Fosters Needed!

Well, look at what happened yesterday!

KITTEN #1

KITTEN #2

KITTEN #3

KITTEN #4

Two whites, two tabbies.  Two girls, two boys.  The last pic of the white has a green eye and a blue eye.  Yes, this is my life.

Desperately seeking a foster for these four.  Foster must have a clean and tidy house, must have a small but decent sized room with few obstacles that these kittens can crawl into.  They cannot be allowed to hide or get into something they cannot get out of.  Foster must be able to spend time holding and cuddling these kittens so that they can begin to trust humans.  They are approximately five weeks old.

I am reminded of a morning a few years back visiting family on Hilton Head Island.  I get up very early (yes, even when I am not feeding cats!) and I would walk or bike to the beach each morning.  In that early hour, the sun was just peeking over the crest of the water, so it was not quite light yet.  I love to walk the beach, the quietness of my being alone at that time, my toes sinking in the sand, the gentle water lapping at my feet, but with each step I took, I had to pick up the starfish that was in my path and throw them into the ocean.  I didn't even think of this poem while doing it, nor do I remember ever reading it, but I knew I had to save these poor fish that were out of their element.  I just kept throwing and throwing and throwing, until I was overwhelmed knowing I just couldn't save them all.

The Starfish Story

There is an adult walking on the beach. In the distance he sees a child throwing something into the ocean. As the person gets closer, the child is seen surrounded by starfish that have washed up in the tide. The child reaches down, picks up another starfish and throws it in the water. The adult questions the child, “Don’t you see how many there are? You will never be able to make a difference.” The child picks up another starfish, throws it into the ocean and says, “I made a difference for that one.”

That's it for now.

Have a great day.

Chappy

So this morning was a skip morning to feed the cats.  I am trying to every other day now because of the cost, and scarcity, of dry food.  I am spending enormous amounts of money on food for the homeless cats out there, and the well is running dry quickly.  As I was doing my morning exercises, I turned on the news to hear about a homicide on Grand Avenue.  Grand and Chamberlain to be exact.  That is the corner store that I named the resident homeless black cat after.  Chappas is the store, but Chappy is the cat.  My heart sank.  Apparently, someone went in to rob the store there and shot the clerk to death.  And he hasn't been caught.  Yikes.  The store is also an apartment/house and I feed under the house under the porch there.  Not only Chappy but a very friendly calico, who must be fixed as I've never seen her pregnant.

This really is a dangerous thing I do every day.  I am surprised that there has been only a half a handful of incidents throughout the 20 years I've been doing this.  I know others worry, but I have always been a daredevil in many facets of my life, and that won't change.  Live and let live.  One day at a time.  Sorry, Mom.  :)

I also received a call from the nice man who allows me to feed on his property on the side of his garage/barn/shed on Garson.  He said 'guess what we have?  kittens!  and they are at the cutesy stage' which means they are going to be turning feral, quickly.  I am waiting on his response to allow me to bring him kitten traps and set them for me.  I just can't do it alone.  I just can't do it all.  I am burning out.  And IF I can get them, I will have to 'tame' them and find them fosters.

I also received a call yesterday from a woman that lives just down a block on Garson.  I've helped her in the past lending a trap, etc., as she feeds the ferals in her back yard.  She asked me to help her with deworming the cats.  I have no idea what she needs, but I did respond to her message that she can call me this morning.

Muffin.  He was brought into the Pittsford Animal Hospital yesterday by his adoptor.  He lost all the fur on the end of his tail and it was bleeding.  Well, after a thorough exam, it was determined that he needed the tip amputated and the charges will be between $1100 and $1500.  Yep.  His adopter did a fundraiser and was able to come up with $500.  She has very little money herself and lives off her social security.   Just what I needed.   This was not in my budget.  As I've said, the creek is running dry.

Have a great day!

"It's not the load that breaks you, 

its the way you carry it."

Muffin!

Kathy M.  Thank you for your offer of boards!  I still have enough from you from your last delivery, thank you! 

Anne E.  Thank you!  I would love to take you up on your offer to get this fluffy red boy off the street.  If I were to grab him, how soon would I be able to bring him to you, and would you have a small enclosed room ready for him to hang out in until you can get him to a vet for shaving, shots, and combo testing?  This would be a true miracle to get him the help he needs, and a warm and safe home to be in after all this time.  He is so matted, my heart aches for him each morning.  He wasn't there today.  Which is unusual.  He is there every morning waiting.  Please message me at janinethebeanrescue@gmail.com.

