Ignorance is Bliss

I had another 'woman' yell at me at one of my feeding locations this morning telling me to "take those $#@%@$ cats away" and to stop feeding them.  She said she can't even let her nephews to play because she is afraid of them.  These four beautiful docile cats - she is afraid of them.  This fear of cats is generational for some of these people in poor, low income neighborhoods and I just don't understand.  They teach their children to be afraid, and it goes on and on for each generation.  I have never heard of a cat stalking and attacking a child, or adult, ever.  Have you?   What are the chances of it happening?  I approached her closer because she was yelling at the top of her lungs at 4:30 am. and she said if I came closer she would 'beat my ass.'  All I could do was walk away in astonishment at the ignorance of people like her, and hope that she wouldn't throw away the only meal these cats had for the day.

These are the vicious cats that live there.

A while back I asked for help with writing a note to the Editor of the Democrat and Chronicle after I was contacted by the city telling me I would need to remove my shelters from city vacant lots.  A friend went beyond the newspaper article, and wrote directly to the Chief of Staff and Mayor Warren on my behalf.  When she told me she had done it and I had not yet reviewed it before it was sent, I was a bit nervous because I don't want to appear hostile toward the city, as I have not yet been ordered to remove the cats 'homes' shelters.  But my friend, who is involved with politics in some fashion herself, was very professional in this letter, and went right to the important topics of my mission.  I am so very grateful.  I am so glad their are people like Susan that are just as passionate about animal welfare that can help me speak for the animals.  I don't do a great job speaking person to person for them - I am not a great communicator especially when I am so emotionally involved, except writing about them on my blog each day - since 2010!~   So, I share this with you now.

(Here is her letter to the Mayor and her Chief of Staff)

"Good morning to both of you. 

I enjoyed meeting both of you at Joe’s rally on Saturday.  I have been at the phone bank yesterday and will return today.  I have also been talking to dear friends of mine who are over looking Joe and are caught up with supporting another candidate. Anyway, the response from people at the call center was very encouraging.  We need civility in government and we need Joe to go the Washington.  Louise’s daughter’s letter of endorsement was wonderful.

My purpose in writing to you is to introduce you to my friend, Janine Wagner.  By day she works in Development  at RGH. She is loved and respected by the local cat rescue people.  She is really a  Mother Teresa  for the feral cat community I the City. The D & C has written articles about her.

For the past 2O years Janine has gotten up around 3 am every single morning with no breaks for vacations  or illness and she goes into tough areas of the city and provides shelters for feral cats who have miserable lives. She traps, neutered, and fosters then adopts  out the cats.  She spent thousands of her own money providing food and vet care until others encouraged her to have a 503 C status,

On average she provides a minimum of  40 trap and neuter missions.  She averages 60 rescues  per year and this year the number has risen to 122,  You can read about her as she has a janinethebean Facebook blog.

She is currently very distressed.  Someone from the City told her to remove shelters from the area as the City wants to prepare to sell the land.  Janine has been there for 20 years In undesirable areas. She picks up trash.  She is on a mission of compassion.  By feeding she helps alleviate misery. When the ferals trust her she traps and neuters in an effort to reduce the cat population.

I cannot speak for Janine as I only know How concerned she is.  According to her narrative someone in the City told her she should mow the properties.  I do not know what person said that.

I want to ask for collaboration for Janine.  What she is doing as a volunteer is amazing.
I always think of win win opportunities.  The City has the opportunity to evaluate the situation  and the benefit of her efforts to reduce the feral cat population.  Janine blogs and the rescue groups of the area are abundant and active.

As I mentioned to you both on Saturday I read the NYT and WP daily and I am heartsick about the cruelty and  dangerousness of  the White House.  I try to balance this by being kind and compassionate and by supporting good people and good causes.

In conclusion I respectfully ask that the city reach out to Janine on the property matter and to help her and also see this as an opportunity the City to be kind.  I think an article on this  in the D & C would be  positive for all included."

Thanks so much Susan...  

Have a great day!

Sam's Happy Ending!

