Auld Lang Syne

The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or "long long ago "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", is loosely translated as "for the sake of old times".

Yes, it is New Years Eve Day.  Australia is already into the thick of 2012 - they being 16 hours ahead of us Americans - well maybe not into the thick of 2012, but into the thick of the first day at least!  Its been a crazy year, its had its ups and downs, but about this time of year I had rescued at least five pregnant cats and gotten them off the streets, they produced their litters, most of them and all had or have been neutered, and I rescued at least 10-20 more and either had them brought to shelter due to their sickness, or have had the rest adopted.  Thats a really good thing.  I've made a lot of new friends through this passion of mine, and have learned that people aren't as bad as I think they are.  They are human just like me with their ups and downs, just like mine, and we are all in this together.  Some of us are more compassionate than others, but all in all, most people are kind and caring individuals that want to help animals in some form or another.  I have met many giving individuals, and maintained my relationsips with many that have already been in my life.   I am thankful for each and every one I have met along this journey.

Nancy and I rescued another little black and white kitty from Grand this morning, which Nancy will keep, and she has named her Lucy, at my coaxing, I just like the name Lucy!  I rescued another little girl that I named Lucy who was pregant - get it - Loose girl....  ha ha.  She is a scrawny little girl, not sure if neutered or not, but she is off the street for the winter.  Each morning she comes out of her little cat carrier I have enclosed in warm blankets, so I know she needed to be rescued.  Not sure what to do with the others, must touch base with the girl who is offering a barn.  Must get Big Red off the street. 

Also, I had asked you for your rescue stories, but no one responded until now!  Thank you Rene, a girl I've never met, but she has a love for animals that makes me melt!  Here is what she says, and here is the picture she shared (I am sorry about the size of it, I just can't seem to get pictures on this blog anymore):

Okay, is this the cutest - funniest thing you've ever seen?!! This is Spookie, a Chinese Crested. My husband's good friend adopted him from RAS. He wasn't there long, because I saw him and called Guy (that's the friend's name) to get down to the shelter right away - he beat me there! He constantly buys him new shirts and jackets and obviously booties. Guy has thanked me a number of times for calling him. He said that Spookie saved his life. I love happy stories.

"To the world you are just one more rescue person, but to a rescued pet, you are the world."

"The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel." Proverbs 12:10

I Don't Know How I Do It...

but I do it.  Its cold out there.  I had to scrape away lots of snow covering some of my shelters.  Poor Big Red, haven't seen him in two days.  I was informed by several people about an ad online looking for cats for a barn, and I spoke with the woman advertising it yesterday.  What a wonderful stroke of luck for me.  A place I can bring 2 or 3 of my most needy and give them a roof over their head, and full bellies.  She said she wanted mousers for her horse barn.  She seems very nice, and I am hoping we can work something out in the next couple of weeks.  There is a lot of work to be done to make this happen.  I have to trap cats that are used to me just placing food down, and I might have to not place food down for a day or two at one of these spots to make the cat desperate for food, and empty stomachs along with freezing temps and snow underfoot is dangerous for an animal.  So, wish me luck, and if anyone wants to help me on a weekend, I could sure use the company.  Big Red would be number one, and then it would be so hard for me to decide who the lucky one would be next.  They all deserve a home.  There are just so many sweet cats out there right now, I can pick them up thats how sweet they are.  We just need to find more adopters.  I need to find more adopters.  I still have Buddy, Rufus and Midnight available for adoption in my own home.  As soon as I can get these young sweet babies adopted, I can rescue more.  Please pass this on to anyone you might know that could be interested.  Thank you!

