Monday

It was a quiet morning out there today.  The stars were out, the moon shined bright.  It was not as difficult seeing in the dark as it is somedays.  At each of my stops, there were kitties waiting.  Some lurk in the shadows, but most run to greet me.  There are an average of 4 cats per place now.  It used to be lower.  They are all very hungry.  By the time I leave, the raccoons come by to finish off the food, and to gulp the water with their wormy, slime infested mouths.  The cats have nothing for another 23 hours sometimes.  There are many times that I will go to a spot, chase off a raccoon and know that I will circle back to it because I just know that raccoon will come back after I leave and leave the cat with nothing.  I wind up chasing them away twice, but I also realize I can't stay there forever, so I have to leave, and just hope that the kitty gets enough to eat before the raccoon goes in for his daytime nap.  

At Central and Fifth, there is a group of Puerto Rican men that drink all night on the porch most weekends, and are usually there when I pull up at 5 am.  They know me, and I know them now - Jorge and Jose - they are brothers.  They live with their elderly mother in the house next to the lot I feed in.  They come up, we do the hand grip/hug thing that you see guys in gangs or something do.  :)  I thought to myself, will have to teach them that 'ladies' don't greet each other that way, its kiss kiss on each cheek, or a hug.  :)  I don't care to do either, but the hand grip/hug thing has to go.  They know what I am doing, and respect it, but want me away from the house cause of the rats.  Sunday, they told me to bring some cats back because of the rats.  We laughed.  Ha ha.  Sure.  I told them to clean up the litter and they would most likely lose the rats.  I offered them my loppers for the growth around the tree there, where all the litter collects. You could make with the bottle returns with all they leave there.

Kitty on Central and Fifth

Above is the newest guy at this location, reminds me so much of past kitties, the last one that was dying inside the stryrofoam container, like the one you see in the picture.  His name was Chico.  He must have been hit by a car, climbed inside the container and couldn't move after that.  He was literally a skeleton and we had to remove him from there and take him to the emergency clinic, where they determined his injuries to be severe, and he was euthanized.  God only knows how long he had been stuck in there, not able to move, until I heard that faint meow that one morning.  Another gentle soul gone from these harsh streets.

Cammy

Speaking of gentle, Cameron (Cammy for short!) did very well in my bathroom since his rescue on Tuesday from this same location.  He loved to be petted, and loved tummy rubs. Not bad for a cat that had seen his nine lives come and go.  I am so thankful I was able to rescue him, and thankful even more that someone offered to foster him.  His new mom came over on Sunday and fell in love!  He will be adopted out by Operation Gypsy, a rescue group who saw his picture and knew he had to be given a chance.  Thank you OG!

Two of the remaining four kittens were adopted yesterday also.  Cleo and Blu went to their new home.  They join several other cats, and three dogs.  I am praying for a good report today.  They are the tiniest little creatures still, having gone for their first immunizations this past week, and weighing in at 1.48 pounds!

We now have Dot and Stripey to get adopted!  Please spread the word!  I am also waiting on a report about Tootsie, the black and white kitten, the first to be adopted out of the bunch over a week ago.

Dot and Stripey!

Tomorrow is TNR Tuesday.  The clinic charges me $50 per cat for spay/neuter and shots.  I am using my slots for the two red feral kittens that were caught last week, and will be going to Branchport on Wednesday to live life in a barn.  Its pretty sad to have to barn home a kitten, but we don't have enough people to work with feral kittens - who CAN be socialized given time.  But we can't put them back because they won't have a regular food source.  And Lollipop will euthanize them.  There are still two remaining kittens at the location of Parkside and Greeley, which is just around the bend from the clinic.  There are just so many out there, its overwhelming to think about.

Thats it in a nutshell for now.  Must get to work.

Have a great day!  

"When life gives you a hundred reasons

to cry, show life that you have a

thousand reasons to smile."

Purple Haze

Thank God for drugs.

Please disregard this horrible picture of my legs and feet.  Cloe is looking much better!

