Feed a Cat for Christmas! BETH and PAT I.!!!

My friend Pattie's family.  Thank you BETH and PAT I.  You both helped me to feed some cats for Christmas.  And they thank you as well.  Beth and Pat are relatives of my good friend Pattie, who adopted Cricket from me.  I am so thankful for Pattie, she is there for me through thick and thin.  I wish she didn't live so darn far away.   Thanks again Beth and Pat!

Nothing to report this morning really.  There is an injured striped grey cat that goes from spot to spot in the Second/Pennsylvania/Central Park/Third streets area, has been for at least a year now.  Unneutered, I believe. He has a very sore paw, he came out of the little tote shelter on Pennsylvania two days ago and I haven't seen him since.  He cried, and could barely walk on it.  I had every intention to grab him this morning and get him help, but he wasn't there.

Nor was the young unneutered black and white guy at the next and final stop.   I will continue to hunt them down.  :(

While at home not feeling well yesterday, I noticed a few things about my own indoor cats.  It’s a well-known fact that kitties are indecisive. A classic example is how they stand in doorways, not committing to one side or the other. Mary Jane shows her hesitance at my bedtime.  She first acts like she wants to burrow under the covers, so I lift them, giving her access.  She’ll spend a few seconds underneath the covers, and then crawl out. Then she waits for a few seconds, and desires to go undercover again. This goes on and one about four or five times before she eventually makes a decision.

LEO and SMOKEY a/k/a FANG

Leo and Smokey are my constant companions while I’m sitting on the couch. I usually sit on one end, near an end table.  They don't normally demand to sit in my lap, but instead opt to plop themselves right up against me. I know this is common behavior for cats. They like to be as close to us as possible. What’s funny about Leo, though, is that he insists on plastering himself against my left side. What’s weird to me is that my left side — the one that’s nearest the end table — is on the edge of the sofa. He could comfortably lie on my right side. In fact, the rest of the couch is available on that side. Nope; he wants to claim the space that’s only sliver of surface. If he jumps to the right of me, he makes his way to the left. He doesn’t even consider the right side. I guess you you can say he’s a “lefty.”

BUSTER girl

Buster, she’s always been particular about her food rituals. Instead of lowering her face into the dish, she likes to use a nail to pull one or two pieces off the plate, onto the floor. Then she eats the little bits from the floor. She’ll spend an entire meal using this dainty dining method.   These cats kill me.  :)

Update from Peppercorn's mom!  :)  He was not a happy camper when I brought him from his foster mom's house after his rescue, to his new home.  In fact, nor was his mom, with him.  But as I tell all adopters, patience.  It will all be worth it soon.  Mom says: "he is my shadow and incredibly affectionate!! he is much more tolerant of the dog and he is bff with the cat that hissed at you...they chase each other and wrestle quite often"

Peppercorn Today!

Have a great day!

"Happy are they who take life day by day, complain very little, and are thankful for the little things in life."

Feed a Cat for Christmas! Tracey U.!!!!!

TRACEY!  Well, this is a coincidence.  Since the Feed a Cat for Christmas started, I've been posting my thanks and praises to each of you that donated in the order I received donations.  Tracey adopted Paddy, now Patrick, around Thanksgiving time, and NOW has adopted SUNSHINE! 

PATRICK

Just yesterday!!!  I am so thrilled that her name fell on my list for today!  Tracey is a super girl, I wish we lived closer, I think we would be good friends.  As it happens though, she lives way out in Hamlin, but gorgeous country.  I did love the drive.  But Sunshine did NOT love the drive.  I have never heard of cats with car sickness but she sure did have it.  Puked twice and then the worst ever.  Yup, she messed up the carrier, and herself.  I actually arrived to Tracey's place way too early - I need to pay more attention sometimes - and I got out and got in back seat and tried to clean her and the carrier up as best as I could.  Thank God I always carry wipes with me - could be my obsession with germs!  When Tracey arrived home, and hour and half later, she didn't flinch too much about Sunshine being sick and needing a cleaning, as Tracey is a dog/cat groomer!😺

Update today is that she let Sunshine out of the bathroom she had put her in originally, she and Patrick were staying apart but knowing each are there, she is exploring, and she has used the litterbox and has been eating.  All good!  I am so happy about this adoption.  😻😘

PRINCESS

But Sunshine was the LAST of the three this weekend!  Our little Princess was picked up on Friday to be delivered to her new home today or tomorrow as a gift from my good friend Donna to her old neighbor.  😃

