Wanna Buy Some Paint?

Today is a vacation day for me.  For work.  That's it.  I don't get a vacation from having to get up at an ungodly hour and go out into the dark, where danger lurks around each corner, where critters run wild - just this week saw a hedgehog, or was it a platypus, or was it a beaver...  saw plenty of skunks, pretty much face to face, and fed a raccoon his own dish this morning just so that the other cats around could get some food.  It was a baby, and he just wouldn't scare away.  There are the cobwebs I blindly walk through, with God only knows the spider that was in it.  There was the dog that petrified me to no end after sort of chasing me, there were the gunshots two weeks ago.  Its insane.  So no, no break for me.

This morning it was the Spanish guy walking up to me on Central and Second that helped me remove some boards to get to the dying kitten in the shelter last week.  Today he was selling two cans of paint - yes, a pretty green.  If I had the money on me, I would have just given it to him, as I told him.  I also told the same thing to Homeless Will.  He came walking down the street after seeing me, he needed $4 for a burger.  We talked as we walked to feed the cats under the post box on the corner.  A car came around the corner, a girl screamed out - 'you better not mess with the Cat Woman!' - oh the characters out there..  :)  I said to Will all I can do is give you a ride somewhere Will.  I told him if I had it I would give it to him.   He's a nice guy.  He said I was making him cry after I told him that.  I gave him a hug.  Told him that was all I had for him today.  Pretty sad.

On Parsells, there are now four kittens.  They are beautiful.  One I am able to now pick up.  THIS is what happens when you aren't allowed to maintain a colony properly.  Without being able to feed and shelter, you can't know whats going on, or where there is a pregnant cat giving birth to kittens.  Now they are desperate when I pull up, so much so that they are bold enough to come while I am pouring.  What am I do to with them?  I suppose I am going to pick up the one that allows me to and put in a carrier and bring him home.  He is sort of feral, maybe he is just letting me pick him up because he is desperate.  They are gorgeous cats - soft greys, fluffy greys, this friendlier one is buff red.  I've posted their picture before, will have to find it.

I will also be thinking and planning the fundraiser, which I am hoping will be a piece of cake.   Thanks to Tracy for dropping off the gift baskets yo are donating.  Tracy is a great neighbor.  She's going to have a little bambino soon, so she wanted to drop off before it comes.  Thank you to Jackie for sending me the gift card - and to the others telling me their plans for gift cards and other items to donate for baskets, and the raffle table where hopefully lots of fun and useful items will be stacked.

PS, Ellis goes to her new home tomorrow, Lulu goes to her new home in two weeks, and Sammy will be met by someone tomorrow who hopefully will fall in love with him.  Gracie is still without a family, and so is Sebastian and Martie.  Greeley has been adopted by her foster mom, but she is not a foster failure!  She is still willing to foster!  :)  I love ya Kim!

Jose is still a kitten, and so gentle and sweet.  He loves to cuddle up under the blanket when I am on the couch each morning.  He would love a forever home.

Have a great day!

I Did It Again!

I keep thinking its Thursday.  I can’t wait for Thursday actually because I have off from work on Friday, and its been a while and I really need to regroup myself!  I might even have time to go to the movies this weekend! 

MARTIE!

Look what I did this morning!  First, I could not have done it without my faithful foster Kim passing my plight on to others.  She mentioned me to her hairdresser, and lo and behold, her hairdresser offered to foster!  When we spoke, I told her the challenges, and all that is involved, and she committed herself to it.  I waited for just the right opportunity, and cat, and Amanda will now be in charge of MARTIE to foster and care for!  J  I was thrilled beyond belief.