Scooter trying to play with sick Cloe

It was a tumultuous week, but I made it.  The little girl I rescued, Cloe (Sevigny) from Second Street last Sunday morning is doing well.  Little did I know that under that fur she had two large gaping holes in her body.  One was just under a huge abscess that was drained and cleaned on Tuesday at the clinic.  She received pain meds yesterday (finally) and has been feeling much better since.  A friend who adopted Tiggy stopped over (she was in the neighborhood having Tig neutered!) and helped put a plastic collar she was sent home with together, and put a little solution in her open wound.  After the drugs were picked up later, another girl named Sue, who adopted Mel from Melville on Saturday - a retired nurse - came by to give her her meds while I was at work, and to wipe and drip this solution into the holes in Cloe's tiny body.   She is looking MUCH better today.  I gave her another dose of pain meds and dripped solution into her wounds, with warm compresses.  Oops.  I forgot to give her Clavamox!  :(

I received a call last evening from Diane, who's group Keller's Kats found a home for Scooter!  The little black kitten I rescued from Pennsylvania and Second on Tuesday.  He is the cutest little kitten!  Its so hard to say goodbye to these rascals.  He is an angel and a devil, all at once!  By devil I mean he just loves to play.

Scooter

The woman that called a rescue group about kittens that were running around her corner of the street where she lived, and they referred her to me - Gael - I wound up recruiting this sweet young girl who is the daughter of a woman that fostered for me many years ago.  She came over with her boyfriend, never having trapped, let alone kittens (she borrowed traps from Lollipop), and they wound up getting three or four kittens.  On Wednesday, she called me in a panic and told me that one of the kittens was very sick, acting very strange.  Just so happened to the kitten that bit her the first day she had her.  Turns out the kitten was put to sleep, and suspected to have Rabies.  :( Kristi will find out today if that is the case, but we are praying its not, for Kristi's sake.  Kristi ALSO took Hermie, the black boy that had a baseball sized hernia from Webster and Ferndale.  Hermie had the surgery for that, and was neutered, and is recovering at Kristi's home, where she continues to work on the remaining kittens and Hermie, to get them socialized and ready for adoption.  There are still kittens and unspayed mother at Gael's, but one step at a time for now.  I have so much on my plate.

Cammy

Cammy is doing well in the bathroom.  Loves his tummy rubbed.  Is very messy with litterbox but thank God he knows how to use it!  He is a very big boy.  He has a very thick neck and fat jowls.  He will go to his foster home on Saturday morning, thank you Karen!

Parsley

Guess who walked up to me this morning to get his breakfast?  PARSLEY on Parsells.  After yesterday's fiasco, I didn't think he would ever trust me again.  First, I grab him two weeks ago and throw him into carrier to go to clinic that morning for neuter.  Then I had to release him the next morning because we couldn't find him a home.  Then, a week later, someone offers to foster/adopt him, and I try for him yesterday, and as I had him scrunched in my hand on the way to the carrier opened by the car, he wriggled free and I dropped him on the carrier and off he went.  I felt awful.  But he came back around.  This time though, the plan has changed.  I will try for him again on Monday, if all goes well.

I have appointments for TNR for each Tuesday this month at the clinic.  I have no credit on the books there.  If anyone can find it in their heart, and wallet, to call the clinic to donate money towards these $50 per cat charges, I would be most grateful.  In all honestly, I cannot continue to do this without help anymore.  Its just too much.  I have had too many car and CAT repair exenses this year.  Its been a tough summer.  The number for the clinic is 585-288-0600.  Any little bit helps.

Thank you for your time in reading my daily dramas.

Have a great day!

Ten Commandments For Responsible Pet Ownership

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want from me.
3. Place your trust in me; it is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment.  You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you!
5. Talk to me even if I don't understand your words. I understand your voice and when it's speaking.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, remember I have teeth that could easily bite you, but I choose not to because I love you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I've been out in the sun too long; or my heart may be getting old and weak.
9. Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old.
10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it" or, "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are there.

Remember I love you.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Seems I have a fan or two.  Someone - a woman with short blond hair and no teeth went to the clinic on Bay Street the other day, rode her bike apparently right in the door, and claimed there is a woman stealing cats dressed in animal control uniform and her name is Janine Wagner!  This sounds like Lisa, the other crazy on Parsells, who has been reported many times over the years for animal torture in her house (do a search for this on past posts).  Then, I received a call from Animal Services that a resident near Webster/Ferndale called to complain I was stealing cats!  Hmmmmmmm ... I wonder who this could be.

