Breaking Point Broke

Yes indeedy, I snapped this morning!  Ever since I found the threatening note and the shelter placed at the curb a few days later at my first spot each day, I have been dreading going there.  But go there I must as there are at least six cats depending on the food and water I set there.  I continued to place paper plates and water dishes down behind the house where the shelter was removed.  I will not let the cats starve to death until I can figure out another solution.  As I pulled up this morning, there were people on Wally's porch, and I recognized the young tall thin black girl as living up above him.  As I got out of my car I heard her say something like 'you aint putting no cat food down here, those cats are eating my garden, and the raccoons, etc'.  She told me to take the cats with me etc.  Well, I snapped.  I started to go up to her and defend myself.  And the cats.  I told her she had so much hatred in her heart to see these animals suffer, that I couldn't take any more of these cats, that this is the only home they have, and I would not stop feeding them.  I asked her if she would bring her children up with all this hatred for people and animals, I called her ignorant, and at one point called her a really bad vulger female body part name!  I was FURIOUS!  Because all the while I am trying to defend the cats, she's telling me 'you put down food and I will throw it out'.  I told her just because she lives such a miserable life, not to take it out on the animals.  I really let her have it.  So, at one point, I proceeded to walk down a few houses and under a tree near the curb I set down plates and water and food and three cats followed me, gobbling up their food.  As soon as I stood up, I noticed her walking toward me.  I said I am calling the police, you stay away from these cats!  I then dialed 911, and she kept coming.  Then I heard her say  'I am sorry, I should never have talked to you like that, I know how much you love these cats, my boyfriend and I had a disagreement and I took it out on you and the cats'.   She kept apologizing over and over, of course I told dispatch to never mind the call, all was fine, and she kept apologizing.  She even offered to help me feed the cats.  She told me we could put a shelter behind her house, saying even though the landlord doesn't allow pets, doesn't mean we can't feed them outside.  She really just went  on and on.  I could tell - even asked her - she was sincere.  I apologized to her, of course I was crying at this point (yes, I cry at confrontation!).  I was so shaken, but I felt better once I left.  Hopefully she meant it and the bowls are there tomorrow. 

All other spots good, as can be.  A few raccoons needed to be chased away, had to gently kick a baby raccoon, he wasn't budging.  I felt bad, but my cats need their food too!  Limpy still limping.  I pray for that sweet boy.

Its nice to have a vacation day, although its not really.  I have some cleaning to do and then going to my friend's house to enjoy her paradise in the country for a few hours, where she has an adopted kitty from me, along with her dog, four other cats, and five chickens.   Kristen has made shelter for me in the past, and has some really great ones ready for me to go.  Thanks every one for your kind comments to me about the losses of my three boys in the past three weeks.  Its been tough, but I am renewed!  :)

Hiatus

Yes, Trouble went peacefully yesterday.  She was always my special girl.  I injected her with insulin each and every day.  She was always a trooper.  When I picked her up for her appointment, her breathing was labored.  She was ready, for sure.  I told her to keep an eye out for her brothers, Cosmo and Barney.  Yes, a sad day for sure.

Pictures were taken this morning at a few spots:

 The next pic - I saw this cat crying, obviously very hungry, and placed food and water down and it gobbled it up.

I have no other good news to report, my heart is heavy today.  I promise to 'snap out of it!' soon...  I thank those that offered their condolences to me.   Your words, each of you, means a lot.  Give your babies hugs and make it a great day.

"Tomorrow always comes, and today is never yesterday."

Enough

Seriously.  I am at one of my breaking points.  One of - thank God I have more, or I don't know how I would be today.  I got to my first spot this morning, where I feed about six cats each morning, where many have been TNR'd, two of which I had to release Sunday morning, which broke my heart to begin with as these were two sweet cats that need homes, one of which I haven't even seen since I let him go.  When I pulled up, there was the shelter I had behind the house next door to where Wally lives, and on the other side of him lives the woman who wrote me that nasty note the other morning.  As I got out, and went behind the house, I noticed the grass had been mowed.  I can only assume that it was trashed by the woman that owns the house, that rents it out to people who have not bothered with me or the cats all this time.  I am so disappointed in Wally.  Why couldn't he defend me and the cats?  I know his intentions are good, and maybe he shys away from confrontations with people.    I am sure it is the latter, but it still doesn't make it any better.  I have reached out to a group on Facebook that is a coalition of the neighbors in that area, to see if there is anyone reading it with an ounce of compassion to offer me some suggestions/alternatives.  I am sick over this.  There is nothing there now, and I am sure someone is going to pick up the food and trash it after I've left.  I just don't know what to do.  There are no abandoned houses right there.  I've had so much opposition there, I am just at my wits end on what my next move will be, tomorrow. 

TROUBLE

Another situation weighing heavily on my mind is my cat Trouble.  My girl, who I rescued from a neighboring street, the only rental house in my hood, the people moved out and left her there.  There's been nothing but white trash that has lived there since.  Anyways, Trouble, unbeknownst to me, had a bun in the oven - and a week after I took her in, I looked behind the couch where she was laying, and I thought she was playing with a mouse.  It was her baby!  Since that day, she was named Trouble because of her spitfire personality.  She didn't like the others and made it clear to them to stay away.  She developed diabetes, and it was never controlled.  Hence, she weighs about three pounds now, and she just stopped eating this morning, something she has never done.  I found her staring at the furnace in the basement.  I carrier her up to the bed, and she told me it was time.  I have the appointment at 11 today.  Wish me luck.  :(

If Ignorance is Bliss, You Must Be the Happiest Person Alive!