BACARDI

And on Saturday, Bacardi went to his new home.  He joins Piper, the other kitty they adopted from me a year ago.   Bacardi goes into hiding, but sooner or later, he will come out on his own.  In the meantime, his loving humans get him and bring him down to join them.  He loves to be held.  He purrs and purrs.  My friend Karen, who fostered Cammy for a long time before he was adopted, came over that morning to give him a little shave under his chin area, and on chest, because of the matting that just could not be combed out.  Despite the loud noise, he was calm, and I think he loved it.  Karen was so gentle.  Karen, can you come shave under my chin?  :)

So all in all, a GREAT weekend.  Little boy was there this morning - the one on 4th and Pennsylvania, but I was not feeling up to par this morning so did not grab him. Plus I need to make an appoint at the clinic, but they are so booked, weeks to be exact.  I am actually home sick today.  I feel better than I did, lets put it that way.

Enough about me.  Its all about the cats.  Please consider foster and adoption!  🌚

Have a great day!

Feed a Cat for Christmas! NANCY F!

NANCY F.!  Thank you SO much for helping me to feed cats through the holidays.   As I stated yesterday, I go through nearly 40 pounds of dry food in one day alone. I feed so many cats out there, some I don't even see because they are super feral, but super hungry still, and come when I leave.  I can count at least 80 - 100 cats a day that I see either coming up to get the food, or waiting for me to leave as they wait in the distance.  I also give them a spoonful of wet food - over 50 cans a day those spoonfuls add up to - but that is the only good thing they have to look forward to, the wet food.  They crave it and they love it.  So needless to say, Feeding a Cat for Christmas was so appreciated.

Its very cold, and very blustery out this morning. The snow was falling lightly with the wind whipping it around.  It was dark and quiet, but the cats were all waiting.

BUDDY

I received the following from a person who adopted two cats from me.  One passed away, and the other she adopted from me not too long after, Buddy.

Hi Janine,

Hope all is well in your world.  Mine, not so much.  I moved out of Steve’s house. (long story), but I took cats with me initially, because they are my babies.  Well, I am at my parent’s home to take care of them, and this is what I could afford on short notice. My dad last a week. He has severe asthma, and just can’t handle having them there.  He feels terrible and I am heartbroken, without a doubt. In one week, I lose my home, my boyfriend, my animals……I sound like a damn country song. 

I begged Steve to keep them, but he won’t.  He will keep them long enough for me to find homes for them.  I have been asking around and so far no luck.  Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated.  I am sick about this and so sad!! But I cannot be the cause of putting my father in the hospital!!

Please help,

 Here is what I responded to her, and I have yet to hear back.  My first instinct was to lash out, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR "babies"???  But I never want to kick someone when they are down enough, and I don't want her to NOT contact me if she is going to give them up.  So I toned down my reply.   Again, I have not heard back yet.

__________, I cannot tell you how disappointed I am hearing this.  I am sorry about your father.  Really I am.   And I did not know you got another cat.  

When will you find your own place?  Can you keep in a room?  Have you asked your family and friends?  Its hard to understand that your own family or a good friend would not take them in until you can get yourself together.  Can you keep in your bedroom for now?  There ARE options!   Have you tried the following?

Vacuuming frequently. Vacuuming can control pet dander and hair inside the house.
Practice good hair removal. Grooming your pet regularly and keeping your home and furnishings free of hair will help.

Try shampoos and sprays that neutralize dander. Dander consists of tiny scales shed from your pet’s skin. Because these stick to a pet’s hair, many people focus on the hair itself. In fact, it is the proteins in your pet’s saliva that get attached to the dander when your pet grooms that are the true source of your asthma attack. Some products claim to be able to neutralize dander. Tan recommends these products to her clients on a trial basis, but says she is still waiting to hear success stories.

Control pets’ access to bedrooms. The best way to prevent an asthma attack is to avoid the allergen, says Tan. Keeping pets out of the bedroom or limited to certain rooms in the house are ways to coexist and still create an allergen-free space for yourself.
Keep bedding clean. Dust mites love to eat pet dander, says Tan. "It’s one of their favorite foods,” she says. Tan recommends dust-mite covers on beds and cleaning pet beds often.

You know rescues are overloaded with cats right now, and kitten season coming. 