Lisa on Parsells

I explained to the nice supervisor that called me - by the way it was not our first conversation throughout the years - I do not steal people's cats.  I TNR them, but at this location, the cats I have RESCUED all had life threatening illnesses and there was no way they were going back.  (see yesterday's post!). Albeit, there was Maizy, the kitty I trapped, brought to clinic for spay/neuter, turned out to be microchipped, and it happened to be Crazy ML's neighbor's cat.  An elderly woman who was thrilled to know I had her and was returning this cat she got from Lollipop!  After explaining to her how dangerous it is to let the cats roam like that - she told me that they rarely leave her porch.  "They just like to chase bugs." She then called the next day saying her other cat was missing, but when I stopped over the next morning, she told me the kitty had come back.  I did explain to her what I was doing, the good I was doing in these neighborhoods.

Last word on this:  I document every cat I TNR and RESCUE.  Pictures and locations.  Its all here on this blog.

These animals I feed each day are so grateful.  "Here comes that nice lady to feed us again.  She is so nice.  She takes care of us - she feeds us, she gives us warm little boxes to go inside when its really cold out, and she gets us help when we need it."  I swear, this is what they say!  :) 

The little kitten Cloe, who I rescued Sunday on Second Street went to the clinic yesterday, along with the other remaining four kittens from Trust Street for wellness check (shots), and a diagnosis of her little lump on one side of her back end and a hole on the opposite side.  The doctor said she has two very deep large puncture wounds on her lower back, as if a large animal bit her - the holes are on each side of her body.  The abscess was drained and was deep also, down to the muscle, and the vet did the best she could.  She is in a tremendous pain.  She was actually shaking this morning as she lay there. I am the WORST at helping sick animals.  I can't even figure out how to tie the collar she is supposed to wear so that she does not lick her wounds. poor thing. Her treatment was estimated at $150, and that did not include the kittens wellness charge at $35 per kitten.  This is an expensive business I am in. Thank you to the few who have made donations this past week for the TNR's.  I am close to being 'out of business' even though I have reserved spots for each Tuesday through September for TNR.

On Second and Pennsylvania (where Scooter the black kitten was just rescued), I met a man named Will, a black homeless man who I have befriended on the street a year or two ago.  He would be on his bicycle, we would say hello, have a quick chat in the dark, he was very innocent, and always commended me on what I was doing.  He has the funniest jokes.  He wears very worn shoes, very baggy dirty pants, and a large filthy coat, so one day a few weeks ago I asked him his pant size.  I went and bought him a new pair of jeans but hadn't seen him until just this morning.  I told him I had something for him.  I went to the truck and brought back new jeans, and some used t-shirts, and he began to cry.  Not cry, but he choked up, twice.  I gave him a hug, and he called me Cinderella as we said our goodbyes.  :(  So sad, but he is a happy guy. He is not a drinker or druggie, but a guy down on his luck.

Thats it again, in a nutshell.  Please say a prayer for Cloe that she heals soon.

Have a good day.

"Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind."

Rescuing Cats From the Streets of Rochester

Someone recently said something - something to the effect that the cats I trap and rescue aren't really 'my cats.' Take for instance Maryleigh.  The psychotic woman who lives in a house with God knows what is going on inside.  She screw bolts the doors when she goes inside, and screw bolts the door when she leaves the house.  She claims the cats that are hanging around her house to be her cats.  There are about 10-15 cats and they all look sick.  One that I witnessed last week had fur that was terribly matted, and missing patches of it.  Some looked pregnant, but they could have been full of worms.  Am I to believe that just because she claims they are 'hers', that they are actually hers?  In my opinion, no, they are not her cats.  If you are a responsible pet owner, you will do what you have to do to keep them healthy.  You will feed them, give them water, give them shelter, and most of all, you will get them the medical treatment they need to keep them healthy.  Which means spaying, neutering, and shots, at least once in their lifetime.  If I pick up a cat off the street - rescue it -  that I've been feeding consistently for days/weeks/months/years, and have given them the medical attention they need, I consider that my cat to do what I will with it.  Which is to get it adopted by a loving home.  

Cloe

These cats face great danger.  Just this morning, I saw three new kittens.  Baby kittens. Two orange ones on Second Street - behind Paul's house, where I just rescued Cloe on Sunday morning.  By the way, Cloe has a puncture wound on her side, and on the exact opposite side is a large lump.  Both painful for her.  She will be going to the clinic today for shots, and have it looked at.  A large animal could have chomped on her.  Who knows.  Another baby kitten was sitting on steps at the boarded up house I feed at, and as soon as I pulled up, it ran across one lane, across a median, and across another lane to the other side.  A baby kitten. If a car was coming, it surely would have been killed. This is no way for an animal to live.  There is too much danger for them.  When I get a chance to grab one off the street, its a blessing.  For me and for them.

