TGIF!!!

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those that do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."

Its a deluge out there this morning, and cold.  It was 35 degrees.  I changed a lot of wet towels yesterday, this morning, and will have to do it again tomorrow.  My poor washing machine.  I wonder when spring will ever get here.  I did, however, feed a lot of hungry little babies. 

Of note, I see an average of two cats now at each of my 16 spots.  I skip two spots on Parsells every other day because there is still food there, except when it rains, as the towels become wet, and I want the cats to have some small window of comfort when they come eat in the morning.  I know, call me crazy.  At Sixth, where the owner has removed the shelters I had on the porch as he is getting ready to fix the place up for either sale or rent, I am placing bowls on the side of the house on the driveway, and have a board leaning against the house to shield the rain.  There are about five cats waiting for me to leave from here each morning.  At Baldwin, there is a very very sweet white (yet very dirty) adult cat that greets me, and I would like to get him adopted.   He is obviously a stray, and needs a home.  There is another   young red one on Webster.  He is shy, but will come close enough to sniff my hand when I extend it toward him.  On Second, there is a very sweet grey kitty, that has always reminded me of my Barney, who passed last year, he has the same wirey type of fur, and he lives in a box on a porch.  He comes out of his cocoon each morning dry and warm, but craving a pet and scratch.  I need to find him a home also.  At each of my locations there are cats watching in the shadows, waiting for me to leave them food. 

I have a few updates - one from Michelle, who took in Red (Angel) and Lucy from Second.  It hurts me to say it, but this didn't work out well.  I have successfully relocated cats to two different barn situations in the past and both have worked out beautifully.  Somehow, Red got out a window at one of the stables at the Fingerlakes Race Track.  He has been seen, the food is being eaten, but Lucy is also gone, and has not been seen.  I am heartsick over this.  Its a situation where I wish I had just left them where they were.  I pray they are not scared and have lost their way.  I pray they come around. 

At the other barn situation, where Stanley, Sylvester and Sadie went to, they are thriving, except Sadie is now pregnant.  She is the beautiful Siamese little girl that I was convinced was spayed.  I had fed them all on Parsells for so long, and she never got pregnant.  I am not sure who the father is, because both of the boys I know for a fact are neutered.  Mary Ann will keep a close eye, and let me know when she gives birth.  She advised she would be bringing the kittens to Lollipop unless homes can be found, along with Sadie, to be spayed.  I feel terrible about that.  She is really a gorgeous kitty, and will have really beautiful kittens. 

Another of my recent rescue's from Central Park, Harold, is still holding his own.  His 'mom' is giving it all she's got.  Here is the latest:     "He is doing okay...     great in some regards and not so hot in others.  He seems to be very comfortable and "at home"...   he still does not like to get up on the bed or couch or our laps.  As much as he loves being petted and scratched, he won't get up on anything to get attention...   we have to sit on the floor with him.  Still eating and litterboxing like a rock star...   very at ease with Brady...  at one point over school break, there were 5 kids here and he let them all pet him at the same time.  He can be a tiny bit skittish with Billy, but not outright scared or anything.  We did manage to block of the crawlspace from the inside, so he can't get in there and hide all day anymore.  However...   he finds little cracks and crevices to wedge himself into.  One day, he was under Brady's bed way back in the corner...   just sleeping...   Another day, we literally lost him for about 8 hours.  We had shut Brady's door at that point (because we didn't want him hiding; we wanted him out and about) and the crawlspace was blocked...   we searched EVERYWHERE and were freaking out...   then, all of a sudden, I turned around and there he was.  We still don't know where he came from.  He goes under our bed now...   it's not in a corner like Brady's, but he still hides under there.  He just does not like being out during the day.  He usually emerges anywhere between 7 and 9pm...  hangs out, follows us around, we play with him...   We go to bed anywhere from 10 to midnight and he is usually fine (and quiet) then.  But, about 2 or 3 in the morning, he starts meowing and wandering around.  That goes on until about 6 or so, when I get up.  He is out and about until 8 or 9, then disappears again.  I am gone until 2 most days, and Billy is in and out all day.  Harold rarely comes out when we are home...   he did come out today around 3 for half an hour or so...  then back to wherever his hiding place is.  He looks out the windows occasionally....   I think I have mentioned that we have 2 sliding glass doors in different areas of the house, and he could care less about them.  We have a large bay window with a wide ledge that he sits on now and then...  not much interest there either.  The window in the bathroom that he was isolated in is still open (just the storm is down and I have a towel on the sill) and he goes in there and sometimes jumps up there and sometimes doesn't...   we have had other windows in the house open with the warmer weather, and he doesn't seem to want to be up in them either.  He doesn't act like he wants to go out...  he's just not interested in much of anything.  He doesn't like (or maybe doesn't understand) the laser pointer...  is afraid of strings and things....   the only thing he seems to really love are his toy mice and fishies with catnip inside of them.  He and Chloe are getting along...  she hardly hisses at all anymore, and is back to being fine with us again too.  The whole meowing in the middle of the night thing is so odd...   it's not even like he is really looking for us...  we have been sleeping with the door closed, and he scratches at it and I ignore him...  he goes away after a few seconds, comes back in 5-10 minutes, and repeats that from about 2am to 6am.  But even in the morning when we are getting ready or having breakfast or just hanging around, he chirps and follows us, but it's not like he stays around us...  he gets a few seconds of attention and then he walks away from us and disappears and eventually comes back.  He is so friendly, but only to a certain extent...  it's weird.  I don't even feel like I am able to explain it properly.  I did buy the Feliway diffuser...   we will see how that works.  I just want him to sleep at night (so *I* can sleep at night) and be happy...   I don't think he is UNhappy, but it just seems like there is something missing in his life and we can't figure out what it is." 

If any of you have any more advice to give, we both would welcome it!  Have a GREAT weekend!