It was a quiet morning out today, although as I crossed over Goodman to the public market area, I could smell a strong burning in the air, and as I really looked, I could see smoke wafting in the light from the streetlamps.  I knew there was a fire somewhere or had been.  I didn't hear sirens though.  I noticed on the news after I got home that there was a large fire on Monroe Avenue, which is pretty far from the hood where I was, but who knows.  Can smoke be that strong that it could travel that far?  Must ask my firefighter buddy that one.

If you all remember Muffin, and his harrowing story of hiding out in the ductwork last at Foster Max's house, after being returned after two years by the woman that adopted him prior, he has been adopted and is very much loved since then.  He will be going to the vet today because his new mom reports that his tail, maybe three inches from the end, has lost all its fur and had some blood the other day.  She cannot figure out how this happened.  So, let's see what the vet says.  Poor Muffin!  He has been through a lot in his short little life.

Have a great day.

"Be the reason someone smiles today."

Monday Morning

😷

All quiet on the homefront.  That is... in the hood.  There is a little black pregnant girl (most of you reading know when I say those words, it means its a cat, not a human -😁 ) on Central between Fifth and Sixth.  I saw her once last week and had every intention to set a trap until I realized I don't have anywhere to bring her, but it was still in the back of my mind, but she hasn't been around until this morning.  She won't let me near her.  She is just hungry enough to sit back and wait for me to leave after pouring the food into the bowls.  The spot is just under the tree there, so no protection from the rain, which it was doing.  I gave her a can of wet food, and she was hungrily chowing on it as I drove away. 

NIAGARA Kitties

The ASS.... is still taking my boards on Niagara.  He did it again ..  I discovered Friday morning?   So if anyone is sitting around wondering what to do, if you are able to make cardboard boards, it would be helpful.  The CHEWY boxes are very thick and are the best, and I believe all you need to do is wrap plastic tablecloth (brown) or sheeting around it and tape it really good.  Obviously, the boxes need to be flattened, and the bigger the better.  I've had few folks make them for me and they are a godsend because wooden boards that size are hard to come by.

MELVILLE Red

The little fluffy red on Melville, that I have been feeding for years, runs to the tree I feed under every morning now, and I am able to pet and feel around his body.  He is terribly matted.  Really bad.  He needs a full-body shave and a foster home to get him off the street.  I hope that happens soon.  The matting, which is tight to his skin, must be very painful to him.

The clinic has informed all rescues that it is going to be remaining closed through May now.  Its a terrible disappointment to the cat rescue community, as there aren't many choices to trap, neuter and return the ferals.   There are so many pregnant cats out there that are going to have a painful litter, and most likely the kittens will die due to exposure to the cold.

Speaking of kittens, I went to see Gracie's babies this weekend.  God, they are cute.  Although as I told Sue, they will be much cuter in about two weeks.  They are still at that 'not so cute' stage (sorry!  but that's MY truth! 😮 )

Gracie is being adopted, when she is ready after the babies have been weaned and she gets spayed, by a former adopter's niece.  Laurie, my former adopter, adopted three kitties from me.  She's been a Godsend.  And she also rescued my sanity with a bit of Titos delivered to my door.  :) Love her.

That's all I have for now.

Have a great day!

“The Seven Social Sins are:

Wealth without work.

Pleasure without conscience.

Knowledge without character.

Commerce without morality.

Science without humanity.

Worship without sacrifice.

Politics without principle."

Monday Blah

Quiet out there!  And I like it.  No drama.  Please.  Not after what happened four months or so ago.  Although I am still as paranoid as I could ever be once I am on the west side of Goodman.  Thats where I start each day.  Face the fear head on.  Get it over with.  I can then relax once I head back east after crossing Webster Ave. 