Winter has Arrived

Yes, Old Man Winter is finally settling in upon us.  This early morning, the rain we had soaking everything yesterday has finally turned to snow, the temperatures are plummeting, and the wind is howling.  Supposed to be 40 mph wind gusts, which will bring the temps down into the teens.  Its nasty out there.  I braved it to be sure my babies were high and dry.  I had to change some wet towels out there, but inside their cozy little cat carriers, that are covered in blankets, most on porches of abandoned houses, its dry.  I had to secure some boards to cover the food dishes from the wind.  My first spot is the opposite end of the street where I had a problem with sheltering a lot of cats this past summer, and now that I've found Wally and am feeding at his place, and he took in Buster, I have to deal with this opposite end, where there are some very beautiful sweet cats waiting for me each morning.  This morning though, I got out with food and bowls in hand, while little Black Puff and Whitey greet me each morning, and went in search of a shelter to place the bowls out of the nasty wind gusts.  I went to a side of a house just on the corner and placed the bowls down.  At least it blocked the wind somewhat, but not sure what I will do when the snow accumulates.  All in all, I am hoping I made a diffference to most of my babies out there today.  Oh, and to Mr. Possum who greeted me with a smile, and a snarl, at my last stop.  Chased him away with a stick.  Poor guy, can't get a break.  :)  Have a wonderful day!

Cough, cough...

Thats what I've been doing all weekend.  Thanks to a cold I contracted end of last week.  Some vacation!  Some holiday!  All in all, it was a good one though.  So much happening out there though.  Not only did we manage to rescue Emma and a little kitty Saturday morning - both from different locations - but on Monday, we trapped the little kitty's sister or brother!  All are suffering from upper respiratory infections, in fact the last one - now named Snowflake, was the worse I think, her nose was very congested, and he/she was sneezing up a storm.  The woman who helped me I met through this blog, and she has turned into one of my earth angels!  She took all three.  Updates are that Emma has acclimated to her bedroom that she keeps her dog in with her at night, and Emma has even come nose to nose with the dog!  Thats great!  And the two kittens, after some sniffing around, finally cuddled together, recognizing each other after a few days apart.  Meds are being given to each, creatively hidden in food, etc., and hopefully they are getting what they need.  But my latest earth angel Nancy has committed herself to caring for these three sick cats and has high hopes for possible adoption of both Snowflake and her unnamed brother or sister.  They are both a bit wild right now so its difficult to tell what sex they are...  But such a Christmas miracle, to rescue three cats from the streets that surely would have suffered a great deal.  We are due snow and bitter cold this week, finally, as I say lets get this winter on and over with!  We've got to deal with it sooner or later, right?  More tomorrow...  Have a great day!

We Did It!

Thanks to two angels this morning, that came over at 5:30 this morning to brave the elements and the hood, we were able to save two more sick kitties off the street.  Emma is now safe and sound, and so is one of the two kittens on Second Street with the upper respiratory ailments.  I am so thankful for these two women.  Such kind souls to do this.  I have so many people I am thankful for in my life. 
You all know who you are, those that have contributed even a can of cat food to me, you have helped me immensely in ways you will never know.

I wish all of you a safe and happy Christmas, and I will be back very soon!  XOXO!

Winter Solstice

It was two days ago.  Funny how it doesn't seem like winter without the white stuff.  Although winter is officially upon us, just yesterday was the first day, its days are already numbered, which is wonderful.  I feel better about that somehow.  Instead of three months of misery for the cats, it will only be two.  I love the snow, but I only dread it for the cats.  I love all four seasons, they all have something good about them!

Miss B. invited me to the holiday celebration at the Women's shelter yesterday.  I was honored to be invited, as she had to clear it through the director there.  Its obviously a shelter for women for a reason, so in order to even get in the place as a visitor, you have to be 'cleared'.   I was floored when I met the 18 women in there, and the comaraderie that was shared among them.  It was clean and organized.  There was a good handful of babies and children.  All these women have their stories, but they were all very well mannered and grateful, obviously, for this haven.  Miss B. I was told did all the cooking, most of it at least, there was fried chicken, collared greens, mac & cheese, macaroni salad, beans and wonderful desserts.  As they said grace before their meal, I was just so humbled.  And to think this was all on account of CATS!  If I hadn't met Miss B. and fallen in love with her kindness towards animals, and her sense of humor, which is so similar to mine, I would never have the opportunity to see this side of life.  Hopefully never.  I am just so grateful.

