Chappy the Chapster

Rough morning.  If you remember the cat I rescued from Grand and Chamberlain three weeks ago, the black cat living and eating under the porch attached to the storefront where the owner was shot and killed in a robbery early this year.  I named him Chappy after the store name Chappas.  They did find his killer by the way, many months later.  I had placed straw under this narrow porch so that he could survive our brutally cold winter last year, along with a board to protect the entrance so that snow wouldn't get inside.  He was neutered at the clinic and was kept due to kind Cyndy offering to treat his severe bite wounds on his hind quarters and feed/fatten up his emaciated skeleton of a body.  She felt they had healed after a week and my sweet cousin Patty offered to foster him.  He was whisked off to her house where he enjoyed laying on her bed in the sun, nice and warm and comfortable, where he would have all the food at his disposal.  

Patty noticed last Friday that he was staying in the basement and wouldn't come up.  She brought food down to him and he just seemed 'ok'.  She then told me it looked like his back was bleeding, the wounds had opened up, and that he should be seen by a vet.  I made the appointment this morning at Pittsford.  It wasn't easy getting him into carrier but he managed to crawl inside, this is where I noticed he couldn't really use his back legs.  Once at the doctor, upon examination, she determined he had a spinal issue, and his back legs weren't working, and they had actually atrophied.  His tail too was limp.  His wounds were open and oozing.  He was FIV+.  The doc said it was most likely he wouldn't be able to walk again.  It wasn't good.

We decided to euthanize the poor guy.  He was in severe pain and I know I made the right decision. He had a very good three weeks being cared for by loving humans.  Fly high baby.

On a better note, Foster Sue and I named the seven new NYC babies:  Pictures coming soon.  5 Girls, 2 boys!

Minnie
Bano
Mila
Katie
Misty
Hudson
Brooklyn

Have a great day.

DONE

Since I last posted, I have spent thousands of dollars, literally, on kittens and cat food.   Since last week, I have spent $300 on cat food feeding the many cats that I feed in the Beechwood section of Rochester.  That $300 will last one week.  That includes wet and dry food.  I don't have fundraisers any more, so I am not receiving many donations.   I am so grateful to those that send me monthly donations.  It sure helps.  My pot is dwindling. 

 Tiny, part of Tuesday's litter, started acting lethargic Sunday morning.   His Foster Mom Estelle was concerned and I said lets wait a day and see if it clears up.  It didn't, she took his temp and it was 104.  I made an appointment at Pittsford Animal Hospital and he was given fluids and antibiotic and sent home.  That was $150.  I am waiting for an update this morning from Estelle.  He is only 1 pound and very fragile.  I had to break the news to his adopter, who is also adopting George, the last of the litter.  UPDATE:  Thanks to Foster Mom Estelle for administering lots of love to Tiny, this morning his temp is 101.7.  Within the normal range!  Yay!  

Freddie, also part of Tuesday's litter, was adopted by a loving family along with his brothers Ringo and Mick, and sister Starr.  He also came down with a virus where he was lethargic and had a temp of 105.7 which is very high for a kitten, or a person for that matter.  He was rushed to the emergency clinic in Brighton where he was treated ($250), and brought home.  He still wasn't quite right so I made an appointment at Pittsford Animal Hospital where he was sent home with fluids to be administered ($150).  UPDATE:  Today, his new dad reports "We unleashed Hurricane Elton (his new name) on the house and he is having a blast being back to normal with his brothers and sister. Making up for lost time."

A month or so ago I received a call from a woman in Long Island who told me her mother had a cat that had kittens on  her porch, and would I take them in.  I have no idea why she reached out to someone in Rochester, but I made the mistake of saying yes, and now have seven 5 week old kittens.  The woman drove from Long Island yesterday to deliver them. Thanks Foster Mom Sue for taking them in.  Here is the pic from yesterday.  No names yet.

I mean it when I say, this is it.  I am done with kittens.  I just can't do it anymore.  