This cat was probably the easiest rescue I’ve done that I can remember.  He runs from two blocks down when he hears the Jeep coming down the street at 4 am. on Melville.  He sidles up against my leg so that he is practically standing on his two back legs.  He is just the NICEST, sweetest boy.  I had TNR’d him on June 27^th this past summer.  It was hard to do.  The vet had made note that he was very thin, and they gave him fluids.  I didn’t want to release him, but I was in the thick of kitten season, and I didn’t have a foster for him besides.  His fur is pure white, but dirty.  I can’t wait to get him cleaned up and posing for pictures.  He is dewormed, deflead, and as of tomorrow, will be combo tested, and ready for a forever home!  Please consider him!  A true love!

I had to let the kittens back out this morning.  It killed me.  Just as I suspected, the calico was a girl, and the other two boys.  I am so grateful to Lollypop Farm for getting them in at the last minute.   Little Gadget was released back to Garson, where he has brothers and sisters that I still need to get fixed, and the red and calico, Payton and Paxton, were released back to Garson.  They were so small, and feral, and very hard to let back into the wild to fend for themselves.  Someone trashed my shelters on the other side of the fence on the city lot there again.  This time I left a note.

Every day I face challenges that people will tell me to stop feeding the cats there, or will trash my shelters.  Its such an act of cruelty when they do this.  They are hurting innocent homeless creatures.  Who have nothing else.  Karma baby.

That’s it for today. 

Make it a good one.

Double Trouble

Well, update from earlier this morning.  I apparently did not have any spots at the clinic this morning, and here I set two traps, and trapped three kittens.  They are now on standby at the clinic and I am praying to God that they can be spayed and neutered this morning.  I cannot fathom having to return three kittens to the streets without vetting them first.  And I could not keep them until the next surgery date, they are feral.  Fingers crossed that they can get them done today.  I obviously messed up big time thinking I had TNR spots through fall each week at the Bay Street clinic.

Gadget from Garson

PARSELLS Kittens (Paxton and Peyton)

But here they are.  Poor little things.  There are more kittens on Garson where that one came from. And I didn't even know about the young ones below on Parsells.  I was trying to trap the mom of Harvey and Huey.

Quiet this morning other than the unleashed pit bull that started to come after me on Melville.  Now THAT was a scare.  I ran to the Jeep, but he didn't come around the corner.  Just barked.  I was fearful for the cats as well.  But he didn't seem interested in them.

On Central and Second, where the poor little injured sick kitten was rescued and put to sleep last week, I was greeted by 'HEY Cat Woman!" by a rather large woman just hanging on the steps to at the park just down a ways.  I yelled Hey back.

I also stopped at the City Garden I have on Pennsylvania to see the garden, and if I had tomatoes there, and if I needed to cut the grass.  Upon inspection, I began to walk back to the Jeep and noticed a small potato chip bag rustling near the road.  I thought, is that a kitten inside?  Nope, it was this big fat rat.  So, you tell me, there is no cat food around, just people's trash.  THIS IS WHY THERE ARE RATS!!!

Rat scurrying across grass

Rat in potato chip bag

Again, please pray that these TNRs are done today.  UPDATE, they cannot do.  LOLLYPOP CAN today!  Animal Hospital of Rochester on University Avenue was able to get me in TOMORROW, but now I don't need to use them.  But thank you for being there AHR!!!!

O God, you have redeemed all creation

through the incarnation of your eternal Word;

Protect our pets, your creatures,

who provide us with joy

and nonjudgmental companionship;

Give us respect

for all of your redeemed creation,

that we may care for creation

as just and humble stewards;

We pray this in the name of the same Word, Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. 

David Bennett

Monday Couldn't Come Sooner!

Whirlwind weekend.  It began with delivering two little cuties out to Newark.  Little River and Yawnie went to their new homes, and what a home they went to!  Set in the country, with a large pond to look out at from the bay windows, all the toys and climbing towers in the world, and two parents who are going to love them dearly.  They are changing their names, of course!  I will keep you posted on their names.   These two kittens make three of Gracie's babies leave their nest.  Harley was the first to go, and I visited him on my way to Newark on Saturday.  His new family loves him to pieces, and he looks quite content.  We now have Sammy and Lulu left.  Ellis will be brought to her new home the weekend after her spay on October 5th.

