Whacky Wednesday

I have not heard back yet on the pregnant orange kitty that Laura was able to get yesterday for me.  I will call the clinic when I can today to see if I can get some details.  I would like to know if the cat was truly feral, if she is ok, and also, how many kittens she was carrying.   Regardless of my view on abortion, cats have no option.  The female gets pregnant by some horny male, and then they have the babies.  The cat population soars each time one single cat delivers a litter.  We as responsible humans must do something to help this overpopulation.  We must help to end the suffering of these homeless defenseless animals.  We must all do our part to help at least one cat in our lifetime.  At least.  If you know of someone that has a cat situation that they either don't have money to spay the cat, if that cat is pregnant, or keeps having litters, you must step up and help.  There are so many alternatives to help people out that can't afford it.  I actually had someone ask me yesterday for advice.  I would love to hear from any of you on what you would tell her:

Hi Janine,
I have a question you might be able to answer. I have a friend who is on disability and considering giving away her 4 year old cat because she can't afford to spay and pay for shots.
I said to her, would you keep her if I can help you find a place that could do it for you for cheap or free?  Do you know of any programs like that?  Apparently her cat escaped when she was in heat, stayed out for 3 days, got pregnant and had 5 kitties. She gave those kitties away (probably not spayed or neutered either). 

If you have any ideas for low cost spay I would be very grateful. I said I would find out for her. She is on disability and has limited resources.

I suggested to her that she call RCAC, but I am not sure that this Spencerport resident would qualify. 

I would love to hear from any of you on what other advice I could give to her.

BITTENS/SKYE

I have yet to get a new picture of Bittens (now named Skye) in her new home due to technical difficulties with Jacqueline's cell phone trying to e-mail me the pic.  Skye is the baby kitten I rescued over a month ago from Central Park at 5 am. in 20 degrees, snow falling weather.  She is one lucky kitten though.  I went to visit her last night, and she is SO happy in her new home with Molly the wiener dog, Oliver and Leonard, her feline brothers.   She didn't even want to be bothered with me!

LENNY

Lenny, the cat I rescued in February from Central Park, has become a media star.  Take a look!

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/videos/news/local/2014/04/08/7483845/

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give to my friend for her friend, and have a great day!

Babies

It poured all afternoon and night.  I had a very bad sleep, I kept waking and could not get my mind off of all my worries.  And I have a ton of them.  I don't usually let them get to me, but for some reason, I couldn't get my thoughts to go away in the dead of night.  I also thought:  Geez, I just had my hair straightened, and its going to explode into millions of frizzy strands the second I go out in the rain.  So, the power of prayer really does work.  I asked Him to stop the rain while I did my rounds this morning, and sure enough, He did. My hair stayed dry, but there were a ton of very soggy towels to be replaced this morning.  All the cats were waiting for their breakfast.

Mickey

The kitten above I rescued from Niagara Street in the city a couple of years ago.  She is one of the lucky ones.  I found a good home for her, and she is dearly loved.  She was running around in a rat infested boarded up house.  Each of these rescues I have done I am so proud of.  These cats would suffer terribly out there.

I got a note from dear Laura yesterday asking me not to feed at the spot this morning where big pregnant red kitty is on 4th and Pennsylvania.  I am so grateful to her for offering to help me.  It takes a weight off my mind knowing at least we tried.  I have my doubts, I have tried to get this girl for a long time now.  She never fell for the trap I have, and I think Laura has tried for her a year or two ago as she had quite a limp, and was injured.  She was sort of like Neck Wound Kitty, who we were never able to save.  He was also elusive to the trap.  I haven't seen him in almost a year now.  Very sad.  There are so many cats that have disappeared.  All you can do is pray they either died peacefully, or were picked up by someone, and are living the good life.  I still don't know what happened to the calico kitten on Baldwin from spring of last year who mysteriously showed up ear-tipped, and then weeks later was never to be seen again.