MY WISH LIST:  As you all know, I feed over 100 cats a day.  I use disposable bowls because of the number of times daily people throw them out so the cats have nothing until the next morning.  I also go through a lot of AAA batteries due to using the headlamp for 1.5 hours each morning.  I also go through a lot of food - I spend over $100 a week on dry cat food alone.  Those three things are helpful and needed.  

To sum it up - I am in need of paper bowls, AAA batteries, and dry cat food - preferably any Purina brand.  Thank you!

And now, the final chapter, but not the last!, of Sam from Short Street, the cat I've fed for over 5 years now - he has greeted me and followed me back to my vehicle every morning since, hoping to be one of the lucky ones that I rescue, but never could...  

A Guardian Angel Chapter 15 - Sam's Happy Ending

 

Sam - Finally Rescued!

  

…Who remembers Sam from Short street ? Sam has decided to stop waiting for a rescue from a willing human and go find one for himself ! …

  

Sam snuggled deeper into the man's cradling arms, purring his loudest and thinking he must be the luckiest cat in the world to find such a nice human on his very first day of trying to get himself off the streets.

He had left his lonely existence back on Short Street just a few hours ago, and had made his way over to North Goodman street where he had managed to find a very nice human man who had made an effort to communicate with him. After successfully impressing the man with his lovable charm, he was now bobbing slowly up and down in the man's arms as he walked down Goodman, and soaking up all the warmth and friendly scents from the man like a giant sponge. Sam could hardly believe his good fortune, and looked all around at the busy city streets where cars zoomed by him like a wide-eyed kitten from the height of the man's arms as they moved along. Sam relished the sharp contrast between the cool winter air ruffling the fur along his back and the warm heat coming from the man's arms under his belly and legs. He kept his purr motor going the whole time, hoping and praying the man would not put him down or cat-forbid - bring him back to Short street again.

After several minutes of walking along the man turned up a short walkway to the front of a modest looking house. The man fumbled for his keys to unlock the door, holding Sam against his chest while he did so. Sam did not squirm or try to jump down. Sam was very happy to stay right where he was, thinking that if he made it all the way inside this human's house he would never try to leave again. Sam watched, fascinated, as the man inserted a metal key into a little slot in the door and turned it, then reached down and turning the knob to open it. The smells of the man's house now wafted into Sam's face, and he snuffled in a lungful while twitching his nose like a rabbit. He drew the air over his Jacobson's organ in the roof of his mouth (a special organ that allows cats to pick out very small traces of scents) and filed away all the different scents that he could detect. There were lots of good food smells, some sharp cleaning chemical smells, and even a human females smells. Sam realized that this man must also live with a human female. He hoped that she would be friends with him too, and not force the nice man to turn him back out on the streets.

The man turned and closed the door while still holding Sam in the other arm, before gently lowering him to the floor. Sam reluctantly climbed out of the man's hands and stood on his paws, looking up at the man and repeating his pleas to let him live here with him and his female human companion. The man bent and stroked his head and back again then straightened up and walked slowly down a short hallway and into a brightly lit room that smelled like all different kinds of human food.  Sam followed closely at his heels, his belly now rumbling with that old familiar hunger again - the same one that was never far away back on Short Street. Sam kept his gaze locked on the man's hands as he stopped in front of a row of cupboards and opened one up. The man took out a can of something (cat food Sam hoped) and set it on the counter. He then opened another cupboard and took out a small bowl. The man used a tool to open the can and Sam began to meow out loud at the man when the smell of fresh tuna fish wafted down toward his level on the human's floor. The man smiled and made a few encouraging sounds, scooping the contents of the can into the little bowl. He then bent slowly down to Sam's level and set the bowl on the floor. Sam couldn’t wait to chow down on those juicy chunks of meat. He'd had tuna before a few times as a reward for begging the humans that lived along Short Street for food, so he knew how good this was going to taste.