I then raced back home to pick up little Nugget.  God I miss that boy already.  I brought him to his new home, where he had a whole slew of family waiting for him.   His new dad, and I think Mom (step mom?), his dad's grandparents, and his Mom's mom.  They were very excited to meet him, but Nugget was a bit shy and didn't want anything to do with it that first day.  Last report from yesterday morning was that he was curled up on Dad's lap, but still a bit fearful, so hiding. He is also on the tail end of a cold, so hoping to get a good medical report quickly also.  (PS, his new mom is a nurse!  Bonus!).

My weekend ended on a high note with my sweet and beautiful niece Amy getting married.  It was a tearful and joyous union.  I wish nothing but the best for this once little girl who's been through hell and back.  Back is the key word.  Love you Missy!  Behave!

Its getting closer to the fundraiser, and I am getting nervous that I won't be able to pull it off this time.  I need to get my @#$@# together.  If anyone would like to help out, please PM me.  I sure could use it.

Its been quiet each of the mornings I go out in the dark to feed SO many cats.  They are so happy to see me each day.  In spite of what they must endure for the next 23 hours and 55 minutes after I leave them, they still endure.

Have a great day all.

"I smile every chance I get.

It's not that life has been 

easy, perfect, or exactly as I

had anticipated, but I choose

to be happy and grateful for

all the good things I do have

and all the problems I know I

don't have."

T G I F.

Don't know any better way to say that and express how glad I am for a break.  Although no break will it be for me.  Its nothing but running the entire weekend.  I am going to curl up in a hole next weekend and just stay there.  I will poke a little hole big enough for a wine bottle to be slipped through, and some ice of course, and will just stay there.  And I won't even bring my phone to that little hole.  Just me and my wine bottle.  No kittens, no cats, no phone.   Just me and my wine bottle.

It was a quiet morning out there, I whipped through my rounds with ease, unlike yesterday where I had to skip one location because of obvious raccoons running rampant, of course circled back to it on my way home and placed food down, and another spot where this persistent little head kept popping from behind the fence at the auto station on Bay.  I tried throwing water at it, but it just waited around the corner for me to leave so it could gobble up black mama kitty's food when I left.  I do place more than one bowl there, so hopefully they both got to eat, although there is now two other cats I've seen recently, just yesterday a little wide eyed short haired young black thing was peeping from the tires looking at me.

At the Parsells location, where I was asked to move the shelters from under the bushes because of the raccoons scaring the residents upstairs off when they go to get in their car....  (eye roll)...  there are two kittens that I've been feeding, here is a picture of one.  Kittens are much smaller than they look in this picture.  I am now managing to pet it.  I picked it up by the scruff, but I don't have a plan so I need to think about it.  Meanwhile, with each pat, its trusting me more.

You can see the other kitten on the bottom right.
I think that is mama next to her.

At Central, where I rescued the severely injured kitten two mornings ago, there are two kittens left.  Both grey tabby beauties, but distrustful of me still.  I MUST trap here, and there, and over there.  There are so many spots I feed at that I see unneutered cats.  I must build my shelters up for the winter also in the next month.  I need help with this, for sure.

Finally, here is another reminder of my upcoming fundraiser.  I sure could use all the help and donations I can get.  It will be fun!  Spread the word!

Have a great day!

One Potato Two Potato Three Potato Four

No rhyme nor reason for that title.  It just came into my warped mind.  And I couldn't think of anything clever for today's post.

