Wednesday 

18° 🌡️ 2°  | ☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | SSW 7 km/h 💨

Thursday  

19° 🌡️ 3° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | ENE 11 km/h 💨

Friday 

17° 🌡️ 1° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | ESE 19 km/h 💨

Saturday 

17° 🌡️ 3° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 1% | NE 9 km/h 💨

Sunday

15° 🌡️ 3° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | N 7 km/h 💨

Monday 

24° 🌡️ 7° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | N 6 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

24°🌡️ 6° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | SWS 13 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

Wild Jasmine and chiesa are holding us down on the music front!

02/08 | Saturday | 7.30 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPI | Xhanti Nokwali ft. Bopha Blackman, Sakhile Twala, and Chester Summerton | R180 

04/08 | Monday | Wild Jasmine | Folk Music for International Hibernation: Composer and Musician Xhanti Nokwali | RSVP via @wild.jasmine103

For more updates as the week goes on, visit our instagram page @snapson7th

If our weather or comprehensive gig guide came in clutch, consider buying us a coffee. 

The Tail End 🐾

Winter Swag Contest Update

Winter Swag Contest: A Coup d'Etat!

There's been a twist in the Winter swag saga. The underdogs have risen. Ripley and Hicks have pulled ahead in a shocking turn of events, and the competition is getting heated!

Our other adorable contestants need your help. Cast your votes to bring Layla, Simba, and Marley back into the running. Let's make this a proper race to the finish!

Civil Matters 👷‍♀️

6th Avenue Stairs Maintenance

Some much-needed maintenance took place on the staircase connecting 6th Avenue to 3rd Street this past week. The balustrades went on a brief holiday, making the passage a tad treacherous.

Good news: they're back on now and the stairs are open for pedestrian use. More work is on the horizon though, they're scheduled for a fresh coat of paint and a proper handrail soon. Progress, one step at a time!

Melville Koppies Check-In ⛰

Veld Fires on the Koppies

'Tis the season for veld fires. While this is prime time for controlled burns on the Koppies to help revitalise the local ecology, many of the fires we've seen this year have been worryingly unsupervised.

If you spot a fire that looks out of control, please log the issue with the City of Joburg Emergency Management Service at 011 275 5922.

And if your house borders the Koppies, a gentle reminder to play it safe: clear your fence line of any dry vegetation that could invite the flames over for a visit.

Market Watch 🎪 

Melville Church Bazaar: A Resounding Success!

This year's Church Bazaar at the market was everything it promised to be and more. It had a bit of everything: a smorgasbord of food, entertainment for the kids, a huge succulent and plant expo, all wrapped in a hug of artisanal gifts and goodies.

It was a fantastic day out. Tables and stalls snaked all the way to the church's back garden. We popped in, devoured some extra spicy Portuguese chicken, inhaled a few killer pancakes, and met some amazing people. The community was out in full force! And then, feeling virtuous, we donated blood at the SANBS tent.

The turnout was so immense that cars were parked from 3rd Street all the way to Picobella! It was incredible to see the community supporting the church and the market so enthusiastically. A huge well done to the organisers and everyone involved. 

Safe to say, the 2025 Melville Market Bazaar was a roaring success!

Art in Melville 🖼 

Resource Gallery’s Sunday Lunches With Gourmet Gimba: A Taste Of Home

Resource Gallery and Gourmet Gimba are hosting their second Pop Up Lunch Club event this weekend, and the theme is a 7-colours shisa nyama edition!

We chatted with Erica, the founder of Gourmet Gimba, to get a mental sneak peek of this Sunday's taste experience. This isn't just a meal; “it’s a little taste of home for everyone”. The businesses in the Melville Mansions have come together organically, becoming friends and neighbours who support each other's wholeheartedly. This lunch is the first of many products to come from this eclectic collective.

Gourmet Gimba is currently a "dark kitchen" run by the talented Melvillian Erica, catering private events and prepping meals for high-end clients. As we speak, work is being done on her kitchen, getting her ready to open to the community via Uber Eats.

For now, the best way to experience her magic is to attend these vibrant Sunday lunches. It's a powerful connection of South African cultures through gastronomy. "7 colours" is a dish Black cultures in South Africa traditionally serve on Sundays and for special events, featuring at least seven different foods. But Erica's version has a twist, with colours made up of dishes from other cultures, intentionally including “something from everyone’s upbringing”:

• Pampoenkoekies bring in the Afrikaans flavour

• Vetkoeks and cheese with curried mince inspired by Malay culture to start

• And many more surprises...

Everything is served in small bowls arrayed along a long table, designed to foster engagement and bring people together. Because in Africa, food is always the best connector.

Event Details:

• When: Sunday, August 3rd at 1:30 for 2pm

• Where: Inside Resource Gallery

• Hosted by: Resource Gallery, together with Gourmet Gimba

• Cost: R650 per person

• Booking: [email protected]

Follow Gourmet Gimba and Resource Gallery to keep up with future events and projects. After speaking to them both, we know there are tons on the horizon you wouldn't want to miss!

Stokvel Gallery Opening Curated by Mandi Conidaris

The Joburg Artist Market continues its vibrant streak with the Gordart Stokvel Gallery Exhibition, curated by Mandy Conidaris. It's a "Mapping and Landscape" opening featuring Cape-based artists Laurel Holmes and Yolanda Warnich. Another art-filled weekend for us all! How lucky are we?

Extra Sprinkles 🧁 

Wild Jasmine × Zimtoti Bakery: A Match Made in Melville

Our extra sprinkles this week is the delicious collaboration between Zimtoti Bakery and Wild Jasmine for their Monday Dinner Soirées.

The dinners were already a beloved vegetarian event accompanied by intimate African folk music. Well, they've taken it up a notch: the menu is now a fully-fledged, indigenous plant-based food experience.

Honestly, this collaboration was a no-brainer. After writing about both businesses, the overlaps were glaring. Their energy is a match made in Melville, and this dining experience is precisely what the neighbourhood's palate has been screaming for.

The partnership blossomed organically as the owners of Sibongile and Pearl attended each other's events and supported each other's projects. Zimtoti's food experience slots seamlessly into the Dinner Soirées, creating a beautiful crossing of minds and a sharing of knowledge.

They've been working together for a month, hosting four dinners and a cooking workshop. They're taking it slow, month by month, finding their rhythm as they grow together. This is another food experience you simply don't want to miss. We are truly spoilt for choice in the 'ville.

Book your seat: RSVP to [email protected] or send a DM on Instagram: @wild.jasmine103.

Thank you! 🙏

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'Til next Wednesday,

Stay loving, stay living, and stay lovely.

Żegnaj. ✌️