Sam gobbled up the tuna like he hadn't eaten in days. It hadn't really been that long, but he was so happy to be in this man's warm house and filling his belly that he couldn’t help it. He kept his ears swiveling back behind his head where he knew the man was watching, but he did not feel any sense of danger or fear. When he'd lapped up the last morsel of tuna, he pulled back from the man's bowl and licked his chops with satisfaction. He had never felt so content and relaxed as he did right now. He looked up at the man and meowed his heartfelt thanks, getting up and winding his body all around the man's feet to emphasize his appreciation. The man reached down and stroked his head and back while he did, then straightened up and pulled a small device out of his clothing pocket. Sam watched as the man pushed some buttons on the device, then began talking rapidly into it, pausing once in a while to listen as he held the device up to his ear. Sam guessed the man must be talking to the human female that he smelled when they first came in. He hoped the man was saying good things about him, and was convincing the women to let him stay in their home forever like he so much wanted to do.

After a few minutes the man stopped talking into his device and put it back in his pocket. He walked back over to Sam and bent down so he could stroke his head and neck again. Sam closed his eyes and purred with pleasure for a few minutes, then the man straightened up again and then walked slowly into another room where he sat down on a long comfy looking piece of human furniture. Sam followed closely on his heels and only hesitated a few seconds before he hopped up onto the cushion next to the man. He hoped the man would not be angry or annoyed that he was being so bold, but everything that had happened so far led Sam to believe that he might have finally found a human that would make his dreams come true. The man did not get angry at all, and seemed very happy to have Sam up there with him, so Sam plopped himself down on the cushion next to the man and was soon getting sleepy as the man gently stroked his head and back.

Sam must have fallen asleep because he awoke sometime later to the sounds of another human coming through the front door of the man's house. Sam hopped down off the cushions and watched warily as the new human came into the room. It must have been the man's female as her smell matched the scent he had picked up earlier when the man first brought him inside. The female had several bags full of bulky items which she set carefully on the counter surface just inside the man's kitchen. She bent her long legs and crouched down near the floor and extended her hands toward him, making encouraging sounds. Sam was delighted that she was also trying to be friends with him so he padded cautiously over to her and allowed her to stroke his head and back. Her scent was friendly and accepting just like the man's, so Sam was very relieved that he would not have to worry about being turned back out on the street. The human female also made encouraging sounds as she stroked his fur, making Sam purr with pleasure.

After a few minutes she stood up straight and went into the kitchen to empty the items she had brought home in bags. Sam watched with wide eyes as she took out a large plastic box, a huge container of something that looked like tan dirt, and two brand new small bowls. From the last bag she took out several cans that he hoped contained cat food - or at least more delicious tuna. He watched as the human female set the plastic box down in the back corner of the kitchen and poured the tan dirt into it where she spread it out in a deep layer inside the plastic box. Sam strolled over to it curious, and sniffed all along the lip of the box. Something about the look and smell of the dirt that was layered inside must have triggered some instinct within him as he suddenly understood what this box was supposed to be.

A pooh-pee place ! (cats called anyplace to safely deposit poop or pee so that predators could not find it a pooh-pee place)

The humans had provided him with his very own pooh-pee place within their home. For Sam that could only mean one thing - his dreams had come true. He had found a place where humans would accept him and make him part of their family. He hoped the nice human female that came every day back on Short street would not be worried when she found him not around anymore, and hoped she would know how her basic acts of daily kindness had inspired him to go out and make a friend of a human for his very own.

  

With great thanks to Doug and Yolanda for taking Sam in and giving him the loving home he so deserves. Having met Sam personally while riding along with Janine in 2016 I was very glad to hear that he had found someone to take him off the streets and save him from a life of hunger and misery …

Author - Joel Schmid

Education is Key - The Vacuum Effect

Attached are pictures of various cats around town.  These cats are fine in the summer, being without shelter, but come winter, its a very harsh existence for them.  Can you imagine, a city so cruel as to want to remove the shelters I have established for them?  You can't just move the cats that are 'living' there.  Once spayed and neutered, they die out on their own.  Until then, they need sustenance and safety.  I have not yet heard back from the city, but am waiting.

Click on pics to zoom in:

Removing cats from an area creates a vacuum.

The Vacuum Effect has been documented worldwide in many species. Animal control’s traditional approach has been to catch and kill community cats. While this may temporarily reduce the number of community cats in a given area, it is ultimately counterproductive, as the population of cats rebounds. Due to the Vacuum Effect, untrapped cats continue to breed, and other cats move into the newly available territory.

Community cats are unowned cats who live outdoors.