After reading the comments from yesterday, and trying to regain my composure and not go through another tear filled day, I want to thank each person who reached out to me to give condolences on the passing of my Barney yesterday.  I have other cats that I've had far longer than Barney, but for some reason I took this especially hard.  I've never had a cat pass without the injection by a vet.  I was alone with him, and he took his last breath in front of me.

If any of you recall my old posts from over a year ago, I had adopted Barney out to a man who had been convicted of child molestation and spent time in prison.   Even though this sick man commited God knows what, it didn't, in my eyes, make him a bad cat owner.  He was lonely, being a outcast from society, and he loved cats.   But this man could not take care of himself, his home, nor Barney properly, and he knew it, and thank God he had the wisdom to call me, after I went over there often to check on Barney and always left with hesitancy, to tell me Barney was limping and that maybe I should take him back for  awhile.  I did, and I am so thankful I never gave him back.

His limp healed, and Barney thrived with me, and his brothers and sisters, for a good year and half after that.  He had scars on his mouth, barely any teeth, and what teeth he had were rotted, frostbitten ears, very course grey fur, and the oddest eyes.  I always joked that he would never win a beauty contest, but he was my special boy and I am just so thankful he came along and allowed me to rescue him - twice.

This morning was interesting in the fact that I had a confrontation with the mean dude who first took the hut that my art teacher friend and her students built for me many months ago, along with the boards, towels, bowls, etc.   I still had an open three sided heavy duty shelter that Heather had given me a few years ago behind the house.  This house, as a matter of fact, is the same place that Benny, Barney, Sasha, Teenie, Larry and so many more have been rescued.  This is where Sparkles and Limpy #2 hang also. 

Teenie, the pregnant kitten I rescued, feeding her newborns...

Anyway, I encountered this guy a month or so back while he was standing in front of the house, that is abandoned and boarded, and he told me to move my stuff and not to feed the cats - he said he owns the house and he would trash if it I didn't.  I was frightened to death of him after he told me this, I teared up, thinking 'oh no, what am i going to do'.   The next day, we moved this very heavy shelter to where Wally resides, next door where I feed the cats there.  But, I still put food and water down at the spot, not having seen the man again.  There he was this morning, and he said something like 'I thought I told you not to feed the cats here' - I got so angry, I whirled around while I was putting food and water down for these two cats waiting for me, and said 'you don't own this property (trying to call his bluff - I really don't believe he does.  I think he just lives next door).  He said he would call the police - and started to write down my plate number (like he had a pen or something) - and I said 'go ahead and write it' and I shouted the numbers to him!  He mentioned raccoons and I shouted back that raccoons would be here with or without me putting food down for the cats.  I told him I would not allow these cats to starve to death because of him, and he kept holding his hands over his ears all the while telling me not to talk to him.  I told him I had a lot of cop friends and that if he harmed these animals he would be in trouble.  Now, I don't usually get angry like that, but I am so tired of people that are openly cruel to animals.  Between him and the woman on Grand who threatened to give the cats antifreeze - what is wrong with people?

Don't these kind of ignorant idiots realize that life is too short?  Do they care that in the end, none of this matters?  God will judge them on how they treated others on earth.  These kind of people are malicious, mean-spirited bullies. They are envious of others' successes and will do their best to prevent someone else from succeeding. I believe they are unhappy, frustrated and socially isolated. I must try to remember that their anger towards me is probably how they treat others. They are looking for arguments and hostility to confirm their own negative view of the world.  I will be careful, and cautious, but I won't back down.

Barney - RIP



My boy Barney, who I rescued from the streets two very cold, snowy winters ago, went to heaven today.  He had stopped eating this weekend, I didn't know what was wrong with him.  When I brought him into the vet at noon today, he wasn't moving.  After the doctor looked into his mouth, smelled the odor of urine, she was very certain it was kidney failure.  After we agreed what would be best for him, she left the room, and as we waited for her to return with the syringe, I petted his sweet course grey fur, softly comforting him, just the two of us, and he took his last breath there and then.   As heartbreaking as it always is, I would do it all over again to ease the suffering of a cat on the street.  I am so thankful I had the chance to love him.  This is how it was for him before I made the decision to get him off the street.



 I found this perfect poem - so sweet.  Just like my Barney.

God's Garden

 

God looked around His garden

And He found an empty place

He then looked down upon the earth

And saw your precious face

 

He put His arms around you

And lifted you to rest;

God' s Garden must be beautiful

He always takes the best.

He knew that you were suffering

He knew you were in pain

He knew you'd never ever

Get well on earth again.

So He closed your weary eyelids

And whispered " Peace be thine "

Then He took you up to Heaven

With Hands so gentle and kind.

 

It broke our hearts to lose you

But you did not go alone,

For part of us went with you

The day God welcomed you home.

Whatta Weekend

I got drenched this morning.  It was NOT fun.

Saturday morning I was successful in TNR'g four male cats.  I tried to get the Buff injured cat, but no sign of him - go figure - the one morning I am able to try to save him.   A friend helped with two of of my four and with transport to and from Lollipop.  I cared for the two boys overnight, in separate bathrooms, and bonded with each of them.  It was very very difficult to let them back out into the terrible neighborhood where they came from.  Here are their pictures.