I was alerted by the AWESOME Chuck and Danielle, the two that built a shelter, and feed daily, the cats at DeGeorge Ceilings on Parsells, where Chuck works, and convince his boss, the owner, to let him place a shelter there next to the business, that there were newborn kittens discovered yesterday morning.  One was dead.  One was alone in a different cubby than the other (the shelter is comprised of several little 'apartments'.  No sign of the mother.  I told them to put the lone one in with the others, and leave them be, for now, to see if the mother comes back.  I checked on them this morning, but the way Chuck has the tarp rigged up and nailed down, I couldn't see inside very well.  I let them know, and hopefully they will go there this morning to find out if kittens are still there, and still alive.

If they are, I have bottle feeders on standby thanks to Keller's Kats.  I was speaking to Karla yesterday about a venture she is interested in starting, and I mentioned these kittens, and how I don't have anyone to bottle feed, so there you go, she offered. 

And really thats all the news I have.  I have an adopter for Gracie, and the kittens are now ... 9 days old?  Adorable. 

"Sometimes you need those bad days, because it helps you to truly appreciate the good ones."

Jessie James

Do you all remember Jessie?

Such an outlaw!  

Here is Jessie today with his sister in a box!

Thanks to Taylor who offered up his heart and home to adopt Jessie nearly two years ago.  He is doing fabulous.

Have a great day!

"Stay positive.  

Better days are on their way."

Gracie

Well, it was a miserable morning out there.  3:09 am., out the door into the pouring rain.  Not fun.  When I say I go out in all kinds of weather, it's true.  No matter what it's doing at that time, it doesn't stop me.  It's like the USPS creed: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."  Although I would hate to be a postman - now THAT'S a tough job.  Luckily, toward the end of my 'shift', the rain dissipated and all was well.  The cats eating under the trees along the route were able to without getting soaked.  I did hunker down (is that the right term?) all the shelters with extra bricks as winds today are expected to gust up to 70 mph.  Yikes.  Rochester weather.  Spring weather.  Very unpredictable.

Saturday morning, as I was pouring food down under the tree on Stout and Grand Avenue, a little black kitty walked up to me and allowed me to pet her while she began to hungrily gobble the food.  As I stood there, I realized this cat was very pregnant, proving the fact after I gently felt her belly and her huge nipples.  I went back to the truck, sat for a second wondering what to do, who would foster her, and then opened the back door, grabbed the carrier and without thinking another thought just walked back to the tree and scooped her up. 

Baby 1 & 2

Baby 3 & 4

Off "Gracie" went to foster Sue's house that morning.   By 2:30 pm. that afternoon, Gracie began her contractions.  By 5:00 pm., she had the last of her four babies.  Amazing.  I think God puts us in the right place at the right time for a reason.  If I hadn't been there that morning at that exact time, that cat would have had her babies in the bushes, under a porch, or somewhere outside where the babies would not have survived.  It was 32 degrees that morning.  Windchill making it feel like 24 degrees.  So while I am all for spaying pregnant females because we have far too many homeless cats in this world, I am grateful for this divine intervention and gift of life.  These cats will never have to suffer like the ones left behind.  The ones I go out and feed every day.  Please consider foster and adoption.

Gracie - isn't she beautiful!

Have a great day!

"The gem cannot be polished

without friction,

nor man perfected

without trials."

Rory & Lily

Update on these two shy brats that were rescued from a barn out in Oakfield.  They were kittens at the time and Foster Sue took them under her wing and did the best she could at socializing them.  They were becoming feral - shyer than anything really and needed someone to guide them.

Potential adopters after potential adopters came to meet them, but no one wanted to give them a try.  Everyone wants a ready lapcat.

Many months later, along comes an acquaintance who goes way back to my early days when I was job hunting - she owns a very successful personnel agency - and she was looking for a cat that would make a good fit for a large hunting lodge (6000+ sq. ft) in the southern tier.  The man that owns the lodge had just lost his permanent cat resident there, and wanted another furry companion to keep the place 'homey.'   The place is used only certain times of the year, so any cat there would have to be somewhat independent.  Someone does come in to feed once a day, change a litter box, but that would be it.

I immediately thought of Lily and Rory.  The longest fosters ever.  I started trying to 'sell' them to my friend who was going to try to 'sell' them to her friend.  He did NOT want TWO cats.  But she kept pushing.  And pushing.  Finally, he gave in and said he would try it.