I have two wonderful kind women coming over tomorrow morning to go on my rounds, and we are going to try to get Emma, the mommy kitty, and the little kitten on Second Street who has a URI trapped.  One of these women has offered to take both.  They are both sick, and she has offered to help.  So many people out there who are so kind hearted to do something like this.  Its a burden but one that thankfully people are willing to bear.  I am just so grateful.  Wish us luck, and I will keep you posted!

Thank God Its Wednesday!

That saying should be 'Friday', but its my Friday at work. I have the next three working days off (that includes Monday). I don't have my normal list of e-mail that I have at work here at home, so just hoping you all save my blog into your favorites and check back on your own, without my daily e-mail reminders, and hopefully I will write at least every other day about whats going on!

Quiet on the homefront. The predicted rain held off for me this morning. All kitties accounted for this morning. I have had some feedback on the kitten that is sick, and am going to try ordering some amoxicillan online today and see if I can put it in the wet food and hope that the kitten will eat it. Upper respiratory infections are very contagious, so I dont think the other kitties will be hurt if they ingest it also. As far as trapping kitten, and bringing to vet, there is no where for this kitten to go unfortunately, so that is not an option. If kitten had a home, that would be a different story. And as I said yesterday, chances of me getting this kitten in a trap - which I am going to try on Saturday morning, are slim. Trapping really is hard when you are going after one in particular.

I want to share this article with you that was in the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper a week ago:

"Man Shot on Sixth Street in City: A 34-year-old man was shot on Sixth Street on Friday in an apparent robbery attempt. According to Rochester police Capt. Peter Leach, two male suspects approached the victim about 5 pm. and tried to rob him. The incident ended with the victim being shot at least in the upper torso. Police are seeking suspects, who ran away after the shooting. Leach said. The victim, who was alert and cooperative with police, was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment." I share this with you because this is one street over from my last stop each morning. I have five feeding spots in this immediate vicinity. This is why I go so early in the morning. The crims are asleep, and its quiet out there for me. I would not go into these neighborhoods at night, never. These things happen on a monthly basis in this area. Poverty. So sad.

One more thing. I hate this blog site. My pictures have now turned out so small, and I cannot enlarge them. If anyone knows the answer to this, help me. If anyone knows of another blog site I can transfer over successfully all of my stuff, help me. I am not good with technology. But its a shame you cannot see my pictures more clearly. The HELP section for this blog site is useless. Thanks. And have a great day!

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I keep hearing that song playing through my head - I think its Nat King Cole that sings it?  Yes, its Christmas time and you hear all the songs, and I do love them - they help me through from my down times, when I think about all the sad things in life.  I hope you all know I do try to keep my blog upbeat, because I have had several people say its hard to read my blog because of the sadness, so I try to keep it positive, and tell you about the good stuff.  But once in a while, its hard.  Like this morning, there is a kitten, about 5-6 months, with a terrible upper respiratory infection, it has stuff coming out of its nose, you can hear the breathing.  Some of you condemn me for not trapping more, but where am I going to bring these cats, and who is to say I can get that particular one when there are so many at that spot.  I have rescued LOTS, including Buttons last winter, from that spot, but there are so many.  In fact, there are two there that have been TNR'd (trap, neuter and return) that are as friendly as can be and run to meet me each day.  Who has the time, or the facilities to bring the cats to once they've been trapped.  Not me.  I have a full time job.  More than full time, and thankful today that I have it because who knows how long I will have it.  My boss keeps reminding his staff that changes are coming after the first of the year.  I am the lowest on the totem pole, so who knows.  But I keep it positive, for myself, I have to.  I give the ones I can touch a pat and a scratch, feed them all, try to make them as comfortable as I can with the conditions they are in, and pray for them.   I mention the sick ones because I have hope that someday, some higher being will step in and fix this problem.  Will help me out here.  I say higher being - whether it be God, or just some Godly person who has an answer to all of this.  Bring it on!  :)