I also ran into Tamara, the prostitute on Central.  She was with the other prostitute that I wrote about a year ago when I wound up calling the police to say there was a very pregnant, very intoxicated female on the streets at 5:30 in the morning.  I thought there should have been a law or something where it is illegal to be pregnant and intoxicated, and including prostituting yourself all at the same time.  Not sure what happened then, but there they were, and pushing a baby stroller to boot.  She ran over to me, and I greeted them both.  The mother told me she now feeds cats because of me, and said she knows what its like to be hungry and felt sorry for them.  I went over to look at her little baby, Walter.  Sweet little thing was sleeping, and my heart just went out for him.  What a way to begin your life.

I went to my first spot Sunday morning, next door to Wally's house, and got a note that read something like this:  "Cat Lady - stop feeding the cats here.  Tip of the day:  Anti-freeze is quicker"  It blew my mind.  I then called Wally out of the house (he is up early in the morning) and asked him if he knew who wrote it.  He said the woman on the other side of his house.  I said what business has she got with two houses down from her?  I met the mother of the woman who actually owns the house that I feed behind, and they like cats, and have not had a problem with me feeding there.  How dare this other person threaten to poison these cats.  I will keep an eye out on this, and have proof on paper if any of my cats there get sick.  I wonder what else I can do, legally.

Another update - the kitten that the crazy woman had went up for adoption on Saturday at Rochester Animal Services.  A friend of mine was going to adopt it and then eventually my cop friend was going to foster, but apparently the little guy was adopted that morning.  I pray it was by a good person. 

TGIF, FOR REAL

I am so thankful its Friday.  Not only do I get TWO WHOLE days off from work, so that I can clean my house for half of a day, attend family party after family party (ha), and then on Sunday having to think about going back to work on Monday (I know, be grateful you have a job), but I can take a break from my blog.  I swear I bore myself to death sometimes with my writing.  I have been told (a handful of times) that I am a good writer, spelling errors and all, but sometimes its real effort to make it interesting to the few that bother to read my blog (and thank you very much for it!).   

There are two calico's out there that are just the sweetest things.  Both are females, and both are spayed and have had their shots.  I believe that each day that goes by, they are in more danger than the next, and more likely to turn semi feral (afraid of humans) in the neighborhoods that they are in.  If they had people being kind to them and petting them each day, they would most likely not be more afraid each day.  Here are their pictures, please consider one or both, and please pass this blog to all your friends in hopes that they might consider.  I must pick out some temporary names for them.  Their personalities are both sweet - one is more daintier than the other.  I welcome suggestions. 

I will be attempting to trap two kitties, and I have a friend who will also be attempting to trap two, and he has offered to be the transportation for them tomorrow.  This again will be free for me through Lollipop.  I am so grateful for this.  I am just always fearful I won't get a cat and I let people down.  I am going to try to get the buff kitty that is limping . that hangs with Sparkles.  He was there again this morning waiting for his breakfast.

This is what I see each morning.  Filth.  I feel sorry for the neighbor of this house, who likes to keep his yard immaculate.

I have had a number of stuff missing also the past few weeks.  Some very nice custom totes are missing from one spot, and at my first spot, they stole the water dish and all the bowls.  Its so disturbing to think that in the 90+ heat we had yesterday, someone could take the water bowls from them.  I will have to replace them.  I placed temporary little bowls down this morning.  The good news is that the weather is cooling down a bit and it will be a little more comfortable for my babies out there.  

I share a pic of a plastic water dish I placed near one of my shelters near the edge of a street.  If everyone placed a little bowl of water on their porches this summer, you could be helping a very thirsty animal.   Have a good day.

In each and every moment of my life, joy is a possibility. I choose joy now.

That is my affirmation of the day.  I must believe it.  I must follow it. 

I was very joyful to see my boy, Big Red this morning after he was TNR'd yesterday.  Such a good boy.  He was VERY happy to see me too.  Funny how these cats that live 24 hours a day outside, in all sorts of elements, in all sorts of neighborhoods, with all sorts of crazy things around them, come to know you, and love you.  Big Red reminds me so much of my beloved Cosmo, who I lost just maybe three weeks ago, but still feels like yesterday.  He reminds me of Mickey, my very first orange cat, who I miss terribly also.  Mickey was a brat, but a loved brat. So, Big Red, Red, Lucille, Talkie and Miss Calico were waiting for me.  It was good to see.

SPARKLES



I think I saw Limpy at my next stop.  That was a good thing.  I did not see the open raw wounded cat at the next stop.  I think he was released yesterday morning.  I will keep an eye out for him, I was told his wound was not as bad as it looked, and that the antibiotic he was given would help it.    The next few stops were pretty much normal, except again I saw the wounded buff colored kitty hanging with Sparkles.  He is still limping terribly.  At the next couple of stops after that, I was shocked to see a baby kitten running from the shelter I have set up behind a house.  This little guy couldn't be more than two or three months old.  Teeny, tiny.  Tiger.  I must try to trap here this Saturday, where I am expected to get at least two kitties for TNR'g.

These are some of the things I witnessed this morning.  I continue to drive down near crazy lady's house, waving at Jasmine, the poor girl that I described a few posts back, as she told me through the car window that today was her last day of school, just before she was picked up by a little yellow school bus.  I stopped and said hello to Dave, an elderly black man who lives across the street from Jasmine, who saw me two days ago placing a bowl of food and water down for a cat I saw - and we struck up a nice conversation.  He is a very kind man - a rarity in these neighborhoods I venture out into each day.  There really are some nice people in life.  I have to remember this. 