J

I am in the business of rescuing cats off the street.  I am not in the business of rehoming them.   You rehome a cat if its person dies.  Or maybe there is one or two more reasonable reasons.  This puts a tremendous strain on the cat community out there that want to help.  And this is a cat I rescued so 'guilt by association' falls on my shoulders.  By having to take them in, the ones on the street don't get a chance.  There are  alternative choices when your situation is a temporary one.  Thank you to those that responded when I posted on Facebook yesterday.   I will take you up on your offers if I do not hear back positively.

PADDY

Some great news, Sunshine is being adopted, sight unseen, by the woman that adopted Paddy not too long ago last year, just around Thanksgiving.  I am so happy for Sunshine.  She deserves a home of her own.  And Paddy, now named Patrick, you have a new sister!

Bacardi and Foster Mom Rachael!

Bacardi will be doing a meet and greet, and if all goes well, the family will want to keep him right then and there when I bring him over!  :)  This same family adopted Piper from me not too long ago, a year or so ago.  I am thrilled!

Last but not least, as of this minute, Princess is being adopted!  :)  WOO HOO!!!  Will keep  you posted on the next post as to the updates here.

Have a great day!

"Never cut a tree down in wintertime.  Never make a negative decision in the low time.  Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. 

Wait.  Be patient.

The storm will pass.

The SPRING will come!

Feed a Cat for Christmas!!! SANDY & JIM F.!!!!!

SANDRA and her husband JIM kindly offered to take Blackie, a cat that I had been feeding for years underneath a porch of a vacant house on Stout and Grand Avenue.  At one point, the shelters and everything were strewn out onto the curb, and I knew someone was moving in.  It’s a long story, with police involved (I called) but luckily, we were able to get Blackie out of there and into the country life, thanks to Sand and Jim.  Love them both for taking in this once unadoptable, aggression issues cat.  Today, they love him and he is a beloved member of the family.  So thank you guys for helping me to Feed a Cat through Christmas!  JBlackie

Blackie then, living under porch

Jim built Blackie his own home!

Blackie, living the life, today

I go through 36 pounds of dry food every day.  I fill up the bags when I get home in the morning from feeding.  That’s a lot of food.  Just saying...

This morning, as I pulled up to one of my locations, a boarded up house that has had some vagrancy issues lately – the side porch door has been wide open a few times - I glanced up toward the house as I passed the side of it  – and I can’t believe I even did it, normally I would pass right by – and I saw a little calico cat in the window on the second floor.  I couldn’t tell if the window was up or not.  I immediately pulled to the side to think.  Each time I saw the door open, I would close it just enough that it wouldn’t look suspicious to someone driving by – they would take my shelters again.  I would take a count as to how many cats were normally there – one gray, one older muted calico, and one young bright calico, and I would be sure they were accounted for before closing that door slightly.  Yesterday, someone must have come along and bolted the door – there was a pad lock on it.   I immediately sprang into action and got my crowbar.  Yes, I sometimes do things a bit  -- illegal shall we say?   In the ‘old’ days, I would panic and call the police, call my police friend, call the fire department, I would panic.  But today, I take matters into my own hands.  I pried the padlock and sprang the door open!  I went around to the front of the house, did my feeding, all the while calling for the kitty, still not seeing her.  I went back to the Jeep, looked up, and there she was!  I got back out, went to the side of the house, and tried to secure the door a bit, very loosely in case there was another inside, but didn’t want kitties to get back in.

So there you have it.  Another exciting day in the hood!

Oh, and we have another trip down memory lane:

I rescued a mother cat, and a kitten cat, unrelated, a few years back.  Their mom wanted to share a picture of them now.   She adopted them together, how great is that!  Does anyone remember Sweet Pea, and Charlie?

Charlie

Sweet Pea - so dirty - THEN

Charlie and Sweet Pea today!

Have a great day!

"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

Feed a Cat for Christmas!!! CAROL & MIKE O!!!

CAROL & MIKEY!  :)  Hey, thanks for helping me to Feed a Cat for Christmas!  Carol has been very generous to me through the few years we've known each other.  She heard about me through her husband Mike, who I knew through work, and off we went to friendship.  AND, Three, Four???  cats later, they adopted!  :)  Carol, correct me if I am wrong?  Is it Four??  :)

Greta a/k/a CANDY - Before Rescue on Hayward Avenue

GRETA Today!

ALICE

ABBY

MURPHY!