Scooter

Scooter and Rufus Nose to Nose

If I find a pet in need, I will rescue them. There’s no way I can turn a blind eye.  A stray cat doesn’t understand you’re trying to help them, and a pet that’s been lost for a long time may be wary of humans or have aggressive tendencies resulting from their experience on the street. But when you find a stray that’s malnourished or injured, they need your help. A stray cat is not the same as a feral cat. The stray cat is one who is either lost or has been abandoned by someone. Lost pets are usually friendly, although how they react to us can depend on how long they’ve been lost and what sort of trauma has been associated with it. The cat who has been abused while lost can become aggressive or fearful, which makes rescuing them that much harder.  Feral cats are descendants of a once domesticated pet and have never had a home with humans. They are very wary of people and usually stay away from us.   They’ve learned how to fend for themselves, but most stray pets never get to that point and even feral cats can use a helping hand with food and shelter, especially during the winter months.

I guess my point is that when I find a cat like Hermie, the cat that had a large baseball sized hernia hanging from its belly for as long as I have ‘known’ it, and has not been treated for it, it doesn’t belong to Maryleigh or anyone else, EXCEPT for the person that has taken the time to get that cat medical attention, and treated to relieve its suffering.   And that would be me.  So I consider it my cat.  Not Maryleigh’s, or anyone else who lives on these streets where these cats are running wild, pregnant, and sick.  Hermie is doing well right now, eating and healing, learning to trust humans again.   I believe that when an animal in in captivity, learns what its like to have safe shelter, food, warmth and love, its cruelty to put them back out on the street.  That’s why I have such a hard time with TNR.  So I try not to interact with the ones that I have in my trap on my porch overnight.  It breaks my heart.  That’s why I have FOUR extra cats in my house right now.  I just can’t put them back.  They all deserve loving homes.  Skinny Minnie, Cammy, Cloe and Scooter.  And then there are the kittens!  Tootsie was adopted, and now there remains Cleo, Blu, Dot and Stripey.  They go to the clinic today for their first shots. 

Cammie - Rescued

I looked into Cammie’s eyes this morning and they said ‘thank you for saving me.  I was tired, cold, hungry and alone.  I am so happy now in this house, with you giving me love and care. ‘  I would do this again a million times just to see that look in their eyes.

Have a good day.

"If you want to touch the past, touch a rock.

If you want to touch the present, touch a flower.

If you want to touch the future, touch a life."

We Did It!

Cammy

Or I should say QUEEN LAURA did it.  :)  We got hernia kitty!  But it was NOT without a fight!  You know who was out and at it again this morning.  She kicked over the trap Laura was using TWICE.  After Laura texted me while I was out doing the same thing, trapping for the clinic today, AND feeding at 16+ locations!, I immediately dialed 911 and asked them for help.  I then drove directly to where Laura was, spotted ML, got out of the car and told her to get back home.  She came at me with her little pink flashlight/taser, and I wound up trying to kick it out of her hand in defense.  Didn't know I could still get my legs up that high.  :)  She's a tall girl.  :)  Finally, two patrol cars showed up, I explained the situation, they said they would go talk to her, and would stick around for a bit so that Laura could continue trying to get the hernia kitty in peace.  She is such a menace.  For those of you worried about me with her, don't be.  She is harmless, and I have learned that I am tougher than I ever thought I was in situations like this.  It more about intimidating her and getting her to leave the area for the moment.  But she does have some seriously ill and pregnant cats on her street one street over, and they need to be vetted.  I spoke to Laura earlier, telling her I wouldn't put any cats back if I had my way, but I realize that I have to, there just aren't enough homes to go around.  I will continue to shelter and feed the cats on the corner as long as I am able to.  So continuing to trap there is essential, especially seeing that the Humane Society never came to their rescue.  And again, I know they are inundated with issues themselves.  There is so much animal abuse and cruelty out there.  Not just on this little corner of Rochester/Monroe County.

Unfortunately, I am not able to share their pictures as I did not have the chip in the camera- to download on here - when I took them but then I figure out what I did wrong, and managed to get the kitten picture below. I'm such a dope.  - I did google a picture of kitty with a hernia - below - keep in mind, Hernia Kitty has a much larger, softball sized ball under her belly and is very thin, so the hernia is much more pronounced.

CLICK on his picture to see how sweet he is.