UPDATE:  You are never going to believe this.  Laura went to this spot this morning, set her drop trap up, and voila!  She got pregnant momma!  She is no doubt an expert at trapping.  I thank God for this woman, she has helped trap so many cats for me.  Thank you thank you thank you God for creating this wonderful beautiful woman!  As you can see, I am elated.  This cat will not have to suffer through another intensive labor under a porch, in the woods, or behind an abandoned house.  And these kittens, as sad as it is for their reality today, will not suffer a slow death.  And folks, if I had another choice, I would take it.  Please say a prayer for all of these innocent creatures.  We must do our part to make a difference!  Thank you Carol, and Liz, for offering to help with the next spayings!

Have a great day everyone.

"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and

make them great."

Monday

Well, it was a rather uneventful weekend.  Each morning brought some sadness though, as each morning usually does for me.  As I go spot to spot - all 16 of them, feeding and sheltering over 50 cats each morning, there is always something that makes you sad.  The one really sad thing is a red kitty, that I've been feeding for years, on the corner of Pennsylvania and Fourth, is very very very pregnant.  Most mornings its way too dark for me to see these cats.  Big Red #2 runs to me, as does another grey tabby.  A calico and a grey cat with white, that was recently limping, keep their distance.  This red cat has been pregnant a few times now, and I've never seen her babies.  I don't always see her, and when I do, she keeps a far distance, so its hard to tell her condition.   But yesterday I was able to see her in a different light, and her sides were bulging.  I drove away there with two thoughts:  One, that I would reach out to someone who is an expert at a drop trap, and the other with extreme guilt.  Guilt over not having gotten that cat a long time ago fixed.  I feel responsible for every cat I feed, but when its just you, its very hard.  And with the limited time and resources I have, its even harder.  Not only do you have to set the trap, wait for the right cat to go into it (there are four or five cats there), but if I were to get this pregnant cat, what to do with it?  I have two choices.  One is to reach out to a rescue group to see if they have room - and are they willing to take a semi-feral mother in..., and the second is to have the kittens aborted, have mom spayed, and return her to the streets.  With the latter, not only is it heartbreaking knowing you are killing these unborn, fully developed kittens, but what to do with the semi-feral cat after she has this major surgery.   You have to keep her overnight, at least, to heal.  There are just so many factors. 

Someone told me that I can't be held responsible for all these cats all by myself.  I have so much to do just to get out there and feed them.  I spend over $6000 a year from my own pocket just on food alone.  Yet, I still feel guilt.  Red Momma was not there this morning, and who knows if she gave birth overnight.  I am sick over it, but I have to remember, I can't do all this by myself. 

OK, enough sadness, now for some good news.  Bittens has been adopted!  My friend Jackie was over on Saturday and fell in instant love with her.  She is now six months old and I had my doubts after having her for a month and a half that she would ever be adopted.  Jackie has recently lost her cat, but has two surviving cats, Oliver and Leonard, and they needed a distraction after their own grief of losing their brother.  Then there is Molly, a dauschund (sp?) who with her wagging little tail greeted the new kitten warmly.  And Skye, Bittens new name, could have cared less.  Jackie tells me she is a bold little kitty, not scared by her new brothers and sister one bit.  I couldn't be happier.  Jackie will be sending me pictures shortly.  GREAT NEWS!!!

Have a great day everyone!

 

"Never underestimate your problem, or your ability

to deal with it."

Beauty - Eye of Beholder

Even in the dark, you can see how filthy the area I feed cats in is.  In the winter, when its snow covered, there is beauty.  Even though a backdrop may be a boarded up house, its still has colors that are pleasing to the eye.  White and whatever color of the house, and the backdrop of trees.  But now that the snow is melted, you can see everything that was under the snow.  There is so much trash, so much broken glass, so much filth.  As I was walking in between two boarded up houses, headed to the back, in the dark, at 5:30 am. this morning, I thought no normal person would do this.  No person who was brought up in the country, or in the suburbs would be able to do this.  If it were 10 years ago, and I could see this in the daylight, I would be frightened to get out of my car.  But after so many years of doing this, day in and day out, you get used to it.  And you realize its no more dangerous than in the country, or in the burbs.  You have violence all over the place.  But you never get used to the filth.  Its very sad.  But I keep doing it for the cats.  They need me.  They're hungry, and they crave those three minutes I spend with them each day, and a gentle scratch on the head makes their day, I am sure.