Holiday Blues

I don't have them, but I am sure a lot of folks do.   And I don't think Wally does because I have managed to spruce up his little apartment with lights, a tiny tree that was given to him by a friend of mine, and let me tell you about that...  I brought over this tiny little artificial tree, where you just bend the branches out, and with a box of ornaments and a string of lights and garland, told him it was up to him now to decorate it.  I left and came back a few days later, and lo and  behold, that tree was decorated, and he was SO PROUD, he was beeming when I commented to him how great of a job he did.  I don't think he has had a tree in recent memory, for sure.  So thank you Sharon and Jess for that donation.  On to the kitties, Buster snuck out yesterday afternoon, I was quite upset and told Wally he'd better get him back in there.  He said 'he just wanted fresh air' and I scolded him telling him about the dangers out there, and that I'd better not see Buster out at 5:15 am. when I go feeding at that spot in the morning.  I didn't see Buster, so good chance he went back inside, he better have.  Speaking of that street, I now have the same dilemma at my first stop before Wally's, the same dilemma I had at the corner past Wally's, that I solved a bit by placing a shelter on the house next to Wallys.  There are five sweet cats that wait for me each morning, one pure black, one pure white, and the others are mixes.  I must find some shelter for their food.  I am thinking of going to a house near there that looks friendly and ask them if I can place a board or someting on the side of their house.  I must find shelter for food for these cats.  Or rescue them, which is most likely not going to happen due to people not wanting a cat or two.

One more mention about Wally, thanks to the kindness of two men, Carl and John, Wally now has two winter coats.  And thanks to my friend Diane, Wally now has gloves and a scarf.  Now, maybe its time I ask Wally to take in another cat!  What do you think...  :) 

Black Magic

I am attaching pics of what I took yesterday.  There are the two pretty babies on Central - black and white - they are most certainly strays, but scared.  They let me get just so close, and then back away.  This is the shelter in the back of the house that I have rigged, but its terrible in my opinion.  There is a hut, but the boards around it are very loose and blow over when its windy.  This is in the back of a boarded up house.  The bank owns it, and has been over to mow the lawn in the fall, but left my stuff there.  Must be a kind banker.  This shelter was next door but had to be moved due to the owner of that property moving his family in after he had been renovating his house.  The shelter was featured in my video, where the board slammed my head.  That was the best shelter I had.  It was always warm and cozy and dry inside even in the harshest of days.  But I just can't get it duplicated at the property next door. 

These other photos are of my Third kitties.  The grey is the bully I told you about.  He is so territorial.  Such a brat.  This is an abandoned house, with a lot of grafitti on it.  I am sure its on the list to be torn down soon, its really a mess.   This is where I have rescued so many babies, the last one last winter was Gracie, who my mother adopted.

This last pic, or the one that looks odd, is of a very strange thing I found in a driveway of where I feed.  To me, it looks like a voodoo doll.  It looks like it had been burned on the spot too, as you can see a dark circle around it.  It looks like foil, but I have not yet had the nerve to pick it up.  It really spooks me.  Tell me what you think!  I would like to know if anyone knows about this stuff!  By the way, its Friday, Thank God.  I wish you all a great weekend.

Animal Rescue

I have some pictures I want to share with you, to go along with a most boring report of the morning, just rainy out there, wet, and muddy.  But kitties grateful to see me.  I will download the pictures when I can, but in the meantime, I just found the most heartwarming story.  Its terribly sad in the beginning, but it just shows you what rescue means to an animal.  Its got a good ending, so please, watch it. 

http://www.animaladvocates.com/videos/watch/?video=judith#v

Please write me and share a story of rescue that you have done in your life, even if it was from a shelter adopting an animal.  What was its background?  How much did the animal come to mean to you?  I love these stories!

The What Ifs, The Haves, and the Have Nots

I am not one to wallow in bad times, and I really rarely complain about my life, although I have been known a moment or two with a few friends where I've had my own pity party over the phone, but then I get over it quickly.  And I think thats natural for everyone.  No one's life is perfect.  Thats the way God made it -- we have to work to have what we have, and want only what we need.  We learn the latter when we 'mature'.  :)  I have yet to, but its just around the corner, I can feel it.