Often people that adopt from me I don't hear from again, which saddens me, because I like to know the progress of what is happening with kitty that I once fed on the streets that distrusted humans at first, and then learned to trust again through me.  It takes time and patience, but they do come around, and those lucky enough to be rescued get great homes.  It makes me feel like what I do is worth it.  Sometimes, that is hard to see when you are getting up day after day after day at 2 in the morning, to go out at 4 to feed cats for an hour and half, in all sorts of weather, in not so nice neighborhoods, trudging through snow, mud, rain, thunder and lightning, you name it.  I don't know how I do it.  Its their little faces that I see peek out from a shelter, or the eyes illuminating from the headlights of the Jeep when I am just pulling up to their spot.  Some even run to me.  THAT'S what keeps me going.

But I do love updates!  Here is Dasher, now named Bogart, in his new home.  Do you think he is happy?  :)

His foster mom did SUCH a great job - she picked him up from me the day of his neutering, and with a LOT of patience with his initial aggressiveness, with him learning to trust the human he was now with, he turned into the mushball he is today.  I am so happy for you Dash!

The snow was miserable this morning, but I made it as comfortable as possible at all 16 locations that the cats are waiting for me at.  I changed some wet towels inside the comfy spaces, and brushed off some snow at others.  The shelters are still there, on the side of the house next door to where they were removed from the porch of the house that someone apparently has purchased.  I still have the food plates on the porch.  Too bad.

Princess!

Princess is just that.  Not knowing what this young female that was rescued AND spayed just yesterday would be like, I found out.  She is a sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet less than a year old.  Used the litter box, and turned over onto her back to show me her belly while on my lap this morning.  I love her!  But she must be adopted!  :)

PADDY now named PATRICK!

One last happy note.  The girl that adopted Paddy earlier last year, now named Patrick, wrote me this morning asking to adopt a girl cat, and guess who is going to be adopted???  SUNSHINE!!!  Woo HOO!!!

Have a GREAT day!

Feed a Cat for Christmas! NORMA S. H.!!!!!

Norma S. H.!  Thank you for helping me to feed a cat for Christmas!!!  Norma has been very kind to me over the years.  She ran a shelter for cats out in Victor for many many years and worked very hard for them.  She donated food to me for the city cats as much as she could.  Norma, I appreciate you so much.  So do the cats! 

It was miserable out this morning.  Not only the rain turning into sleet turning into snow, but I pulled up to my second Parsells location where there has been 15 cats counted one morning, regulars about 10, and all my - THEIR - shelters were thrown to the curb.  Knowing these cats had nothing, I immediately placed them back, haphazardly, and then placed their food down, and drove off knowing I had to get my morning feedings done.  I also knew I had to rescue a pregnant female from Short Street who has a vet appointment this morning.  What if she wasn't there?   Back to these shelters removed and put to curb...  what a HEARTLESS thing to do.  Couldn't they have left a note, saying to please move it?  The lids were off, inside the shelters the straw was soaking.  They did this yesterday, obviously, sometime during the day, so these animals had NOTHING all day, and night.  They were sleeping in these shelters, this was their HOME!  On a day like today?  HEARTLESS.  Another unkind person moving to Parsells.

But you know what?  Kindness still exists on Parsells.  I was at Baldwin getting out of the car and a van pulled up and the window opened.  It was Carl, the man next door on Parsells, the kind man. Remember his son at one point came out and I had to call the police because he was threatening me not to leave food there for the cats.  Anyway, he told me that someone had bought the house. And all the while, I thought it was his son that did it.  What a kind man.  I asked him if he knew of a spot I could move things to, I told him I was desperate, that there were over 10 displaced cats.  He thought and thought, but couldn't think of anything.  If it weren't for his wife and son, he might have let me move my stuff to his place next door!  I thanked him profusely.  He didn't have to drive and find me to tell me that.

I raced to Garson, then Baldwin, then Webster, and then finally Short Street.  There she was.  Her name is Princess for now.  Sweet little thing.  She will be spayed today, combo tested, and hopefully good to go.  I don't think I can place her back on the street.  I visited with her while she was in the carrier in the Jeep when I finished my rounds and got back home.  I put my fingers in the door and she just rubbed and rubbed her had against them.  Too sweet to put back there.  I must find a foster.

Princess

I also need to get Sunshine out there.  She has been being fostered by a kind woman, but we must get her name out there.  I have had so much on my mind that I've nearly forgotten her.  So besides Bacardi, Sunshine needs a home.  Please spread the word!

Sunshine

UPDATE:  Hi Janine, can you find out if 4 Staudinger Place is set to be torn down this year 2017? It's one of my sites and it has been boarded up for at least 2 years, and now they have yellow, blue and red flags/markers around.