To leave you with a good thought, I received this picture below from Cody (Calvin)'s mom.  This family adopted him over a month ago.  Cody was rescued from Hayward, but hung with his brother Fraser on Baldwin.  These cats traveled.  Cody was a mess, and had to have half his tail amputated when I got him into the vet.  After a lot of love, I had to give him up.  But look who loves him now!  McKenzie!  (and I just noticed her baby brother Brayden next to her!  Click on the pic to see it up close!)  What a great picture!  Thank you Rachel and family, for giving Cody a forever home!

McKenzie and Cody

"Don't be bothered about the problems.  Most problems are often coming from worrying about the future or the past.  Stop.  Live in Now." 

Borrowed Time

That is what my shelters - all 16 - are on.  I go from spot to spot each morning at 5 am in the dark, and each time I pull up to one, I pray its still there.  Either they are at a boarded up house, or in an open field, if the house gets demolished, its over there, and hooligans come along and trash my stuff, its over there too.  I've done a lot of rebuilding through out the years.  At my Central location, I lost two good shelters that I had placed there under the tree to punks destroying them for no reason, until Kristin and Darrin built a large furniture shelter and placed a cord with a lock around it and the tree, so someone would have to take a hammer or chainsaw and destroy it completely. Its been a decent shelter to a few cats throughout this brutal winter we've had.  Thanks K & D!

As I pulled up to the above mentioned location this morning, as I got out I thought I heard a conversation, but it was Seven, the prostitute that lives around there, talking to me as if I were standing there for hours having a conversation with her.  She must have been loaded, but I have to be honest, she is a sweet - probably middle aged black girl.  She lost her baby last year, which I wrote about in a past post, and I think she is haunted.  She always tells me she is doing alright even though she "lost my baby." I am sure this is part of her conversation she has with everyone she meets.  She doesn't have the resources to deal with it, let alone a normal life.  Anyways, I was busy placing food and water and dry towels down for the three cats waiting for me to do it, while she was having a conversation with me across the grass median as if I could hear every word.  Which I couldn't.  But it didn't matter to her, she was enjoying just chatting away, while we then wished each other well, and god bless.

Then, at my Fourth and Central location, where Big Red #2 hangs, as I pulled away from that spot, feeding at least four that I could see, there was a car at the stop sign.  As I pulled behind it to go to my next spot, it sat there.  And sat there.  So I tooted my horn.  Nothing.  So I backed up and pulled up to it, and there was the driver and its passenger, both black, sucking face.  I slammed on my horn, and they didn't move a muscle.  Good Lord.  What is wrong with people.  So many abnormal people out there.  But then again, what is normal.  That surely isn't.  This was another instance when I wish I had been a cop, in my cop car - SURPRISE!  Get a room or move on.

At the Baldwin location I counted seven cats that I could see just sitting there waiting for me.  And at Chamberlain, I saw three new ones sitting there.  So not only Lucy, and Candy who ran from the previous spot on Hayward to greet me at the next spot, but these three new ones, that I couldn't make out their coloring in the dark.  There are so many out there.  I wish I had help getting these cats TNR'd like I had help years ago.  Just a big massive week long sweep of them.  Hopefully soon I can begin to do this.  At $50 per cat.  Ouch.

Have a great day.

Squish Squish...