Pictures are of various stops I make and the kitties I feed.

 SECOND STREET

SEVENTH STREET

Happy 1st Day of Summer!

"Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”   Thats me.  Insane.  I do what I do each and every morning.  Its drudgery the first half of my stops, and after the 7th or so I begin to feel better, knowing I have only a few more to go.  Thank God its summer.  I really try not to think about what lies ahead (winter). 

Yesterday, Big Red, lovely little Calico and another grey from Hayward were trapped and TNR'd.  Big Red, I found out, had severe ear mites, which caused the wounds behind his ears.  I always thought it was due to fights, but I believe its because of the mites.  They were infested for years.  I remember him shaking his head so violently at one point.  I am so glad they treated him.  I hope to see him out tomorrow morning as he has been released just this morning by Laura.  Lovely little Calico must get adopted soon.  She, and Big Red, are just too sweet to be out on the streets any longer.  Honest, time has not made Big Red mean.  He is very loving with me.  He would make such a wonderful sweet cuddlebug to someone. 

Where Larry was rescued, and where Sparkles hangs, there is a buff colored kitty that has an injury on his back right foot.  I have been observing him for over a week now.  I place food up on the porch, and down on the ground, in case he can't jump, but he has managed.

I wanted to share pictures of cat that I rescued as a kitten from an abandoned house, along with his brother.  He was flea infested and filthy when I got him.  He was soon adopted by a sweet girl who took him home and has been madly in love with him since.  Here is what he looks like today:

I love these happy endings!!

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Waylon Jennings?  Good tune.  It somewhat relates to the fact that on my route this morning, I chased away three mother raccoons and each had three babies!  I felt bad chasing the babies away, who couldn't run very fast, but hey!  Get your own food!   

This morning, around 3 am., I got up to let the dog out, and boy was it humid.  As I got back on the couch! (yes, the only cool room in the house was the living room), I thought it sounded like it had started to rain.  Then I heard, over the buzz of the AC, the thunder, then saw the lightening through the curtains.  Then came the thoughts of the babies out there trying to find shelter.  I thought of a couple of my own kitties who are so scared of the thunder they run and hide somewhere in the house.  Then thought of the homeless cats that have that same fear but where do they run to?  Thank goodness that at 5 am., when I had to leave the house to feed, the rain had stopped.  As I drove to my first location, I felt very sad.  I started to feel very sorry for myself.  What I do every single day of my life gets to me sometimes.  I thought, I have no spare money for the many repairs I need on my house, I have no money to go anywhere for a vacation, nor could I if I did because who is going to feed the cats that depend on me daily.  I thought, this situation is so hopeless.  That is until I pulled up to the second feeding spot, where Big Red, Talkie, Lucille and the little calico hang, including Red who's been coming over from the next street lately.  I saw something odd in the driveway, and as I got out of my car to see, I heard my name.  It was Laura, this woman who helped out with the TNR project with Lollipop last month.  She came by to trap some of my kitties for spaying.  I thought to myself, here is this selfless woman coming to help me out, without me even asking.  She got up on her own, came down to the hood, and was willing to sit there and wait for the kitties to go into her box trap.  Thats when I stopped my pity party and knew that I had to snap out of it.  I thought, I don't know this woman except for her name and that she is a good trapper.   But look at what she is doing to try to help these animals.  So as I drove to my next location, and saw the look on the face of the cat there waiting for me, I knew I had a purpose and that I must continue to do it and not regret a second of it.

I saw Crazy "Lucy" yesterday on her bike around 6 am. in another neighborhood I feed in, not far from her house.  I saw this person from behind and thought, thats 'Lucy".  Sure enough, I drove up, rolled down my passenger window and said hello.  She muttered something about going to get her money.  I told her this was where I feed kitties and she said 'they stole mine'.  And then she started to leave.  As she did, for a moment I felt sorry for her.  I know deep in her sick mind she does love cats and thinks what she does to them is good.  To live your life with a mental illness like hers is terrifying to me.  I have to thank God every day that I have my health, for now, and my wits about me. 

Pictures below are of Winston (aka Stinky), formerly Buddy.  I rescued Buddy back in the fall of last year, when I was feeding all those cats I didn't have shelter for near Miss B's old place, and Wally's current one.  He was just a baby kitty and I had him for a long time before this kind girl and her husband heard about me and contacted me when they were looking for a companion for their girl, Magic (aka Mean Girl).  Magic is pictured here also.  Winston is one happy cat with his new family, although it was very hard for me to let him go, he was like one of my own.  But his new Mommy keeps in touch with me and for that I am very grateful!

 Winston

Magic

Busy Weekend!

The pictures throughout are a couple I took this weekend - houses and my babies in the hood.

It was a very busy weekend for me.  I suppose the only way I could ever relax on a day off is to go somewhere either to a beach, a tropical rainforest, or an island where there are no shops, no television, no texting, and no cats!  Friday started off pretty good, and ended great knowing that the kitten was removed from the crazy girl's house that afternoon.  I was elated.  The next morning, the injured cat on Hayward was successfully trapped.  Thank you very much Laura.  I appreciate your efforts, your drop trap, and the temporary housing you have provided forhim, and Limpy, who will be eartipped on Tuesday (they wouldn't do it at the vet that he was seen at for his injured foot) and then let go back into the wild.