Community cats, also called feral or outdoor cats, are not a new phenomenon. They reside in an outdoor location where they have access to food and shelter. Even though community cats are the same species as house cats (Felis catus), they have not been socialized to people and are therefore unadoptable. Community cats can lead full, healthy lives in their outdoor homes.

Time and again, communities find catch and kill doesn’t work—it needs to stop.

Municipal animal control agencies have been catching and killing cats for decades in a misguided attempt to reduce the number of community cats in a given area. Catch and kill is counterproductive, as it has no permanent impact on the population of outdoor cats. This endless, cruel cycle is not supported by the public, wastes tax dollars, and fails to meet the needs of the cats and the community. The Vacuum Effect is just one reason catch and kill is so ineffective.

NOTE:  Rochester Animal Control does not go out and catch cats anymore.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) does work.

Communities are desperate for humane solutions. TNR is the only effective and humane approach to address community cat populations. It involves humanely trapping, spaying or neutering, vaccinating, and returning community cats to their outdoor homes. Afterward, there are no more litters of kittens—the population is stabilized. TNR stops the stress associated with pregnancy and mating behaviors, such as yowling or fighting. Not only is TNR the effective, humane approach for outdoor cats, but it improves their lives.

You can make a difference and save lives.

Together, we can fight the ineffective catch and kill approach, support TNR, and ensure local policies address the needs of outdoor cats and our communities.

Education is Key - How to Live With Cats in Your Neighborhood

First off. I trapped two more kittens this weekend.  I set them on Garson each morning, Saturday and Sunday, and each time I went back, I had another.  Saturday we saved "Junebug" and on Sunday, we saved "JP", the only male out of the bunch.  Little sweethearts.  Many thanks to Melissa for taking all four, for now.  I will need to give her a break this time, as four is a bit much for one person.  Believe me, I know!  :)  I will continue to set the trap there, to make sure there are no more kittens, and in the meantime, will consider taking a few back next weekend.  I really needed a kitten break, if you can believe that!

JUNEBUG

JP

I did go visit Sue, who is fostering Jamie, Julie, Jack and Jazzie.  They are smaller than I thought, and cuter than I thought too!  What a bunch of darlings.

Jamie

Jamie and Jack

JAMIE and ROSE

JULIE

Saffy, the last of Buffy's babies, went to her new home Saturday morning.  They do love her so.  I can't wait to continue to get updates from her.  I need to work on them on finding a new playmate for Saffy!

SAFFY

I missed out on seeing Hermie, Parsley and Buffy this weekend - oh so busy.  Connor is going to have surgery this Thursday.  Please say a prayer he comes out of it healthy and strong, and he can then go on to his forever home, that all these adult cats have been waiting for.

And now, some more education!

What is a community cat?

Community cats, also called feral cats, are unowned cats who live outdoors. Like indoor cats, they belong to the domestic cat species (felis catus). However, community cats are generally not socialized, or friendly, to people, and are therefore unadoptable. They live full, healthy lives with their feline families, called colonies, in their outdoor homes.

Cats living outdoors is nothing new. It wasn’t until kitty litter was invented in the late 1940s that some cats began living strictly indoors. But community cats truly thrive in their outdoor homes. The tips in this brochure will help you coexist with community cats.

Why do I see community cats in my neighborhood?

Community cats live outdoors. Like all animals, community cats settle where food and shelter are available, and they are naturally skilled at finding these on their own.

Because they are unsocialized, community cats can’t live indoors with people, and are therefore unadoptable. Community cats should not be taken to animal shelters—nationwide, virtually 100 percent of community cats taken to shelters are killed there. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the humane, effective, and mainstream approach to addressing community cat populations.

What is Trap-Neuter-Return?

In a TNR program, community cats are humanely trapped, brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped (the universal sign that a cat is part of a TNR program), and then returned to their outdoor homes. Kittens less than 8 weeks old can be socialized and then adopted. Adult cats who are socialized can be adopted, but they can also be returned outdoors, where they will continue to thrive.

TNR improves cats’ lives and provides an effective, humane, and collaborative way for communities to coexist with cats. To learn more, including how to conduct TNR, visit alleycat.org/TNR.