The What If is what if I never started to do what I do, feeding cats.  I would have an extra $6,000 in my pocket each year, I would be more alert and younger by catching up on the sleep I am deprived of, and I would be able to take a fabulous vacation once a year, maybe.  The Haves, I have a lot of those.  I really am blessed by good health, a great family, great friends, and a regular income.   I am not blessed by security, I take my job security day by day, and financially, I live paycheck to paycheck.  That causes stress in my life, which leads to poor health, and aging.  Blessed by friends I have met through this blog who have donated shelters, money and food to me, not to mention little gifts for Miss B. and Wally.  Blessed by co-workers who have donated gloves, scarf and a jacket to Wally.  The Have Nots, I was blessed also by a good upbringing, even though my father was not in the picture full time when I was growing up, my mother did her best to raise me and my sister by a good steady income, and we had more than most in my circle then.  We had family cottages on Conesus Lake my whole life.  I thumbed my nose at the 'public beach at Charlotte'.  We were spoiled.  We never lacked for anything.  I've learned the difference in welfare and doing good, is that if you are on welfare, what you want, you make due without it, and when you are better off financially, what you want, you get.  Eventually.  You save, you work harder. 

I know I am off on a rant here, so forgive me, because it really is all about the cats, right?  They were out in full force this morning, but I do dread tomorrow as the weather we've been having is going to change for the worse, and I am NOT looking forward to trudging out there in the windy nasty morning we are supposed to have.  I still need boards and I still need shelters. 

The picture I've included is of Gixr, my friend Jessica's kitty.  Isn't she CUTE!!!

Silent Night

All is calm, all is bright...  yes, a full moon morning again.  Its wonderful, not only to see a full moon, but to be ABLE to see the moon.  Rochester is not known for its great weather in the winter, and we rarely have clear nights.  So, yes, its a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say.

All was quiet on the homefront.  The kitties were out in full force.  Big Red seems to travel in between three spots.  He is either on one street, at two different houses, or on the next street at another abandoned house.   This abandoned house, that I have had a couple of kitties neutered at last year and returned, looks like it was on fire at one stage - the house looks gutted, windows all open and exposed.  One morning recently, I was on the porch talking quietly to the kitties and placing their food down, and the front door opened.  Out walks this guy, and I said 'what are you doing?' and he said 'taking a pee', and I am like, WTF, why is this guy IN THE HOUSE 'taking a pee'?  Anyways, after a brief conversation, he was trying to wake his sister up where he lives in the house across the street (apparently he had just gotten dropped off or something - yes, its 5:30 am.), but couldn't, his phone died, and he was just sick of being outside.  Don't ask me, yes, its odd, but he was harmless, and wasn't hurting the kitties, and wasn't doing drugs, so I didn't make a deal of it.  We introduced ourselves, and I was on my way.  My point in this story:  days later, the door was boarded up.  But my stuff was still there!  My carrier that a cat actually sleeps in, my towels and blankets, my board covering up the food and the entrance to the carrier, and the bowls of food and water.  I was thankful.  Whoever owns this house, or the city worker if the city owns it that came, respected what I was doing, and obviously had a heart for the animals. 

Anyway, thats my story for the day.  Not much going on out there, or in my head!  Gotta get to work now, have a great day!

She won this round...

Well, she finally did it, the Witch of Grand Avenue finally got her way. Wally and I spoke yesterday on the phone telling him I was going to swing by really quick to drop off some Chili I made, and he told me his landlord wanted my stuff out. He said the landlord was sick of listening to her complain to him about the shelter on the side of the house, and asked Wally to ask me to move it. I went over there ready for tears, and Wally took me to his back window and pointed to where I could move it. He got his coat and went out with me and actually helped me move it to the house next door’s back yard against a wooden fence. He swore to me it was his ‘nephew’s place, and that I wouldn’t have a problem. I was in tears by this time, not just for the fact that these cats ‘shelter’ was displaced again (the first time was when they were literally discarded in the first place – they are all strays that I feed – whether they got out of the house, or people moved and just left them there) but because this woman got her way. This “Christian woman”. This is what she called herself when she first apologized to me and told me I was doing “good” for these animals. Until it was on her own doorstep is when it became a BAD thing to do. How can you live with yourself knowing you are helping to allow animals to suffer. Why do so many black people hate cats? Wally had a younger friend over, her name was Connie, and she said she ‘don’t like them’. I am NOT racist, I don’t look at color, I look at your heart first when I meet you, not your color. But for some reason, in these neighborhoods, the majority hates them. Paul on Second Street has two that he loves, he is an exception. Wally is tolerating Buster, and maybe Buster is getting closer to his heart, but he is an exception also.