Scooter, the black kitten captured this a.m. for neuter

Along with Hernia Kitty, I got a little black kitten, about 7-8 months old.  I believe this is one of the kittens that Brenda's cat had - from her first litter.  Shame on you Brenda.  You ignorant woman.  She will continue to allow her cat to be bred, even though I have offered to take care of her and return her to her.  I named this kitten Scooter this morning.  He is just the cutest and sweetest little boy.  Purring in the trap that I placed him in.  (I needed the carrier for Cammy).  I will have to return him to the streets in the morning.  BREAKS MY HEART.

By the way, Hernia Kitty will go to a sweet girl named Kristi who - by the way - has been helping the older woman that contacted me after contacting a rescue group about a litter of kittens she was feeding on her porch near Bay Street.  Kristi has gone over there nearly every night and has managed, for the first time, to trap four of the five kittens.  She has them in a room and is trying to socialize these feral kittens.  Her heart  went out to me after hearing about hernia kitty, and offered to help him. (or her).  So she will pick him up after the clinic today, and will see about him healing.  If worse comes to worse, we will have to put him back on the street, but he will hopefully be much healthier after having this large umbilical hernia removed from his belly at the clinic.

And...........  TA DA!~!!  I got Cammy!  My sweet little Cammy.  I have wanted to rescue him for SO LONG now.  I am extremely grateful to a girl named Karen who has offered to take him.  He will be vetted today, and then home with me for a  night or two so that I can regain his trust in humans again.  Which shouldn't be hard. He nuzzled up to my fingers as I stuck them through the carrier I put him in from Central Park this morning.  I love him so.  He is going to be just like my George, and Sawyer who as adopted last year by another kind woman named Lynne.  :)  Happy days.

Finally, I could really use help today with donations for the spay/neuters.   Each spay/neuter is $50 and I have three there.  The number is 585-288-0600 and it would be of such help to me to have help here.   I appreciate any amount of money you can donate for this worthy cause.

Thank you so much for your help, and thanks for reading!

Have a great day!

I am an animal rescuer

My job is to assist God’s creatures

I was born with the need to fulfill their needs

I take in without plan, thought or selection

I would buy food with my very last dime

I have hugged someone vicious and afraid

I have watched the change from terrified to trusting

I have cried into the fur of a lifeless little body

I know of no creature unworthy of my time!

I know that all animals DO go to Heaven

They do have a soul and they ask to be loved

God made them so perfect, they just want to trust

We may be the master of all of the animals

But the animals have learned to master themselves

Something people still have not learned

There is nothing more satisfying than helping an orphan

Nothing more rewarding than saving a life

Nothing more greater than seeing them thrive

Who only days ago, was afraid it would die

I have fallen in love – at least a thousand times

I will fight for an animal to make their life better

I will go to any length and use any strength

I will always be the voice for those who can’t speak

I want to be there for any animal with needs

I am an animal rescuer

My work will never be done

My home will always be open

My wallet usually always empty

But…my heart will always be full

I Did It Again! And Again!

UGGH.  TWO more rescues this weekend!  One planned, the other unplanned.  The planned was Melonie (Mel for short) - the beautiful calico on Melville Street on Saturday morning.  She was a good girl and let me grab her and place her in my carrier.  She would be my prisoner until 10:30 that morning so I let her out of the carrier on my porch when I got home so that she wouldn't be confined for six hours!  At 10:30, I brought her to her new home.  A kind, retired woman who loves cats and offered to take her sight unseen (she did see a picture of her)!  The PERFECT adopter!~   I brought her over and it was instant love.  Little Mel (now called Li Li) is slowly meeting Susan's other seven cats, and what a cat haven she will be living in.  Lots of nooks and crannies for her to play hide and seek!  Last report from Susan:  Janine- all is well- Li Li came out from behind the dryer and let me pick her up - she is very sweet- She is doing very well my 2 year old Mya has been in visiting her and she so calm- so loving and sweet- She will fit in fine I can't get over how healthy she is. Thank you-