What does the Vacuum Effect have to do with TNR?

The Vacuum Effect has been documented worldwide in many species, including community cats. Animal control’s typical approach has been to catch and kill community cats. While this may temporarily reduce the number of community cats in a given area, it is ultimately counterproductive, as the population of cats rebounds. Other cats move into the newly available territory and continue to breed—this phenomenon is called the Vacuum Effect. It’s why catch and kill doesn’t work. TNR is the only effective and humane approach to address community cat populations. Learn more at alleycat.org/VacuumEffect.

What You Should Do If…

Cats are getting into your trash.

REASON: Cats are looking for food.

Quick Tips:

• Secure your trash can with a tight lid or bungee cords. This will protect your trash from wildlife as well.
• Find out if neighbors are feeding the cats. If they are, make sure they are following best practices. Learn more at alleycat.org/BestPractices.
• Consider feeding the cats yourself if you find no regular caregiver. Feeding cats using best practices will help ensure they don’t get hungry enough to get into trash.

Feeding stations provide cats with a designated area to eat. Find tips for building or buying feeding stations at alleycat.org/FeedingStations.

Cats are digging in your garden.

REASON: It is a cat’s natural instinct to dig in soft or loose soil, moss, mulch, or sand.

Quick Tips:

• Put out fragrances that keep cats away. Scatter fresh orange or lemon peels. Wet coffee grounds—which you may be able to get for free from coffee houses and fast food chains—and metal pans filled with vinegar also deter cats.
• Make an outdoor litter box away from your garden by tilling the soil or placing sand in
  an out-of-the-way spot in your yard. Clean the area frequently.
• Use plastic carpet runners, spike-side up, covered lightly in soil. They can be found at hardware or office supply stores. You can also set chicken wire firmly into the dirt (roll sharp edges under), arrange branches or sticks in a lattice pattern, or put wooden or plastic fencing over soil.
• Get the Cat Scat Mat, a nonchemical cat deterrent consisting of plastic mats that are cut into smaller pieces and pressed into the soil (seen below). Each mat has flexible plastic spikes that are harmless to cats and other animals but discourage digging.
  
  

  The Cat Scat Mat is a safe deterrent to use in your garden.
• Get motion-activated sprinklers.
• Cover exposed ground in flower beds with large river rocks to prevent cats from digging. Rocks have the added benefit of deterring weeds.

Cats are lounging in your yard or porch, or on your car.

REASON: Cats tend to remain close to their food source.

Quick Tips:

• Shift the cats’ food source to a less central location, where you won’t mind if they hang out.
• Apply fragrances that deter cats around the edges of your yard, the tops of fences, and on any favorite digging areas or plants. See “Cats are digging in your garden” for a list of cat-deterring fragrances.
• Install an ultrasonic deterrent or a motion-activated sprinkler. You can find humane
  deterrent products at garden supply stores.
• Use a car cover or place carpet runners on top of your car to avoid paw prints.

Cats are sleeping under your porch or in your shed.

REASON: The cats are looking for a dry, warm shelter away from the elements.

Quick Tips:

• Provide covered shelter. Or, if the cats have a caregiver, ask the caregiver to provide covered shelter. Shelters should be placed in quiet areas away from traffic. Find tips to build or buy shelters at alleycat.org/ShelterGallery.
• Block or seal the area where the cats enter with chicken wire or lattice, but only once you are absolutely certain no cats or kittens are inside.

Feeding cats attracts insects and wildlife.

REASON: Leaving food out for too long can attract other animals.

Quick Tips:

• Feed the cats at the same time and location each day. They should be given only enough food to finish in one sitting. If another person is caring for the cats, ask them to follow these guidelines. For more colony care guidelines, visit alleycat.org/ColonyCare.
• Keep the feeding area neat and free of leftover food and trash.

Cats are yowling, fighting, spraying, roaming, and having kittens.

REASON: These are mating behaviors. Once the cats are spayed or neutered, these behaviors will stop.

Quick Tips:

• Conduct TNR for the cats. TNR stops mating behaviors and ensures no new kittens are born.
• Find more information about TNR at alleycat.org/TNR. Get help from local community cat experts by requesting a list of Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network members in your area at alleycat.org/FindFeralFriends.