Both Titos and Percy had a meet and greet with a sweet girl and they are being adopted together!

Tiny and George are also being adopted together.  

As adorable as kittens are, they grow.  Its the grown ones that have strayed due to human recklessness, and those are the ones I feed.  Plus ferals and others, but this is testimony to the many older kittens out there that just need human love.  I received the following from a couple that adopted Honey, the less than a year old buff tiger male that used to follow me back to the truck on Parsells at 4 am.  Over and over.  Finally, I asked Foster Janessa if she would consider taking him - I told her it wouldn't be long before he was adopted.  I got him into the vet for neuter, shots, etc, and off he went.  I must have received 20 adoption applications for him but this couple won me over.   Janessa had him for maybe one week and had already fallen in love.

I reached out to get an update on him:

"Thank you for checking in - we hope you are well!

Everything with Honey is perfect - he has been re-christened as Truman, and we love him dearly. He is social, energetic, playful, and affectionate. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect addition to our home.

We took him in for the last of his booster shots several weeks ago, and he has his first meeting with our local vet this Monday. He has been eating well, and looks quite happy and healthy.

Thank you for the opportunity to adopt him - we are so grateful that Elsie and I can give him a forever home."

That's what its all about!

UPDATE:  Last but not least, I am looking for a foster for 3-4 kittens.  My sister reached out to me for help.  Yup, and what did I say.  I am never doing kittens again.  Hopefully she will take them until I can find the perfect fit. 

Have a great day!

 

Smile

 Even though your heart is breaking...  Nat King Cole.  No, mine isn't breaking, but I think of that song each time I type the word 'smile.'  

So I decided earlier this year that I would go out and feed cats only every other day.  I've been sticking to that pretty much, but now that I am not working, still... (but I will be SOON!) I still wake too early even on those 'days off' and think about a few certain places that I know are low on food every day.  I try to leave lots of food on my feed days, but some are certain to be gone due to either the number of cats there, raccoons, or I just don't leave enough.  Remember, I am spending, with tax, from Chewy, an average of $150 a week for 12 16-oz. bags of Kit & Kaboodle dry cat food.  I fill up 11 2-gallon bags each morning and that is all I have.  If I see a stray cat not on my route, that cat gets a bowl of that and I wind up being short at the end.  Ugh.  I hate this business.  Anyways, I did go out this morning to just a few spots - one being the kittens on 4th and Central, where I rescued Titos.  I don't have the means to trap these little guys (no clinic spots for TNR, nor homes to take in now feral kittens).  

Another spot is Melville #2 where Monty's brother (I rescued Monty early this year or late last year?) and a beautiful long haired red kitty hang - both very friendly - and both deserving of homes.  I snapped his picture here, such a regal looking kitty.

Where the smile comes in is in the daylight, while I did a few spots this morning, people could see me and I could see them.  Otherwise, I am doing this at 4:30 am. in the dark until it gets light out around 6:30 when I am finished with my route.  I wound up smiling at each person looking at me and wondering what I was doing.  I wore my 'be kind' t-shirt because I am doing a kind thing by feeding these starving animals, and most people in these areas I go into think I am crazy.  A guy drove by after he saw me bending to feed some hungry cats on Pennsylvania, and when he drove by, he smiled at me!  A smile goes a long way.  Smiling not only has the power to elevate your mood, but it can also change the mood of others and make things happier.  Smiling activates the part of your brain that processes sensory rewards.  So, when you smile at someone, they feel rewarded (and vice versa).  Additionally, smiling is contagious.  I know it does for some, maybe not to all.  A big smile and a big greeting make a big difference to me for sure.

That's all I have.  Adopt a dog or cat today!

Have a great day!

Another Rescue!

 I am not writing this blog like I used to.  And when I don't, I forget some of the highlights of the days/week.   Plus, the format of this blog has changed and its not as user friendly as it was before they made changes...