So get this, Kristin came over from Churchville Sunday morning to help me fix up a shelter, which turned out to be me holding her hostage in my car and taking her to three other shelters for her to help me with checking out the totes and the straw inside, and to my garden.  AND to show her where Maryleigh lived, who by the way was outside scrubbing her house, all the boxes had been removed from her porch, and there was a large bowl of fresh water on her driveway, presumably for the cats.  NOT to mention a very large trap sitting upright, looked as if she had cleaned it and it was drying.  On our way back on Melville, I spotted a woman and young girl talking to an older woman in a car, just two doors down from the tree where I feed all these cats, where I've TNR'd at least five, and rescued at least three from here.  The Smudge, Mel, and ....  who else?  Anyways, I had been thinking about the coming weather and where would these cats go, and be sheltered - their food and them, when the weather began to get rough?  I wanted to talk to SOMEone around there with some compassion.  After getting out, introducing ourselves, turns out Heidi is a cat lover, animal lover all the way around. Her mother was just leaving, and she said 'I read about you in the paper!"  HA!  Anyways, Heidi told me that the man in the house next door - who rented out two apartments, did not receive a certificate of occupancy, which you need to rent out, so the tenants left, and one left four cats.  So THIS is where these beautiful animals came from!  How can anyone do such a thing?  She also said I could put the food and shelters in the little alcove under the porch  A nice little spot that will also shelter them from the western storms that hit us.  I left there elated, although good God, I didn't need another location to feed at!  What does this make -- 17?  ugggh.

Another incident:  Noodles is being fostered, with possible adoption just ahead!  Two wonderful people came over and met him on Friday, and instantly fell in love.  Saturday morning, they came and catnapped her right then and there!  I miss my little snaggletooth.  :)  Here is what they have to say:  Noodles says he misses you but he'll put up with us if necessary! He's doing well -had a good first night in his new room ( I checked on him twice). He did hide under the dresser  ( I guess a double bed wasn't good enough )but came out to play and get some love! Went and got some more food and KMR for him and Gary is teaching him to watch golf on T.V. with him. Men!!!!  Seriously Janine our cats seem to be o.k. with him and he seems to be doing well.  Come visit if you want!  June

LOOK at all my toes!!!  I have a lot of extra toes!

CLOE

So the second rescue came on Second Street, where, for the second morning in a row, a kitten, perhaps three to four months old came slowly walking up to me, hungry.  I grabbed her Sunday morning and that was that!  I will NOT LEAVE a KITTEN.  So here I go again.  I named her Cloe (Sevigny - an actress I love) (Sevigny - Second Street - :)) I had just been enjoying an entire day and night with no extra cats in my house (except for Skinny Minnie) when this happened.  Tootsie, one of the five baby kittens under my care was adopted on Sunday.  She went to a good family who has another kitten that needed a companion.  Her new 'mom' Baerbel - from Germany - had an 18 year old cat that she brought with her to America that was just recently deceased.  Her last tie to Germany she said, and it broke her heart.  She fell in love with Tootsie.  It was very hard for me to let her go.  The first of the five to be split up.  :(  Here is what she has to say:  She is sleeping on the couch in a blanket next to us. If we are not right there we have her in a separate room with each family member visiting her and play with her. She is such a cutie. They are sleeping in the same room right across from each other. Hope they will become fast friends. Thank you so much for rescuing her and letting us adopting her. We will put them together in a room for the night as you suggested. Thank you so much for everything. I will let you know tomorrow morning hole it went.

Me and George, enjoying our last moments with TOOTSIE

Look close!  Thats Tootsie behind George!  :)

Tomorrow is TNR Tuesday, and I am hoping to grab the hernia kitty on Ferndale and Webster, and Cammy on Central, who has a home waiting for him!  Hooray!

Some pictures:  Be sure to click on the picture to see up close!  PS, special thanks to Twin Oaks Landscaping for donating the pavers!  They look beautiful! 

My Vacant Lot Garden on Pennsylvania

Shelters behind Garden

Hernia Kitty on Ferndale (under car)

Parsley - looking to be rescued

Thats it in a nutshell for today - must get to work!

Have a great day!

"I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter, 

and all the animals on the street...  

the cast-offs of human soiciety.  

I saw in their eyes love and hope, 

fear and dread, sadness and betrayal.  

And I was angry.  "God," I said, "this is terrible!  

Why don't you do something?"  

God was silent for a moment, and then He spoke 

softly.  "I have done something," 

He replied.  "I created You."

New Look, Same Old Me

FACT:  Did you know that on an almost daily basis this summer, I have been within 10 feet of a skunk and have not been sprayed?  There are so many out there in the city!

Kitty City!

Kitty Walmart!

I just changed the template up a bit.  Change is good.  We will see if I like it or not.

I am taking a break here today.  I keep repeating myself over and over some days.