So off I go, first to pick them up at Foster Sue's house, then the drive to Dansville.  God's country.  Beautiful drive.  I get to this place and it's crazy beautiful.  I greet the adopter, we take a tour through the lodge, my mouth dropped open the entire time in amazement, and then he takes me to the basement.  The basement???  I was hesitant, but this was where he wanted to set them up.  No windows, but little did he know, there was a crawlspace that these two would eventually crawl into and not come out.  Not for a few weeks at least.  Long story short, Foster Sue and I made another trip out there to coax them from the crawlspace and we placed them in a bedroom - one of nine - upstairs.  They hid under the bed the entire time, but thanks to a local worker/caretaker, and my friend, and their frequent visits, they got the kittens to come out more and more.

The gentleman that adopted them was ready to give them back because they just weren't coming out for him during his infrequent visits.  He has a place in Florida too, so he wasn't at this lodge long enough to visit.  Even though his house is up and across the road.  While there he did make frequent visits but they wouldn't budge from under the bed.

Well, after several conversations with my friend, he continued to go into the room and sit with them.  Talk with them.  He finally got them to come upon the bed and visit, from a distance.  They were getting under his skin, finally.

This week, PROGRESS!  He decided it was time to let them out of the room.  They have been holed up in a room for two months now.  So, by the looks of it, they are starting to like their new digs!

First cuddle with Rory (in the basement)

Out and About!

Lily 'holed' up in the fireplace!

When they were first rescued in September 2019

I will keep you updated on this.  I couldn't be happier.  :) Thanks Sue for the care and love you showered upon them so that they could know what love is, and thank you Jeanne for your persistence!

Have a great day!

“An arrow can only be shot

By pulling it backward.  So when life is

Dragging you back with difficulties,

It means that it’s going to launch you

Into something great.”

Past Post

Nothing crazy today.  Quiet morning out there.  Eyes in the back of my head.  Kitties all fed.  Nothing to report!  So here is something from the past.

December 28, 2013

SIDS

I ran into a woman named Seven this morning on my last round on - funny enough - Seventh Street.  I first came upon Seven almost two years ago, when I saw a very pregnant, and very drunk, woman staggering down Bay Street at 5:30 in the morning.  I called 911, as I was horrified to see this combination, and thought it HAD to be against the law.   Months later, I saw her pushing a stroller down Central Park and she was with Tamara, the other hooker I had become acquainted with.  I had to make a cat stop, and she stopped and asked if I had any money, or something (I've recorded all this in past blogs if you've read from that far back - my mind is going!).  She told me how she loved cats and thought I was doing a beautiful thing, and that she was feeding at her 'home' also.

We have run into each other many times since, and "Henry", her baby, was a sweet little boy.  I always thought, after I had seen the two of them, what a life he was being brought up in.  Very sad.  Well, this morning, when I got out to give her my usual hug, she was crying and trembling and told me Henry had died, and that she had just buried him yesterday.  He died of SIDS.  It was heartwrenching to see her stand there and sob her eyes out.   Now, who knows if that was the real cause, or what, but it was certainly for real.  I tried to comfort her with words, but how can you ever comfort someone who has lost a child.  A young black guy had been walking towards us and he apparently knew her, and he stopped to talk and pointed out to her that I was her savior, that he saw me 'every day coming to feed the cats', and I said yes, we all need a purpose, a passion.  I said God doesn't give us any more than we can handle.  It was a rather chaotic conversation actually, at 6 am. in the dark, with a hysterical woman somewhat loud, and here I am trying to stifle their loud voices so that no one would call the police, although, in those neighborhoods, I am sure they are used to loud voices.

Anyways, that was sad, and I am so grateful for my life, the one my mother provided for me.  I am so grateful my life didn't turn down the wrong path.  Some people lead such sad lives.  But there is hope for everyone, I firmly believe this.  So I will say a little prayer for sweet little Henry, and his mom.

That's it, have a good weekend everyone.

Keep the Faith

Another boring weekend out there, but thanks to Sheryl and Kim for the laughter and conversation we have on Saturday mornings at 4:30 am.  I couldn’t do it without those girls!  This virus spreading through the country right now has us all a bit on edge.  When I am feeling gloomy or anxious, I try to change my focus on activities or connecting with other people or reminding myself that we have been through difficulties before. My mood eventually changes. 