ReplyDelete

Replies

1. 
   JanineJanuary 24, 2017 at 8:49 AM

   Please email me at janine.wagner@rochesterregional.org and I can send you the list for 2017! Whoever you are. :)

   Delete

Have a great day!

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, they who partake of benefits which are gotten by wronging one of God’s creatures, cannot be righteous; nor can they touch holy things, or teach the mysteries of the kingdom.." 

Feed a Cat for Christmas!!! ANN & PETE B!

ANN and PETE!  Thank you for helping me to Feed MANY Cats through Christmas!  I go way back with these two.  Pete was my old boss at a big law firm.  We were buds too.  Some would call Pete cantankerous, I would call him a teddy bear.  I left the firm, Pete retired but soon thereafter became the judge of a small town east of Rochester.  Although Pete was always a hunter, they love their animals, especially dogs.  Thanks for thinking of me you two.  Even though its been many years apart, I still consider them good friends!

House being demolished soon (old feeding spot)

This weekend was INSANE.  I arrived Saturday morning to one of my spots, that is a vacant house which I have two feeding spots, one on each porch of the house, only to find a tape surrounding the house.  I knew that the next step would be demolition, as its on the demo list that a friend provided me for the new year.  I knew the day would come for this, but you are never ready - nor are the cats, to move to a new location, if its even possible.  I looked across the street - saw the vacant city lot, and Saturday Sheryl and I began dragging all the shelters over, and placed a tarp over that.  We called for the three kitties that were sitting on the porches of the house, across the street, to come eat at their new spot, but they were very confused.  I later stopped back and pretended I was pouring the food down at the new spot, all the while calling for kitties, and it did look like one or two found the new location as some of the food was gone.

NEW SHELTER

Sunday morning, I dragged a pallet to the new spot and placed it to get the food off the ground.  This morning, I replaced the tarp with a larger one, although I am in desperate need of heavy rocks.   The wind is coming also.  And this morning I did notice the kitties have found their food source.  I just pray they use the shelters here to take cover in once the house is demolished. 

DASHER now named BOGART!

Dasher has been adopted.  I am thrilled at his chance for a better life on the streets.  His foster mom loved him so, and found it very hard to let him go, but she knows that in order to save another, it must be done.  His new parents will keep in touch, and so far it sounds like the adjustment is going well.  Dasher's going to have a great life, and I couldn't be happier!  More news to come on that!

BACARDI

Baylee goes to get his remaining teeth out today, and Bacardi is going for a check up to see why he is still having 'bathroom issues'.  And then Bacardi is going to be adopted!!!  He must!  Such a SWEET boy!!!  Thanks to him foster mom for loving him unconditionally.

BAYLEE

More pics from this morning: (don't forget to click on pics to see up close!)

Fluffy Red on Tires at Auto Garage

Kitty on Central waiting for Breakfast

Cats I saw on Side of Road on Melville/Webster - HAD to feed them - all un ear tipped :(

Have a great day!

"Keep smiling

And one day life will

get tired of

upsetting you."

Feed a Cat for Christmas! SCOTT & MARY C!!!

SCOTT and MARY!  Thank you for helping me to feed a cat for Christmas!  What can I say about these two...  they helped me establish my city garden, they've built some beautiful shelters for me, they've donated a bunch of gift cards - specifically my favorite - liquor stores...  :)  and to top that all off, they adopted Pip and Emmet from me nearly what... late summer, 2015?  AND Mary's sister Liz adopted Syd and Joanie (now Piper)!  Thank you both so much.  I am forever grateful for your ongoing support.

EMMETT

PIP

PIP and EMMETT now!

I received the appointment for the pregnant girl on Short Street, but its not until February 2nd.  Uggh.  That's how backed up the clinic is with spots for TNR.  She will be TNR'd also.  I pray a cancellation comes up sooner than that for her. 

Kitties all normal out there this morning.

Nothing much to share, except that I ache!  :)

My Wishlist?

• Triple AAA batteries (for headlamp!) - I go through them like CRAZY!  
• Concrete blocks (one or two) (some crazy person took the one holding up a board on Baldwin)
• Someone to help cut some very large boards on the side of my garage
• Black or dark brown spray paint (plastic) to spray the white Styrofoam containers to be made into shelters
• Wet cat food, dry cat food

Thanks very much!

I leave you with some pics from this morning:  (Remember to click on pic to see up close)

Kitty waits next to house each morning for me to pour food

My two boys...  Baylee and Spencer

LEO Beo

Have a GREAT day!

”Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything.  Maybe it’s about unbecoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.”