For those reading this the first time, I share with you some articles and videos about what I do.  Keep in mind I am much prettier and thinner, and younger, than I appear.  :)

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/03/12/irondequoit-woman-feeds-sterilizes-stray-cats-rochester/70164198/

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/letters/2013/10/02/pat-on-the-back-janines-heroic-efforts-to-save-rochester-cats/2903767/

http://www.mpnnow.com/article/20110401/News/304019886


My Wish List:

• paper - salad sized  - bowls (no Styrofoam, bad for environment!)
• 2 x 4 boards
• a door to replace an awkward piece of wood at one of my locations
• a million dollars
• cat food
• donations to the clinic (585)288-0600 to help neuter and spay
• a million dollars
• cat food
• a million dollars
• help with trapping/feeding
• a million dollars

What I don't need:

• towels
• tarps
• paper plates
• carriers

PS, who still has a carrier of mine?  I am missing a few.  :)

Enjoy each moment of your day today!

"Be positive, stay happy, don't let the drama of the world get you down.  Smile!"

TGIT

Well, it was a fairly regular morning, no rain (thank God, just had my hair flat-ironed yesterday!) but very very humid.  They are predicting storms today, even a flood watch.  Before I go out, I lay on my couch and half doze, half listen to the news while cats come and go on top of my chest.  This morning I heard, on national news no less, that we had a drive by shooting around midnight last night that killed three people and left four injured, two critically.  They were bystanders after having gone to a basketball game at a local boys and girls club.  Our city is right up there with murder capitals of the country.  I know the majority of people here are not cold hearted murderers, but we've got some serious issues in this city.  Poverty, gangs, we have it all here.  I hope you were able to read some of the article I linked in yesterday's post.  It says a lot about the psyche of those living in poverty, ignorance, the way we treat others, including animals.

I thought about my own safety when I leave the house in the dark, around 4:15 am. each day, and drive a few miles to my first stop.  Where at each of the 16 or so locations I go to there are at least five cats, today I counted TEN on Garson.  Most people in the houses are sleeping, some see me and wonder what I am doing.  I am sure they figure it out after a while of seeing me each day.  Some are new to a house and come right out and ask.  There is one house on Second Street, right next to Pauls (he allows me to feed behind his house) that has had more families come and go.  And you always know when they are no longer there because the owner of the property has come along and placed all the furnishings by the curb.  I've seen childrens clothes, toys...  its pretty sad really.

As I left the 7th Street station, where there are still baby kittens that I never received help with, I saw a tall white woman standing on the corner (its 5 am. by now).  Guess who.  It was Mary, Crazy Maryleigh's old neighbor that was just evicted at the end of July.  Mary was out hustling, to my naive surprise.  I rolled down my window and called for her.  She came  over, asked me if I could sell her a beer or cigarette, told me she was waiting for a friend.  I said Mary, you can't fool me...  She laughed and said she only did it occasionally.  I asked her where she was living and she said she was homeless now.  Mary was (and still is as far as i am concerned) one of the good guys.  She cared about animals. She tried to report the burying of dead kittens on the lot next door to her, watching ML as she went on her murdering sprees of these cats on that street. Watching ML when she was on her meds, and off her meds.  She lived with her son and husband, the latter of whom is now in prison for car theft.  I thought to myself, where is her son?  Where are the dogs she had in her back yard, beautiful retrievers and labs.  Then I thought, I can't imagine my mother being a prostitute.  Can you imagine that kind of life?  To know your mother is a prostitute?

Elongated ear canal

STILL Adorable

Anyways, back to the animals.  Noodles is sweeter than honey, he loves to cuddle with me.  Snuggles right up to my neck and purrs contentedly away.  The five kittens - Cleo, Dot, Blue, Stripey and Tootsie are at a babysitters for the week.  A friend had two feral kittens she wanted to socialize so we are experimenting with the five cuddlebugs, and I am hearing good reports.  They are being spoiled though, sleeping on the bed with my friend.  The two ferals are coming around nicely.  I miss them, but its a nice break.  They will go for their first shots next week at the clinic.  Noodles went yesterday.  Her ear and face are birth defects, the doctor had never seen anything like it.  One testical too.  But he is a DOLL.  His little fang on the left side looking at him sticks out.  What a cutie.  He will be adopted in no time.  Could that be you?  :)

A true cuddle bug Francie is

Such beautiful markings...

Francie from Ferndale is finally turning a corner.  Her upper respiratory infection is getting better.  But she isn't out of the woods yet.  I opened the door finally to the bathroom she has been kept in so that she can hear the sounds of the others in the house.  She is timid, but OK.