I also was reminded of an important lesson that every once in a while I forget.  Not to judge people.  As I pulled up Friday morning at the first Hayward location, there was a man - and I apologize if anyone thinks I am racist - which I very much am not , but I do like to describe people and places as I see them - a black man was sitting on the steps with a little dog.  The steps were to the house next to where I feed Red, and the black and white kitty, and where I have rescued cats in the past, including Winston (aka Buddy), and Emma, and countless others.  The house next door is a mess, front screen door hanging on one hinge, windows with sheets covering them, some windows wide open with no screens, stuff in the yard, just a mess is all I can say.  Anyway, as I approached the house I said goodmorning to the man sitting there, he was fairly quiet, but I decided I would tell him what I was doing after I placed the food and water down next door.  As I approached him I told him I was feeding the cats there, and that I have rescued many from this street, and that I was trying to get them all spayed and neutered.  He introduced himself as Dave, and his dog Mama, a long haired Cichuahua, who you could tell he was in love with.  The time was 5:30 a.m.  I petted Mama and told him that my own dog was diagnosed recently with bladder cancer.  Dave told me he had the same thing.  He told me he had surgery to remove the tumor and had to wait three months to see if it returned.  He walked up to introduce himself with a slow gait and also then told me he had recently had a stroke.  Dave couldn't have been more than 55 years old.   He was here from his home in Texas, trying to take it easy and recuperate at his neices house, but told me they were 'renovating' and there was too much stuff going on for him to rest.  He told me he would be going back to Texas soon.   We shook hands, I wished him and Mama well.

My point to this is:  Here I judged this person before I met him, based on the house he was at and the neighborhood it was in.  I think we all tend to do this.  Black or white, heavy or thin, poor or rich, everyone has a story to be told, some are good, some are bad, but we need to step back and realize we can't judge anyone by looks alone.  You just never know what someone else is going through.  Thanks Dave.

The rest of my trip that morning gave me great pause too.  I realized that the cats I feed treat me as a tall, animated feeding machine; others are still too shy to allow any close contact. I love each one of these cats, and I smile when they turn their hopeful-for-food faces upwards at my approach.

But it rocks my world when the animals that I love — especially the animals who have had a tough, unkind start in life — choose to love me back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rescued

The kitten has been rescued from the crazy person.  She wasn't home and the landlord's sister went in and got the poor thing.  The kitten was brought to RAS (Rochester Animal Shelter).  It will be there for five days before they kill it.  Poor little guy.   If anyone would like to adopt him, please go there today.  But thank God he is out of harms way with her.

Another update:  The cat with the severe injury has been trapped.  I am not sure what will be done with him, another person helped me out with it, and I will wait to see what will happen to the little guy, but I am so thankful he will not spend another day on the street suffering with his wounds. 

Larry, the kitty I finally rescued last Tuesday with the bad ear, who has been with my dear friend Nancy, was brought to the vet yesterday.  No ear mites, just a bad bacterial infection brewing within.  The ear has a hematoma, but its an old one and hardened.  It will be looked a a little more closer when he goes under the knife next week for neutering.  The other 'problem' is that he tested positive for FIV.  The vet that saw him told her he must not come into contact with other cats, nor share their food and water bowls.  I don't agree with this.  I have had Boris with FIV for over six years now and never a problem.  Can someone dispense a little advice for me?  I want to give her good facts so that when Larry is adopted, his potential new mom or dad can know this is not a bad thing.   He warmed everyone's hearts in the vets office.   Such a good boy.

Crazy

No, not the song, the woman.  I have a picture of Crazy "Lucy", and the kitten in her arms, but I cannot get it downloaded.  I don't know what I am doing wrong.  I will try again later.

I stopped there after doing my rounds, and waved to her as I placed a bowl of food down.  The reason I am placing food down is to get her attention to find out if she still has the kitten.  Sure enough, she came out with him after I asked her to see it.  She does think I am her 'friend'.  So she trusts me.  I told her I had my camera as I was taking pics of the kitties this morning.  She allowed me to take it.   She has been alluding the police for days now.  My cop friend has been doing her best.  Hopefully she will get someone over there early so that she doesn't have a chance to leave with the kitten.  She has been using Lysol disinfectant to clean the fleas off the kitten.  Its sickening.  I am sick.  I see a look of terror on this kitten's face.

The tenant above was angry thinking I am drawing cats to the place by putting food down.  I got into it with him, after he was saying he had my license plate and was going to call the police.  I wanted to shout 'but i am trying to help this situation' but she was within earshot.  I should have just said mind your own business and drove off.  But not me.  I keep going.

I promise to keep you informed.   As for the rest of this post today, I just can't think of what to say, I am so disturbed by this.  Have a great day.

Pop Goes the Weasel!

Well, it is for me today, I have the day off tomorrow.  Yay.  I get to spend the morning cleaning my house.  There is about one and a half days my house is clean.  Then its back to walking on pieces of dry cat food that spill over from the bowls, stepping in puddles of water that spill over from the water bowls, cleaning up cat puke, cleaning out litter boxes, and picking off cat hair here and there.  Oh, the joys of pet ownership!

The normal suspects were out and about this morning.  I did remember to bring the medicine, Doxy, for both Big Red, and Hayward Boy.  Poor things.  I gave them each a double dose of medicine in their wet food.  I pray it has some effect on them today.  I also ran into some competition going on at the spot I rescued Larry from.  Lets see...  we had Sparkles, of course, her home, and then we had a beautiful very light red kitty with a limp that keeps its distance from me, and then we also had a momma raccoon and her two babies.  Let me tell you, raccoon babies are very very cute.  But I decided to swing by after leaving the food down for the kitties, and no sign of Momma and her babies that I had earlier chased up a tree.