I wanted to share with you something that has weighed heavily on my mind for over a month now.  I had two rescued kittens test positive for leukemia.  This was the very worst news.  I went into a deep, dark and sorrowful state of mind for a month.  I was told to wait thirty days and get retested.  I was so distraught thinking that at the end, if they were positive, I would have to put them to sleep because I would not want to have a kitten have to be isolated from other cats.  And finding a home with no other cats - that will take in a cat in the first place - is just about impossible.  As chance would have it, that home was right next door to me for one of the kittens.  My neighbors offered to take Taco in while we waited out the thirty days.  Two weeks after, they told me they wanted to adopt him regardless of the outcome.   Boy did I get lucky.   And so did Taco.  So the past month proved to be challenging to say the least when you already have a household of your own cats.  Constantly moving kitten from one room to another so it doesn't die of boredom, cleaning that room so that the other cats can't catch anything - watching it sadly as you leave the room, knowing you can't stay in the room forever just to keep kitten company...  Guilt not being with kitten for very long because you have a life outside that room.  It was a hard thing to do.

TACO

But the hardest thing to do was bringing both kittens to the vet yesterday, and having them retested. Fingernails bitten, heart pounding, the results came back.  Negative.  I have never been so happy.  I wanted to shout to the world about it.  My babies were negative.  I first called my neighbors to give them the good news.  They were elated.  I then opened the door to the house and set kitten free.  This was Tuesday.

FUDGIE

As of today, I've never seen a kitten more happier in my entire life.  He never stops running from one end of the house to the other, batting his toys around, wrestling with the adult kitties...   Fudgie is one very very very very happy kitten.  And I am one very very very very happy girl to have rescued them both, and know that they are disease free, and will live long and happy lives.

So that's that.

Have a great day.

"There is sunshine in my soul today."

Fly Free Sweet Babe...

Jamie not Janie.  Black kitten TNR'd yesterday back to Mom's was a BOY.  So his name is Jamie, not Janie.  :)  Now must get his siblings fixed.  :(

I had an incredibly sad start to my morning.  I got through all 20 or so of my stops, a few unplanned stops when spotting a cat crossing a street up ahead, without incident - and again, this woman took my bowls away at the location where notes were exchanged yesterday - can't wait to catch her....  I arrived at Central and Second to feed the five or six cats that greet me.  I rescued Carter from there last year.  I always notice who is around, as this is a busy street for people because of the bootlegger's house on the corner...  this is where they can buy cigarettes, booze, beer, and God knows what else, at all hours of the night.  You just go up to the window and knock on it.  Anyway, there was a guy sitting on the steps just a short way down from where I feed.  I noticed him.  I got out, went over to place the food for the kitties which now include two kittens that I haven't had time to try to catch, but are getting closer and closer.  As I was pouring the food, I heard a soft moaning ..  I looked into one of the shelters and I saw a cat.  I jumped up, knowing there was something wrong.  I started to disassemble the shelter area, and saw the man over to my right on the sidewalk.  I went to get my carrier, not knowing what my plan was.  Instinct told me - ask him for help!  I did, he could barely speak English.  I had to describe the problem using my hands.  Gateau (I think that is cat in Spanish) and other gestures to let him know what I needed.  I asked him to help me move the boards that were piled on top of the shelters so I could get the cat.  He was very helpful and kind.  I lifted the shelter and kitty was not moving.  I thought it had died, but then heard the moans again.  I got it into my car with the hole in the tote facing up in case he all of the sudden bolted.  I thanked the man and gave him a hug. He tried to sell me something - in Spanish - and I could tell he was only asking for five dollars.  I told him if I had it, I would just give it to him.  Especially if only for his kindness.  There are good people in the world.  Some are just unfortunate because of the paths they chose, or the paths that were chosen for them by the people that raised them, and some just need a break to begin anew.

Little kitten was brought to the emergency clinic where they had to cut the shelter apart to get to him. Upon examination, we were informed that his mouth was full of ulcers, it looked as if he had a mass in his stomach, likely a tumor.  They determined he was in such extreme pain, which was causing his lameness.  He was euthanized at my request.  Poor little baby sweet dreams go straight up to heaven where you will never have pain again...

Its tough.

Have a good day.

"It's a mercy that we are granted the ability to

end suffering.  It is a moment we are given.  To

decide to let go and give them a chance to go

without suffering.  Yet, it is always the hardest

thing we do.  It is a mercy and a curse."