It all started with a forced stop. We were on a road trip when the urgent need for stable internet, a table, and good coffee led us to the nearest town:
De Rust. Its charm immediately took us. What was meant to be a one-night stopover magically turned into four, and by the end of our stay, we weren’t just visitors anymore, we had a plan.

Our love for animals, especially cats, has always been a guiding force in our lives. We knew we had to name our new venture after our most cherished rescue, Emma. Her story is one of resilience and love. At just ten days old, she and her littermates were abandoned during one of Pretoria’s fierce storms. We took them in, bottle-feeding the fragile kittens around the clock and hoping to find them loving homes.

But the quietest of the bunch, the little runt, had already made her choice. Emma had found her forever home with us.

She grew into the matriarch of our household, a gentle queen who, season after season, helped us raise and nurture new litters of abandoned kittens, showing them the ropes of “how to cat.”

Emma’s Place De Rust was born from that very same spirit. It’s a place built on the foundations of care, the warmth of comfort, and the joy of unexpected discovery. We invite you to experience the same sense of belonging and serendipity that brought us here, and that Emma shares with every soul that crosses our threshold.

Whilst you sadly won’t get to meet Emma when staying with us, her spirit lives on. You may, however, have the privilege of meeting some of our other rescues, including her sister Widget and some of the older cats that Emma helped to raise. That is, if they deem you worthy!