Speaking of babies, the above is a picture of a baby weasel my girlfriend rescued in her yard yesterday.  A cat must have found it and was 'playing with it.'  My friend wound up contacting a wildlife rehab person I found for her, and brought it to her yesterday.  This little baby would not leave her hand.  It just wanted to be cuddled.  How rare to see a baby weasel!  I told her it would bring her good luck. 

Meet Gus.  Gus is my sister's dog.  She adopted him as a puppy, I think from Lollipop Farm.  This is her second Pit Bull.  Gus is the biggest sweetheart baby I've ever met.  I think Gus may be around two or three years old now.  My sister has a just turned six year old granddaughter living with her, and has had since her first year of life.  We trust Gus 100%, as much as any other animal.  The reason I am talking about this today is because there have been a LOT of news reports recently about pit bulls biting, mauling or killing people or other dogs.  And its very sad.  Its sad for the animals hurt by them, and its sad for the animal that hurt them.  Its not just pit bulls that go after other dogs.  My dog is very bad with other dogs.  And he is a rescued Golden Retriever.  Its their upbringing that causes this type of behavior.  They are not born with it.  So I reached out to a friend who works with the rescue group called Pitty Love.  She gave me a few facts to share.  Take what you will from it, I just found it interesting, and feel sorry for them because society has such a great fear of them - there are thousands destroyed accross the country each day because of people breeding these dogs for fighting.  I have a friend who's little dog was just attacked by her son's pit bull (and he could have adopted it - am sure he was not fighting it), and I know that this issue is a sensitive one.

Pit Bull Myths vs. Facts

1. MYTH: Pit bulls bite more than any other breed.

FACT: There is no system in place to track statistics on dog bites and attacks accurately in the U.S., and many incidents are never reported.

The Centers for Disease Control study “Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998” explains the inherent problems in attempting to calculate breed involvement in fatal attacks.1 The CDC further explained that a major flaw in the study was the inability to factor in total breed populations relative to breed-related fatalities. The CDC concluded that fatal attacks are so rare as to be statistically insignificant in addressing canine aggression.

2.  MYTH: Pit bulls attack without warning or provocation

FACT: According to Karen Delise in The Pit Bull Placebo, the classification of an attack as unprovoked is usually based on the declarations of owners who are unable to understand canine behavior, or are too busy to have seen the signals dogs usually display through body language or vocalization. Dogs do this with stares; body stiffening; positioning of ears, tail and head; and growling, to name only a few. Pit bulls give these signals as much as any other breed of dog.

Additionally, dog attacks tend to be a result of several factors that are statistically more dangerous than a simple breakdown of breed culpability. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these factors are:

• Breeding: Dogs that are bred to be aggressive will be aggressive regardless of the breed.
• Socialization: Puppies need socialization to learn how to live in human society.
• Training: Beyond socialization, puppies need training so they will at least obey basic commands.
• Health: Some dogs bite because they are uncomfortable or in pain.
• Spayed or Neutered: 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal dog attacks in 2006 were not sterilized.
• Tethering: One out of every four fatal dog attacks involves a chained dog.
 
3. MYTH: Pit bulls have locking jaws.


FACT: There is no factual research to support this claim. Pit bulls’ jaws are the same as any other breed of dog.

There are statements by experts that refute the locking myth, such as:

• Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia conducted research on the functional morphology of the jaws of various breeds and showed that:

“…there were no mechanical or morphological differences between the jaws of American Pit Bull Terriers and those of any of the other comparable breeds of dogs which we studied. In addition, we found that the American Pit Bull Terriers did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws.”

• Dr. Howard Evans (professor emeritus, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and author of the world’s definitive work on canine anatomy [Anatomy of the Dog]), in conjunction with Dr. Sandy deLahunta, one of the foremost dog neurologists in the country, along with Dr. Katherine Houpt, a leading dog behaviorist, wrote the following statement about the supposed “locking jaw” in pit bulls:

“We all agree that the power of the bite is proportional to the size of the jaws and the jaw muscles. There is no anatomical structure that could be a locking mechanism in any dog.”

4. MYTH: Pit bulls have more bite force in pounds per square inch than any other animal.

FACT: Again, there is no factual research to support this claim. However, there is research that refutes this myth.

Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic conducted a study on animal bites. The force of bite (in pounds of bite pressure) in the test subjects were:

Crocodiles: 2,500 lbs. Hyenas: 1,000 lbs. Snapping turtles: 1,000 lbs. Lions: 600 lbs. White sharks: 600 lbs. Domestic dogs: 320 lbs. (on average*) Humans: 120 lbs.

* A German shepherd dog, American pit bull terrier and Rottweiler were tested using a bite sleeve equipped with a specialized computer instrument. The American pit bull terrier had the least amount of pressure of the three dogs tested.

5. MYTH: Pit bulls have worse temperaments than other dogs.

FACT: In a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Society, pit bulls had a passing rate of 83.9%. That was better than miniature poodles (76.6%), beagles (80.3%) and collies (79.4%).

6. MYTH: Pit bulls do not feel pain.

FACT: While most dogs do not respond to pain while in the frenzied state of a severe attack, pit bulls feel pain just like other breeds do.

Pit bulls have the same nervous system as any other breed, and they do feel pain. Historically, dogs that would tolerate or ignore discomfort and pain and finish the task they were required to perform were the dogs that were bred and the type of dogs breeders strove to produce. This is the trait of “gameness” that so many breed fanciers speak of, which may be defined as “The desire to continue on and/or complete a task despite pain and discomfort.