Please remember: Do not take community cats to animals shelters. They are feral—or unsocialized to people—and therefore unadoptable. This means virtually 100 percent of community cats taken to shelters are killed there. Instead, community cats should be neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their outdoor homes.

5 Easy Steps for Humanely Deterring Cats

1. Talk to your neighbors. Determine whether the cats are pets, stray, or feral, and if they have been spayed or neutered. If not, make an appointment with a feral-friendly veterinarian and find tips for TNR at alleycat.org/TNR.
2. Apply nontoxic deterrents around your yard.
3. Put a tight lid on your trash can.
4. Block gaps in the foundation of sheds and porches.
5. Use a cover to keep paw prints off your car.

Sam's Story - Part Two

Just a reminder, this story is of a cat I named SAM that I've been feeding for many many years on Short Street...  earlier this year, I noticed Sam was missing... like so many others in the 20 years I've been doing this, and its always sad because you never know what their fate was...  If you've read my blog religiously over the years you would know how long I tried to find a home for Sam, the cat that would greet me for his breakfast, and then run after me when I went to get in the car to leave each morning...  

A Guardian Angel Chapter 14 - Sam's Story Continues

  

  

…Who remembers Sam from Short street ? Sam has decided to stop waiting for a rescue from a willing human and go find one for himself ! …

SAM

  

Sam watched the human male approach, rising up off his haunches and flipping his tail straight up in the air. He tilted his head back and thrust his whiskers forward in front of his nose. This was how a cat "turned on the charm" when they were approaching another creature that they wanted to be friends with. It worked well on other cats (especially females) but Sam was not entirely sure it would work on a human. All he could do was try, so with all his charm indicators engaged, he walked slowly out from the alleyway and in front of the man. He added his best meow to the mix, and waited to see if the man would look his way.

He must have done something right - because the man stopped walking and bent his long human legs to bring his face down closer to Sam's. The man reached out a hand with deliberate slowness, so as not to startle him. Sam was greatly encouraged by these gestures, hoping that the man's cautious response meant that he would be ready to communicate with him. Sam stretched out his neck and cautiously inhaled a lungful of the man's scent, and was pleased to note it contained no traces of fear or aggression. The man made an encouraging sound - so Sam went for broke and side stepped closer to rub his chin glands (all cats had scent glands located along the sides of their heads to mark territory) along the outstretched fingers of the man's hand. The man made a gleeful sound and began talking to him in gentle tones. Sam was elated that he had found a receptive human on his first try, and pushed his whole body along the man's hand, ruffling the fur above his backbone and continuing back along his short striped tail. He turned and sidled himself back along the bottom of the man's hand again so he could watch the man's face.

The man looked very happy to be petting and talking to him so Sam immediately jumped to the next step in cat-to-human relationships and flopped over on his side, exposing his vulnerable undersides to the man. All cats knew that the ultimate sign of trust and friendly intentions was to show your belly to the prospective acquaintance. The man made some more encouraging sounds and gently stroked his sides and belly. Sam squirmed around in delight on his back, thinking that he would have it made if he could convince this nice man to take him home with him this very day. Sam purred his loudest and rolled back onto his feet, walking in tight circles and figure eights around the man's feet. The man stood up straight again, startling Sam just a little, so he jumped back and sat back on his haunches, gazing up at the man intently to see what he would do next. The man made a few human speech noises and began walking slowly up Goodman Street in the same direction he had been going when Sam had first spotted him earlier.

Sam was not about to let his best prospect for a new life off the streets get away so easily, so he bounded up on his feet and began to follow the man as close to his big human shoes as he safely could. He kept his tail up and his whiskers thrust forward as well, hoping the man would not ignore him and leave him here when he'd made such a great first impression. He also meowed in his sweetest voice up at the man as they progressed a few yards down the street.

"Please human, don’t leave me here by myself and hungry. I know you like me, you stopped and tried to be nice to me. I like how you smell. I want to come home with you !"