Skinny Minnie continues to wait for a home.  She is SO playful, but a brat with the others.  She is a loner, her bark worse than her bite.  Once I get these two out, I can grab Prince from Parsells, the Calico from Melville, and Cammy from Central.  I will be thrilled once this happens.

Please consider foster or adoption, and please continue to call the Humane Society and ask what they are doing to stop this Maryleigh from the cruelty she is inflicting on the cats on her street.  She won't let anyone trap them.  They are sick and dying.

Thanks and have a good day.

“Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain. A sharp distinction between humans and 'animals' is essential if we are to bend them to our will, make them work for us, wear them, eat them — without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret. It is unseemly of us, who often behave so unfeelingly toward other animals, to contend that only humans can suffer. The behavior of other animals renders such pretensions specious. They are just too much like us.” 

From GRRRR to PURRRRRR

GRRRRRRRRRRR

Look at this baby.  I came home from work last evening after rescuing NOODLES from Niagara that morning.  I named her Noodles because I've never seen toes that long and narrow!  I went directly to 'her (his?) room' and got her out of the carrier, after it gave me a tiny 'hisssssssss'.  Within five seconds (OK, maybe a little more), her motor was full speed ahead.  Noodles is a cutie patootie.  What in GOD's name am I going to do with her.    Add her to the pile of kittens I already have I guess.  She has something going on with her ear, it appears elongated, but not infected.  Her face is a little off too, as you can see.

PURRRRRRRRRRR

"I'm so happeeeee! - thank you for saving me!"

I let the other little girl back onto the street this morning.  In the pouring rain.  Broke my heart.  She was just shy of being a year old.  But guess what.  The other one - Felix from Fernwood and Webster, turns out to be Felicia, and SHE is microchipped.  I must find the owner before I let her back.  I feel terrible about it.  She just CAN'T belong to anyone on that street.  They hate cats.  And Maryleigh is just on the other street adjacent.  Her microchip number:  FDA OA133A4 (or V?) C4A  - must call RCAC to get those numbers again.  Can't read the writing on the paperwork.  She is a big girl too.  Scared out of her wits.  Who can blame her.  She spent the night in the carrier on my porch, as I expected to release her, but when I thought about it as we drove to the spot I trapped her from this morning, I knew it wouldn't be right to let her back without checking for an owner.  Wouldn't it be great if someone had actually been looking for her?  I need to move her along though.  My house is a mad house.  I have five kittens, a rescued kitten from Niagara, a rescued cat from this Ferndale and Webster that has been very sick every since, and Skinny Minnie from Parsells.  This is way over and above what I can handle.  Please spread the word about this sweet girl below.

UPDATE:  Owner found.  Its Crazy Maryleigh's neighbor, a sweet little old lady who is 'familiar with ML'.  I begged the woman to keep Mia indoors after I return her this afternoon!

Before I left for work this morning, I met a woman walking her dog. The dog looked half pit bull, half something else, but a sweetheart nevertheless.  Her name was Maizy.  The dog.  She was telling me that she adopted the dog from Verona Street this past winter.  She told me the story that Maizy was strictly left outdoors her entire life.  She said the owner brought her in and just before he left, he smacked the dog really hard.  Hard enough for the dog to yelp.  The workers there couldn't believe it.

I was reading bits and parts of a book entitled :

Overpopulation of Cats and Dogs: Causes, Effects, and Prevention

 By Marjorie Anchel, New York State Humane Association
I urge you to read parts of this - the question it asks is Who is Responsible for Pet Overpopulation?  The answer is US of course, but there is a lot more to gleen from it.  Both dog and cat ownership and responsibility.   Take a look:  https://books.google.com/books?id=oAjquK-kszAC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=overpopulation+of+cats&source=bl&ots=fO-GKrZn18&sig=OJTbGxnIlqkT_vBmEFAlKBaLb0E&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFEQ6AEwCDgKahUKEwiQxvLSnrXHAhVBGj4KHRssCCE#v=onepage&q=overpopulation%20of%20cats&f=false

Have a good day.  PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS IN HOPES THAT WE CAN GET THESE ANIMALS ADOPTED OR FOSTERED.  I NEED THE HELP.

"We do not receive wisdom,
we must discover it for ourselves,
after a journey through the wilderness
which no one else can make for us,
which no one can spare us,
for our wisdom is the point of view
from which we come at last to regard the world."