I think it’s important to recognize that we might be ultra-sensitive to others’ anxiety right now. Our social brains are hardwired through evolution to pick up on other people’s fear and absorb it as our own. We tend to look on Facebook more for what others are doing, people walking down the street, or standing there with a mask on, it makes me anxious.  But I also think it’s perfectly ordinary to feel that way. We’re all being tested at this time, and we will get to the other side of it, and we’ll look back and ask ourselves how we conducted ourselves throughout this, including how we treated other people.  All we can do each day is the best we can do, but we can do the best we can each day.

Just some cute kitten pics of kittens I've rescued over the years.

LOLLIE and POP!

SUGAR and SIMON!

MOOKIE!

Back to cats.  Guess what?  Misty was adopted and is very loved by her new mom.  It took about a minute for her shyness to go away and jump up on the lap of the woman that is going to love this cat to pieces.  I am very happy for her, and thankful to Max for adapting her from a shy street cat, to a loving pet for someone!  :) 

MISTY!!

I do know there is a handful I would like to rescue right now, but I have to wait.  I need fosters for adult cats first.  I would need to have them brought to a clinic that morning to have them treated.  My low-income clinic is still closed!  :(  Some of these few have been on the streets for a while now, some longer than others, and whoever fosters needs to know about time and patience.  Some may be very shy and hide at first.  But with time and them learning to trust you, you are helping to shape that cat into a wonderful life companion!

Have a good day, and don't go crazy!

"You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one."

Fact!

Quiet morning.  Although I have to say, there were a lot of creepy people creeping around out there today.  Who goes for a walk at 3:15 am?  Apparently, a lot of people do.  Guys walking around with hoodies with their hoods pulled up over their heads.  I was extra cautious and just drove past if one was walking where I would normally pull over.  It must be hard though, most people are living in poverty where I feed cats... do they feel hope in their life?  Do they feel a sense of accomplishment each day?  I have to feel grateful for what I have in my life.  My mother raised me well, to thank God for each day I am able to live and breathe. 

JUNEBUG!

Back to the cats.  There are so many I want to rescue but can't right now.  The first thing I do is bring them to the clinic that morning of the rescue to be tested for leukemia, treated for fleas and worms, and neutered or spayed BEFORE they go to a foster home.   Its a requirement for fosters to know the cat they are fostering is healthy.  A regular vet?  That's pretty expensive, which is why I have to rely on the low-income clinic that is currently closed for at least this month of April.  Bummer.  These cats need rescue.

AAYDA (Bean) and Olive!

And now for some cat facts!  (can you tell I am running out of things to say?)

1. Cats sleep 16-18 hours per day - But even when they seem to be sleeping, they aren’t always “asleep.” They wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to hear a treat bag open, right?

2.  Calico cats are almost always female - The rare male calico cat is usually not able to breed.

3. Cats can jump approximately seven times their height

4. A group of kittens is called a kindle, and a group of cats is called a clowder

5. Abraham Lincoln domesticated four cats while in the White House

6. Napoleon, Julius Caesar, and Charles XI were known as courageous men but were afraid of cats

7. 10 percent of a cat’s bones are in his tail.  Plus, a cat’s tail is a major way they communicate with us.

8. Cats have approximately 100 vocal sounds

“Meeeee-ow!” And also, “Mee-ooooowwww!”

9. A cat’s powerful vision allows them to see light at levels six times less than what a human can see

10. A cat has 230 bones — even more than a human!

A cat’s collarbone doesn’t connect with his other bones. This allows cats to squeeze through small spaces.

11. Cats have whiskers.  Cat whiskers are super sensitive and help them figure out if they can fit through openings. They’re also one of the major ways they communicate. And they’re super cute.

12. Each cat’s nose pad is unique, similar to a human’s fingerprint - A nose pad is also known as “nose leather.”

13. Cats can gauge their human’s mood and often change their mood to match it

14. A cat’s tongue contains small hooks, which help with bathing and tearing food - That’s why it feels like sandpaper when our kitties lick our arm.

15. The scientific name for a hairball is “bezoar”

16. A cat cannot see directly beneath his nose

17. In ancient Egypt, humans shaved their eyebrows as a way of showing grief when a family cat had passed.

18. Cats greet one another by touching noses

19. There are 73 million cats and only 63 million dogs in North American homes

20. Cats can only move their jaw up and down — not side to side

"It isn’t what you have

or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what 

you think about it.”