The man stopped walking and bent his knees again. He made more encouraging sounds to Sam and began to stroke his head again. Sam arched his back and pushed against the man's hand. Sam was so absorbed in the good feelings from the man's hand that he was not aware he was being picked up off the ground until he felt his feet lose contact with the cold sidewalk. His first thought was to panic and try to flee, but he fought that instinct and went limp in the man's hands instead, waiting to see if his gamble was going to cost him an injury or even possibly his life.

But his fears seemed unfounded, because the man made more encouraging sounds and lifted him up and snuggled him against the man's warm cloths, all the while making more of those soothing and encouraging sounds. The man turned around in front of the little alleyway and began walking slowly back in the opposite direction he had been going when Sam first spotted him. Sam snuggled deeper into the man's cradling arms, purring his loudest and thinking he must be the luckiest cat in the world to find such a nice human on his very first day of trying to get himself off the streets …

To be continued …

Have a nice day!

Spay the Stray!

I started this post yesterday - I just reread it and I am all over the place, but I had to put my thoughts down as they came to me.

As a follow-up to the post two weeks ago where I mentioned that I received several posts on shelters on city VACANT lots that they had to be removed.  I spoke to Inspector Nieves, who heard my story, received the information I sent to him about meetings with the Mayor's office in 2016, and said he had to speak to his supervisor, and would get back to me.  TWO WEEKS LATER, I got a call - yesterday - from an assistant supervisor at Verona Street - animal services.  (why are they calling me) She told me I would have to remove my shelters because they want to sell the city properties.  She asked me many questions, including the question - Can you give me the addresses of your shelters - she asked me that at least six times and each time I told her I would not give her my addresses.  She asked me how many TNR's I've done, how many cats I've rescued.  She asked me how many cats were at each location.  She asked if I have reached out to neighbors.  I told her yes, I've spoken to many over the years.  Passed out fliers explaining what TNR is.  She asked me if I would be willing to maintain these lots.  I said I already do minus the mowing, and she asked if I would mow, and I said if I can borrow your big city mowers!  I said if I had to hire people

First of all, these are vacant lots that I have cared for and cleaned for many years now.  The trash I've removed is unbelievable.  Second, these are homes to at least five cats per shelter, on average.  Most cats that depend on these shelters, that have huts inside to keep them warm and safe, and space to place food so it is not exposed to the elements.  These cats are spayed and neutered, and living their short lives as best as they can.  They have no where to go.  And when the occasional cat shows up not spayed and neutered, I am trying to trap them as best as I can and get them sterilized, and given shots.  I can't rescue them all.  Most are feral or semi feral.  I remove and re-home many of those that are strays.

Secondly, the city should be HELPING me, not trying to hinder my efforts.  Its about time they start to address the problem, and not hurt the individuals trying to FIX the problem, the little they can do as a citizen that cares.

In order to spay and neuter (TNR) cats, you must have a feeding spot where they trust to go to.  TNR is the only effective and humane approach to address community cat populations. It involves humanely trapping, spaying or neutering, vaccinating, and returning community cats to their outdoor homes. Afterward, there are no more litters of kittens—the population is stabilized. TNR stops the stress associated with pregnancy and mating behaviors, such as yowling or fighting. Not only is TNR the effective, humane approach for outdoor cats, but it improves their lives.

This is a great link to what this city needs to be doing.

https://www.bettercitiesforpets.com/2018/02/26/trap-neuter-return-helps-community-cats/  "You’ll also need to be sure there are people in your community who are caring for the cats, providing food and maintaining shelter areas for them. Most communities have many kind-hearted residents already caring for cats."

I am a community cat caregiver.  Community cat caregivers are good Samaritans - volunteers who provide a public service that deserve appreciation from local officials, animal control agencies, animal shelters and the public.  Its totally unfair to impose fines, fees, or remove these shelters for no good reason.

Last but not least, the BIGGEST reason to keep these shelters --- this rescue just this morning:

These are just babies out there.  They NEED shelter!!!

Have a good day!  Please, SPREAD the WORD about this atrocity!

Sam's Story - by Joel Schmid

A Guardian Angel Chapter 13 - Sam's Story

 

Sam, watching me drive away... every morning...

