The Street Were Never My Choice - Lyrics Video

Cat Action Team (CAT) is a dedicated group of animal-loving volunteers who care for Cape Town’s abandoned and street cats, primarily in industrial areas. Founded in 1999 by Memory Woodford, CAT is a registered nonprofit organization. Memory was moved to act when she saw sickly, emaciated cats eating sand in Paarden Eiland, prompting her to make a difference. For over 20 years, CAT has been active without any subsidies or grants, relying entirely on donations from the public and businesses. The team runs daily feeding programs for approximately 400 cats and ensures all cats are sterilized as part of the proven TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) approach to control and reduce feral cat populations. Additionally, they provide medical attention to prevent and treat diseases and illnesses. When tame cats and kittens are found on the streets, often abandoned by irresponsible owners, CAT fosters and finds homes for them. They conduct home visits and assess the suitability of new homes to ensure the well-being of these cats and kittens. Lyrics: You see me walking through the traffic Like the road belongs to me. You call me wild and independent, As if this life means I am free. But freedom is not searching bins For something left to eat. And courage is not sleeping With one eye upon the street. I did not choose the rain above me. I did not choose the winter cold. I only learned to face the world That left me here alone. The streets were never my choice. I never asked to live this way. I never chose the empty hunger Or the danger every day. I did not choose to be forgotten Or to hide when people came. The streets were never my choice, So please do not look away. Maybe I was born behind a building, Where my mother kept me warm. Maybe someone once had loved me, Then left me frightened in a storm. However I arrived here, I was never meant to bleed, To drink from dirty gutters Or to beg for what I need. Do not call this life an adventure. Do not say that I am strong. Survival is the only road I have been walking on. The streets were never my choice. I never asked to live this way. I never chose the empty hunger Or the danger every day. I did not choose to be forgotten Or to hide when people came. The streets were never my choice, So please do not look away. I have heard the tyres behind me. I have felt the stones they threw. I have watched warm lights in windows And wondered what they knew. Still I rise with every morning. Still I search when night arrives. Not because the streets are home to me, But because I want to stay alive. If I fear you, give me distance. If I am hungry, leave me food. If I am injured, find the people Who will know just what to do. If I cannot live inside your world, Make mine safer where I am. Love me without demanding That I learn to trust your hands. One shelter can mean warmth. One bowl can mean tomorrow. One careful act of TNR Can stop another life of sorrow. One person choosing not to pass Can change the road ahead. You cannot rewrite where I began, But you can help me live instead. The streets were never my choice. But kindness found me where I stayed. Someone brought me food and water. Someone learned my hiding place. Someone saw a life worth saving Behind the fear upon my face. The streets were never my choice, But love still met me there each day. The streets were never our choice. We never asked to be unseen. We never chose the cold and hunger Or the places we must sleep. So when you find us in the shadows, Please remember what is true. The streets were never our choice, But compassion can be yours to choose. I did not choose the darkness. I did not choose this road. But if you choose to care for me, I will not face it alone.