That is the sound of mud.  The sound of my pink rubber boots sinking in the mud each time I take a step.  Its disgusting out there.  Thank God for the little snow still left on the ground so I can wipe my feet in it before getting back into the car.  At a few of my locations, there is a ton of glass.  Its not for the barefooted, and even worse for the cats that don't wear shoes.  Well, none of them do, but they should, if they could.  No wonder you see half of them limping.  By the way, the grey cat with white that was limping around Fourth and Pennsylvania, he was there this morning, and I did not notice the limp.  That's a good sign, I guess.  Behind the two abandoned houses on Short Street, where I've set up shelter thanks to Nate, who asked me to stop using his STILL EMPTY dilapidated garage last fall on Sixth Street, there is a ton of glass that I can see in the shimmer of light from the lamppost.  I would like to do some clean up here - bring a broom and  pan to sweep most of this up.  Its really up to the owner of the house - who I believe is working inside to fix up the place for rent - my stuff is behind the other abandoned house - but these people don't care.  They just want to rent to low income people who could give a rats ___ about how their property looks.  Would I rent a house with glass strewn all over the lawns and walkways?  No.  But most of these people don't care.  Or maybe they don't have a choice, I don't know.  Do they have a choice?  Unless you are homeless, is it up to you to care for your property?  Can't you borrow a broom?  Am I being too critical?

I also need to look inside of shelters and replace straw if necessary.  The raccoons are out in full force again.  I had to chase one away behind Paul's house, but the little bugger went into Paul's dilapidated garage, so I didn't place as much food there, knowing this fat disgusting little guy would come out as soon as I left. 

There are more and more street people coming out of their winter hibernation.  Some are riding bicycles, there are plenty pulling up in their cars in front the bootlegger's house on Second, looking for a cigarette and a beer.  I think they sell cigarettes for a dollar there.  That's what Seven, the local prostitute that just lost her baby tells me.  Its an interesting area, if you have the time to study it.  I am in such a hurry each morning.  I am hoping to recruit a friend or two to help me with the clean up.  Wouldn't take long, just need to do it at a few spots.

Fraser

Bittens

Celia

Please don't forget about Fraser, Celia and Bittens.  They all need homes.  Spread the word so that I can rescue Candy and the others that need homes that are still on the street.  Its our responsibility!  Thanks, and have a great day!

"Don't let the silly little dramas of each day get you down.

For you are here to do great things."

Riches!

So I get home yesterday and get the mail, and there is a Certified letter waiting for me.  Apparently, a woman that reads my blog left me $10,000 in her will 'for cat food.'  I was astounded.  Do you know that $10,000 would enable me to feed the inner city cats that I feed on a daily basis, for an entire year!  That would include wet and dry food.  It costs me just over $100 per week to buy 140 pounds of food.  Yes, I go through nearly 20 pounds of dry food a day feeding these cats.  That's not including their favorite, wet food.  Some people might say that they don't need wet food.  Well, I try to give these cats a 'treat' with it, because they have nothing, and I mean NOTHING else.  No shelter, no love, no warmth, no security.  So I give them wet when I can.  So, as I said, I was astounded.

Now for the kicker.  April Fools!  :)  Sorry dear people.  I am a jokester through and through.  My mother does not fall for my yearly pranks anymore.  I called her at 5:45 this morning on my route, thinking she would surely be too groggy to not believe that my car was stolen on Parsells Avenue and I was waiting for the police.  Poor Mom.  Sorry Mom.  But you don't believe me anymore when I call to tell you I am pregnant each year.  ha ha.

Yes, its a cruel joke on me also.  I do NOT have the extra $10,000 a year to feed these animals.  I have nothing.  So  I make by on what I can, and pray I get donations here and there.  So thank you, all of you, who have ever donated to me.  I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!

Here are some photos taken this morning (be sure to click on the pictures to see them a bit larger):

Pretty sad stuff.  Please consider fostering one of these precious animals to get them off the street.  And don't forget to spread the word.  Its the least you can do is to pass this blog on to someone else.  Thanks.

Have a great day!