Another Day in the Hood

Things have been quiet this week.  Thank God, knock on wood.  Its normally that way, really, its very rare I get a scare.  Generally speaking, most people in these neighborhoods are nice, and they know me by what I've been doing for all these years in their neighborhood.  I had one guy stop the other day while I was feeding on Webster Avenue, roll his window down and yell out that he was the guy on 7th street, and that he appreciated what I was doing, because he said he didn't see any more rats around his street.

Attached is a picture of a friend of mine who lives and works in NYC, who attended a culinary function/ribbon cutting for a children's hospital and he was asked to bring his dog Bailey to welcome the guests.  Isn't he adorable?  I was thinking, animals are a big part of making people happy, and we should have them in every nursing facility, every hospital, every school, police station, fire station, etc.  Just think how many homeless animals we could save if this were the case!

I want to share with you a note I received, and am hoping you can help me dispense some advice.  Howard, who I rescued from the hood maybe four months ago, and adopted out to a nice couple on Conesus Lake, who already had a female cat that they had just adopted, and found out it was pregnant and had her babies, is being terrorized by this new mother cat.  Even before she gave birth, she was mean to Howard.  Here is what Debbie writes:

"Hi, I am really concerned for Howard. Skittles is still being really mean towards Howard. He won't even use the kitty litter in the hallway be cuz she attacks him. He has started pooping in the tub so yesterday I put a kitty litter container in the tub. But she truly lives in fear and tonight was trying to get out the window.. We love Howard but this isn't fair to him. Any suggestions. At this point he is even afraid of the kittens."

CAN SOMEONE HELP ME?  I just can't take Howard back!

On my rounds this morning, I noticed two things that bothered me.  First was a new cat hanging around my Stout Street location.  He is a beautiful, unneutered buff red male, and very sweet, and was also very hungry.  Where do these cats come from?  Secondly, on Sixth, where the shelter has been torn down and the house being readied for sale, I believe, and where I relocated the bowls to the back of the house, for now, and I have to figure out where I am going to relocate these at least five cats I feed there, there was a very pregnant female.  Its very upsetting to see this, and to know you are leaving and she could have her babies any second, and on it goes, cats giving birth to more prospective birth giving cats.  Its not a cat that comes up to me, it sits a distance away and waits for me to leave so that it can eat.  So, I must do something, and soon, but need to think about it due to my limited resources.

Yesterday, I had Leo, the neighborhood stray, fixed.  He spent many a nights this past winter in my bathroom.  I had to let him out this morning (he jumps out the window), because of the fact that I cannot bring any more cats into my house, even though he is the most loving kitty I know.   As much as I don't believe in outdoor cats, I know that this is one that is not in as much danger as all the other kitties I feed in the hood.  He is a pampered homeless cat.  He has a nice cushy chair to sleep in on my porch when he chooses to.  I wish I could find him a home, along with little 5-month old Paddy, and almost year old Daisy, and two year old Earl.  They are all wonderful kitties and need a good home.

Paddy

Daisy



Earl

"Don't live down to expectations.  Go out there and

do something remarkable."