I rescued Chappy last week from Grand and Chamberlain and the clinic was kind enough to hold him after neuter due to injuries he sustained by something or someone, most likely an animal.  Wounds on his back end were infected and they wanted to monitor him closely, so they kept him there for a week.  My cousin was kind enough to offer to foster him and he was brought to her house on Friday.  Thanks Cuz.  We still had a beautiful calico left there whom I posted about and a sweet girl that adopted from me before sight unseen messaged me and said she wanted to take the calico if I could get her.  So, lo and behold, on Saturday I scooped her up and Valerie came to get her new kitty!  

I also never posted a picture I took of the family that adopted the four kittens, Mick, Freddie, Ringo and Starr.  They have a daughter that is a vet tech so that's a plus!  Unfortunately, I received a call from the family stating that Freddie was on his way to the emergency clinic due to lethargy and high temperature.  As many of you know, I have had many kittens this year come down with the same thing, could be calicivirus?  They are never really diagnosed, they are just put on fluids, antibiotics, and monitored.  Last update this morning was that he was doing better, and eating, but I am waiting to see what his temperature is now compared to the 105.7 yesterday.  Please remember, these vet visits are on average $600.  I say that low figure because I didn't have Freddie stay the night, and that would have been over $900.  Yesterday's bill was only $300.  Yes, this business is very expensive and without donations, I couldn't do it.  Donations are far and few between and I appreciate those of you that donate  $5, $10, 20, or $40 on a monthly basis.  I can't keep this up forever.  Funds are dwindling at this rate with the emergency vet visits.  Again, I charge $150 per cat, kitten or adult.  A pittance compared to how much money I put into these cats.

That's all I have for today.  

Have a great day!

"Behind my smile is a hurting heart. Behind my laugh I am falling apart.  Look closely at me and you will see...the girl I am isn't me."

Cheers!

Wild weekend.  Saturday Sheryl and I ventured out at 4:30 am. to feed a gazillion cats, as we always do on Saturdays together, and just as we finished out first stop on Parsells Avenue, down the middle of the road comes running a pit bull.  Wagging its tail heading  straight for us.  I immediately called for it, put some cat food down as Sheryl looked around for a person looking for its dog.  The dog had a red harness on it and I could see it was a girl, and it wasn't being bred like a lot of pits in these areas are used for.  I called 911 and the dispatch said if I could get it home and keep it, I could call back at 7 am. when animal control begins their day.  So we got the cute little thing into the back of the truck and brought it to my porch.  And then we continued on our run.

On the last leg of our journey, I spotted a black spot in the middle of a parking lot on 4th and Central - I had known there were kittens here, and black and white adult cat or two as I had been feeding on the side of the road - and we went to investigate. I thought it was just a black garbage bag or something, but lo and behold, turns out it was a baby black kitten, not moving.  I told Sheryl to scoop it up while I grabbed the carrier in the back, and we quickly placed the little thing into it and finished up our rounds, called 911 about the dog again, and drove home.

Thank God the dog hadn't destroyed anything on the porch.  I discovered it was a girl, and was very sweet, but very strong as I got a spare leash I have laying around to take it outside for a pee.  Within half an hour animal control arrived.  I warned the guy that she would lick him to death. She was THAT friendly.

Talk about mornings!  The kitten turned out to be very lethargic, and I wound up syringe feeding it with KMR and pate mixed together.  Turned out to be a he, and I named him Titos temporarily.  My fav.  :)  I made an appointment for Monday at the vet, yesterday, and they gave him fluids, an appetite stimulant, deworming, defleaing and the exam all to the tune of $173.  And people balk at the adoption fee of $150.  Go figure.  This is why I depend on donations.  I could NEVER do this on my own.  I am still unemployed at the moment to boot.  Titos is now playing, eating like mad, and alert!  Sweet little boy will be on the market for adoption within days!

On another note, Ringo, Starr, Mick and Freddie went to their new home... TOGETHER!  Yes, a crazy but wonderful family adopted all four.  I couldn't be happier.

That's all I have for now folks.  Have a GREAT day!