  

…Who remembers Sam from Short street ? Janine had been feeding this cheerful boy for years before he suddenly disappeared. Fearing the worst, all turned out well - for fate had other plans for little Sam …

  

Sam was tired.

He was tired of living on the street, tired of being cold in the winter and wet in the spring. Tired of being hungry but most of all he was tired of being alone. He was a very gregarious male, and although he chased away other males from his territory in the abandoned lot on Short street (he couldn’t help it - it was instinct) he craved company. Any kind of company - even from a human. That was why he always looked forward to the daily early morning visits from the human female in the grumbly old car. Of course it didn’t hurt that she always brought fresh cat food with her each morning, or that she always had a few kind human sounds for him (he didn’t understand a bit of human, but her tone was soft and comforting).

So after a few years of living this homeless life in the shadows of the close set city houses, Sam finally decided to do something about it. He had made many advances to the human female who came each morning, but although she sounded sympathetic, she had only brought him to her home once, and after a visit to a strange building with lots of other animals coming and going she had brought him right back here to Short street the next day. He looked at her with puzzlement as she opened the humans plastic and wire cage to let him out, but he had been a little scared at the time so he didn’t hesitate and scampered out of the cage and around the back of the garage near the empty lot. Later he had scolded himself a little that he had not tried harder to convince her to let him stay with her, but it was too late to do anything about it then.

But today he could smell the coming of another hard winter, and along with it the hardships all stray cats faced in the form of frozen paws, painful kernels of ice between their toe pads, and the gnawing bite of hunger. He decided that he would have to try and find a human that was willing to make him part of their colony. He knew it was risky - he'd had run-ins with bad humans before. Some of them were like rats - shifty eyed and unpredictable, tearing up the shelters he and his fellows relied on to protect them from the rain and snow. But he knew there were good ones too - just like the female who came to feed them each morning, and replaced the shelters the bad ones took away.

Sam waited until the human female made her usual stop, ate his fill from the delicious pile of wet food she left on the paper plates inside the shelter, then struck out down Short street to try and find a human that would take him in. He had no idea how to do it - since he didn't speak a word of human and he was pretty sure humans could not speak cat - but he was determined to try. He did know how to approach a human with caution, and he knew that hissing or growling would frighten them and make them either back away or attack him - not much different than another cat. So he would watch and wait until he found one that looked friendly, and then speak to them in his most urgent and pleading meow. Hopefully that would work well enough to get him close. He would then have to take the risk of letting the human touch him, allow them to stroke his soft fur long enough for him to get a good smell of them. A cat could smell the difference between acceptance and rejection from any animal. Even the smelly skunks that sometimes shared the food and shelters with cats had a different scent when they were alarmed by something or were just stopping by for a casual meal.

He made his way slowly down Short Street to North Goodman, darting in and out of the cover provided by the dark hulks of the houses, garages, and shadowy alleyways between them. It was still early yet, and it would most likely be a while before many humans were walking around for him to evaluate. He met a few street cats along the way however, and said hello to the ones he knew, and avoided the ones he did not. Now was not the time to get in a territory tiff with another cat. He didn’t want to waste time or risk injury defending himself. Luckily the few strangers he saw did not try to approach him - they just stared at him with steely eyes for a moment before resuming whatever patrol route they were padding along in.

Eventually he made it onto North Goodman, where there was a lot more human cars speeding along the roadway, as well as humans walking along the sidewalk at a brisk pace. He only needed to glance at their faces to tell they were preoccupied with human business and would not even be willing to look in his direction let alone stop and let him talk to them. He found a nice dark alleyway between two houses with a small soft pile of old wrinkled newspapers to sit on and waited for a while. He sniffed the air that wafted along out on the sidewalk, marveling at the myriad of scents from human food, car smoke (exhaust) steam from the humans sewers, dog and rat pee, and many others he could not identify. He entertained himself for a while trying to guess where some of the strange scents might have originated from, when he spotted an approaching human male that looked like a good prospect. This one was not hurrying along, and was taking his time and looking around him. He had a kind face, and did not seem to be full of busy self-assurance or sour indifference that some humans seem to project. Sam rose up off his haunches and swished his tail back and forth, steeling himself to emerge from the alley as soon as the human male got close enough…

To be continued …