Guilty!

I finally went to court yesterday, for my speeder. I had this hanging over my head since end of March.  It was a bad one, I was worried, but it was pled down and it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but then again, it could've been better.  One thing though, it was a lesson learned the hard way - and yes Mom, I promise to watch my driving from hereon.  I am already realizing that I don't have to be in front of that car, or the next one.  I don't have to be the first one to be there.  I don't have to hurry my life away like I have done for all these years.  When I was in court, for the second time (the first the Assistant DA was not there for me to plead down, so I was rescheduled), two different deputies each time called out my name to stand in front of the judge, and both said Janie.  Now, my name has been mispronounced my whole life.  I am not sure if people just don't read, or if what they are looking at is unclear, or whatever.  Even my teachers got it wrong.  Yesterday, I just wanted to loudly say "No!  Its JANINE!"  Our names, besides our bodies. are the only personal things we possess.   Everything else is just stuff!

This leads me to a question I am asked frequently, do you name all the kitties you feed.  I don't, and I could never keep up with 50+ names, nor could I think of that many.  Although I did get a list yesterday from Jessica that had some really good ones.  I am just not good with names.  Although Larry, who I brought over to Nancy's last night, seems to fit him perfectly.  He is SUCH a good boy.  I held him and stroked him when I got home last night.  I wanted to keep him forever, but he needs medical attention.  He is just not feeling well.  You can tell when cats aren't feeling well.  So I put him in Nancy's trusting hands, and she will be making the vet appointment for him.  She also brought Limpy in this morning to her vet, who will be anesthetized most likely to look at his wound, and neutered if he/she is not already.  Hopefully its just a wound, and once it is healed, he will have to be placed back on the streets.  I am told he is feral.   

I stopped at Crazy 'Lucy's this morning.  She is insane, for sure.  She was standing outside her door, purse in hand, again.  To look at her, she is kind of scary.  But if she didn't have this mental illness, she would just be another cat person, I am sure.  I did 'talk' with her and she did tell me she still has the kitten, and that it had the 'black plague' but that it was doing better.  I asked her how she healed it, and she told me she swabbed its ears with Carnation milk, and she put something in its mouth (the minute I heard the carnation milk, I tuned her out - just knowing I had to get away to make a phone call), and then mentioned Lysol in the same sentence.  I was horrified.  I told her I had to run to work, drove off and called my cop friend immediately.  She called me back within the hour, she is off today, but has been working on it.  There are many complications when it comes to legalities, but she is doing her best to try to get her declared insane and get her put a way for a little while.  In the meantime, they must stop there today to see if they can find this kitten.  Its sickening.

I did see injured Hayward kitty this morning and I could have kicked myself for forgetting the meds.  Another day of suffering for this animal.  I also saw my Big Red.  Finally.  He looks like he has been in combat also.  But he is very sweet and loving.  I was happy to see him.  Again, I need to remember to bring these pills to hide in their wet food when I go there each morning.  Say a prayer for these guys too.

On a brighter note (sorry folks)... Here is the list Jessica gave me for naming some kitties.  I really like some of them!  I am game for more if anyone wants to contribute!

Sparky
Baxter
Chumley (the fat, funny, dumb guy from the show Pawn Stars)
Leroy Jethro Gibbs (my fave show NCIS)
Timothy McGee
Ziva
Tony
Abby
Duckie (sense an NCIS theme yet?)
Sammy
Freckles
Speckles
Peaches
Snickers
Fluffernutter
Barney
Squirt

"Do not follow where the path may lead. 

Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

First off, to Debbie that wrote the comment on Friday, thank you.  I needed an eye misting this morning, and your comment allowed me just that.  My condolences to you on the loss of your beloved Uncle.  Life is so bittersweet....

The Ugly today was the weather.  Its wet, its humid, its miserable.  I could take it, if I didn't have the thickest, frizziest, untameable mange of hair that needs to be straightened by a hairdresser which costs a lot of money, for me, so I don't get it done that often, and when I do, it invariably rains the next day, which by then is a total loss of money for me.  But by far the worst of this weather is that it is miserable for the animals on the street.  They need shelter, and they get it under the most dirtiest porches around.  If you think going down the streets I do each day and seeing the filth on peoples lawns, imagine what under their porches look like.

The Bad is the kitty on Hayward.  I have mentioned before the huge wound on his neck.  I have just started to sneak Doxy in his food (thank you Julie for providing this - it has helped so many of my kitties) - I don't see him every day, but just about every other.  His wound is now travelling down the side of his body.  Its just one open raw wound.  He is constantly scratching at it.  Its terrible.  I don't know what to do.

The Good - I got Larry!!  Hooray!  Pulling up to his and Sparkles spot, I didn't see him.  I saw Sparkles come barrelling across the street to me, and as I looked around, as I do every time before I get out of the car at each of my spots, for my safety, there he was, across the road on someone's porch.  Just laying there.  I put food down on the porch for Sparkles,and slowly walked over to him.  I reached out with the tub of wet food I had and he didn't move.  I set the food down, he came to me, started to eat, and I walked back to my car, got the carrier out quietly, walked back over to him, got him by the scruff, and placed him in.  No struggle, no crying, no nothing.  He was SUCH a good boy.  He's a hot mess, but nothing that can't be fixed.  I applied an application of Revolution to him, and gave him some nice scratches.   He is in my bathroom now, safe, fed, high and dry, and one lucky little boy.  Here are some photos of him!  Prayers ANSWERED! 

