Just Enough

I pack two 2-gallon zip lock bags and a large Folgers plastic tub full of dry food in the morning, along with a 16-lb. bag of dry when I get low.  Lately, for the amount of cats I am feeding, I am always opening up that extra bag of food.  I bring five large yogurt tubs full of wet food, its about a case a day of the regular sized cans, plus a few of the meow mix easy open small containers, if I run out of the wet, which I usually do.  For water I go through two regular plastic milk cartons, an old large iced tea container and a spare large orange juice container for when I run out of the latter.  It all depends on how many cats I see on the side of the road, starving, scrounging for a morsel, and its usually always on Parsells Avenue, where there are so many unneutered, homeless cats.  This morning, at my last stop at 4th and Pennsylvania, I had just enough dry food to fill their bowls, and that was it.  Thank God I know how to ration.  The two girls that go out with me occasionally, Sheryl on Sundays, and Nancy A. here and there, must think I am a nut, because they like to help by at least carrying and pouring the water, and I am always watching how much they pour, because there have been times when I do run out and I can't go back home and fill up and go back out again, I just can't.  So I have to ration, I know exactly how much water there is left and what I need.  I am glad that they are patient with me, and can understand my rationale.

Below are pictures of what I saw this morning.  Remember, I am feeding way over 60 cats a day.  At most of my 14-15 stops each morning, there is an average of three cats, with some colonies being 8, some 6, some four, and there are always the ones hiding in the dark, waiting for me to leave.

Parsells

This pretty kitty and the one behind it have been fixed.  There are at least three kittens here that need to be spayed/neutered.  There is two small shelters on this porch of this empty half house apartment.  So far, the landlord has not kicked me out.  I have two clinic appointments and I am hoping to trap one of the kittens here.

Stout

Whoever owns this property,they are slowly fixing it up.  They will remove the shelters I have under the boarded up porch, and the boarded up garage.  These two cats have lived here for forever.  I don't know where I will go from here.  Neck Wound Kitty has not been seen in weeks.

Garson

There is a kitten here, along with a kitty with a very sore eye.  Most look to be eartipped.  I did the black and white one a few weeks ago.  The red in the foreground was the cat that I mistakenly trapped, brought in for spaying, found out it was microchipped, adopted from RAS from a woman on Hayward, and when we finally spoke, she was supposed to keep the cat in.  I don't believe she lets it in at all now, nor does she feed it.

Baldwin

On Sunday, Sheryl came by to help me rebuild this spot after the woman that called me earlier in the year called me again last week to ask if I could please make this spot more appealing.  Sheryl is very handy, and built a few things and brought them with her.  We also placed a tarp over everything, and it does look a bit better.

7th Street

I have not seen the two kittens in a few days, I see them here and there, but not consistently.  The other adults are all fixed.

Short Street

Above is the newly rebuilt shelter where there are a few rats that have taken shelter.  Why aren't these fixed cats going after them?  I have not seen the black kitten that was fixed months ago, for well over a month.

Central & 5th

There are at least four black and white unneutered males here, along with a pretty fluffy tabby.  I have two spots at the clinic tomorrow, that I plan on using for hopefully one of these guys.

Short St. #2

This is behind an abandoned house.  This is where I found (this is where they were left for me to find) the three dead newborn kittens a couple of weeks ago.

Short St. #2

Central & 5th

Central & 5th

This is the newly built shelter in the lot away from the road that I fixed up on Friday, with the help of my friend Jim.  There is a nice new tarp, and some shelters here, for the at least 8 cats that hang at this location.

Central & 5th

Central & 5th

Central & 5th

Central & 5th

Pennsylvania & 4th

Big Red #2 is back.  He's meandered back down to this spot from Short Street a few months ago.  He is now allowing me to touch him.  Such a dear sweet old boy.  There are at least 8 cats here each morning.  The shelter is still secure on the side of the boarded up garage behind this boarded up house.

Princess - Pennsylvania and 4th.

Princess, as you can see, really really needs a home.  She is a sweet little thing that will sit on my lap in the car.  Its going to be tough leaving her in the winter here each day.

Sweet Pea will be returning to my house today, and I am pleading with anyone to consider taking her in for now.  I have a house full.  A neighbor?  An older relative?  Cats make such wonderful companions.

Amber, the kitten that was adopted by a neighbor a street away, is a bit stressed at her new home.  I went to see her and the girl that wanted to adopt her had a stressed look on her face.  She said that she had goo in her eyes.  I told her it was most likely feline herpes, and it comes out when the cat is stressed.  Amber had no signs of sickness up until this day when she discovered it on her.  I told her it would dissipitate, as soon as Amber (she renamed her Bonnie) was introduced to the other kitties, and started to feel comfortable.   I think the girl is a bit hesitant, and am not sure she will adopt her now.  For now, she has her separated from the other cats, and Amber is very social, so I am a bit saddened by this, but very hopeful that this will work out.

Have a Great Day.

The Star Thrower

A scientist was walking on the beach.  In the distance, he noticed a young man apparently dancing.  As he got closer, he realized the man was not dancing.  Instead, he was reaching down to pick up starfish and then throwing them into the sea.  “Why are you doing that?” he asked. “Because”, the young man answered, “if I don’t, they will die as the tide goes out.” “But there are hundreds of miles of beach and millions of starfish,” said the scientist.  “What difference can you make?”  The young man picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean, saying, “I can make a difference to that one.” Unsettled by the experience, yet now knowing the power of one person and one action, the next morning the scientist went to the beach and with the young man threw starfish into the ocean, thinking:  “I made a difference to that one.”