The follies which we regret most in life are those which

we didn't commit when we had the opportunity.

Monday Madness

Boy are my titles lame these days...  But it was madness in a few respects this morning.  One being that I have not seen Larry now for three mornings.  Its so disheartening knowing this poor injured sick cat is out there, and I have been offered a situation by angel Nancy to go to her vet, and rest in her home until he can be adopted.   I wonder how coincidental that is.  When I got there, praying he would be there this morning, only Sparkles came running to me.  I walked all around this abandoned house, calling for him, as I have done the past two mornings, both of them in downpours.  I figured it was the rain that caused him to go into hiding.  I have 'lost' a lot of cats over the years.  I remember Smoky (#1) on Central and Goodman who I had set up a nice shelter for for many years, many times to find it trashed, but every morning Smoky was there waiting for me, even in the bad snowstorms he endured.  I would come there with my shovel, and shovel a path for him to walk down rather than trying to get through the mounds of snow that would build up.  He was an old guy, and I did this for years each morning, but one day, he just stopped coming.  I think about that now, and it still makes me tear up.  Its sad.  I pray Larry shows up tomorrow morning.

(some recycled old pics...)

 This is Big Red, who I have not seen since we trapped Limpy last Thursday morning.

I pray he is safe also.

 This is my Cinnamon girl, who I rescued as a kitten born to a feral mother, along with his twin Sugar.

This is what my bed once looked like.  Cosmo is mixed in there somewhere.

The other maddening part was that I stopped at the crazy person's house this morning.  I spoke to my cop friend yesterday, and she felt bad because she thought I thought she wasn't doing enough to get the kitten away from this woman.  I told her I knew it wasn't her fault, nor anyone, there is only so much the cops can do.  They had a double homicide this weekend, and I know there are things that take precedence, but she promised me she would work on it, as she has continued to.  Its a matter of getting this management company (landlord) out there for a surprise visit to catch her with an animal, that she is not allowed to have.  When I pulled up this morning, it was very quiet.  I was prepared to talk to her, pretend I was her friend, and ask her about the kitten I had seen last week in her apartment.  Instead, I saw an adult black and white furry baby laying in the doorway to her place.  He didn't move too quickly as I placed water and food down on her steps for him.  Then he took off.  God knows if this is the mother of the kitten she had, which was black and what also.  I will continue to monitor this situation this week.  Prayers everyone!

Downpour

What a mess.  I was soaked from head to toe as I headed out at 5:08 this morning.  On and off downpour.  Peeled off my clothes when I got back.  Nice to be dry.  I had no luck with Larry this morning. He was not there.  When I went to check a second time, Sparkles was there, but she was spooked by something and took off as I approached.  She is a bit skittish to begin with but never does that.  I will try again tomorrow.  A very kind soul, who has already helped me to take five other cats (or is it six Nancy?) and give them a loving home, two were feral, and she has melted their hearts.  She is amazing, and she is willing to vet Larry and hopefully find him a good home.  So, prayers for tomorrow that I have success.  I don't have to trap him as he is a gentle soul.  I will just be shoving him into the carrier when he leasts suspects it!  :)  They just love that.  ha ha.

Otherwise, I made sure that all the kitties food was covered and dry with a shelter as best as I could - changed a few towels.  A man was walking down Second and when I got out of my car he hollered over 'they even know your car!'.  That is for sure.  They know me, and they trust me.  All my babies.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Friday Happenings

 LARRY

Ferndale and Webster Kitties

The kitty in red above is one that I had TNR'd many months ago.  He is now coming closer and closer to me each morning.  Of course their shelter has been taken away, but I still leave food and water for them on this porch of the house that is being renovated due to lead content.  Look at the beautiful black and white kitty in the middle.  And if you click on the middle picture to make it bigger, you can see the pretty fluffy little kitten that I believe had babies earlier this year.

Above is also another picture of Larry.  I want to get Larry off the street so bad.  He is older, and injured.  He has a hematoma on his ear.  If you click on the picture, you can see that there is an open wound next to it.  I managed to give him some Doxy this morning in his wet food.  Each morning he allows me to pick him up and place him on the porch (there are no stairs) of this abandoned house where the supposed owner took my hut months ago, and a few weeks ago told me to get the rest of my stuff out of there.  That hasn't stopped me.  Larry and Sparkles are buddies - they hang together.  I will continue to give him medicine daily if I can, until it looks better.  He is such a sweet boy.

I got a card from my vet earlier this week after I lost Cosmo.  It was very sweet.  It made me think.

I know that animals see things and feel things that we cannot see or feel.  They can detect illness, drugs, and most of all, negativity.  I know that animals can also neutralize negativity in our lives and heal us from anxiety, depression, and pain.

Their whole existence is to please us, and each day is forever for them.  Their future is always new, uncomplicated, and they live for the present.  They even accept pain and dying better than we do.  They just seem to know when they need to go, and if we are fortunate enough we see love and understanding in their eyes, and even a sense of of knowing where they are going and that we will see one another again.

So today or tonight, if you have a pet, hold it close to your heart.  You will feel its heart quicken and feel the kisses on your face, and with that the promise that animals will never lie or cheat or deceive you.  They are what they are – no mask, just pure love and devotion.  As the song goes, bless the beasts and the children.

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.

Live your life so that when you die,

The world cries and you rejoice.

--Cherokee Indian proverb