Miss B. is still at a woman’s shelter. If anyone knows of an apartment in the $500-600 range monthly, and accepts Shelter Plus, let me know. She is losing her spirit.  And Wally needs a winter coat.  And gloves! 

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

every where you go...  la la la la la...  can you just hear Bing Crosby singing now? 

It started snowing this morning.  There is a pretty white coating on the ground.  Its more wet and a nuisance than anything else.  Its not even that pretty.  Its just a sign of things to come.  I hate to say it but its prettier when the ground is frozen.  But you know what that means, COLLLDDDDDD.....  BRRRRR... My poor babies out there.  All was well, I am making sure they have a little spot to cuddle in at each of my stops, but the problem is, some of them will be covered in snow, I don't have enough large large boards to lean over the carriers I have placed, and to fit snuggly against a wall.  And under that board I would also have their food and water.  So you see, I am actually looking for very large boards.  Like 5' by 7 ' would be ideal.  My spot outside of Wally's place is still there, although you can tell the witch keeps taking the paper bowls placed outside of the board that is leaning against the house.  There is a long haired black kitty that is sleeping inside the little sheltered roofed litter box I have there. Thats a good sign.  Thank God some of these kitties know enough to 'get out of the rain'.  Some of them really don't.   I had to remove another poor kitty from the road this morning also.  My skin is beginning to thicken doing this.  Its the second one in a week, right?  I used to cry for them.  Now, all I can do is say a little prayer over their bodies while I wrap them in a towel and place them under a tree on the side of the road.  Poor baby.  May God bless you and welcome you to his Kingdom.

I have a vacation day today, and am busy getting my own crib under control.  Lots of cleaning, washing, vacuuming and dusting to be done.  My cats and dog are wondering why Mommy is running around like a maniac ignoring them all morning.  Oh well, I am just their maid, and they know it!

The Grand Witch

That is her title, because she is a witch, and because she lives on a street by that name.  I called Wally last evening just to check in on him, make sure Buster was in and doing ok.  He told me that the landlord wanted the board on the side of the house gone because the 'I am a Christian woman' witch was complaining again to him.  I woke up this morning and that was all I could think about. There is no other place to put a shelter for the three or four cats I SEE when I go there for one second in the morning to place food and water down.  I also have a covered litter box that is covered by a plastic tarp with some towels in there.  Its very small, for one cat, but this morning, lo and behold, there was a cat inside.  On one hand, its such a joy to see that these cats are using the shelters, but on the other hand, I was saddened to think this may be taken away.  I told Wally he must fight for me, and for the cats.  I don't want to get him in to trouble, maybe I can speak to landlord himself, and he can just placate this witch that lives in the upstairs apartment of this house.   If you want to know more about my encounters with this woman, see past posts.  She scolded me for weeks about feeding on the corner and then came about and apologized and told me what I was doing was good.  But obviously not on her turf.  I could say some nasty things here, but will let you use your imagination on what I would say...

Big Red has really changed ...  he may be sick, but he is very loving, and half these cats practically follow me to my car, saying please don't leave me here.  Emma has a very bad cold, I must get her rescued and get meds in her.  Poppi is letting me touch her more.  There are just so many wonderful cats that need homes.  Please consider one!

Days Gone By...

People ask me, how did you start doing this, why this spot, why that spot?  I can never remember.  I just was chatting with a friend for a second on Facebook, because it was she that 'turned me on' to this, and she has a much better memory than me!  I say 'turned me on' because I was having lunch with her and her friend, prior to 2001, and her friend mentioned having seen cats behind the restaurant.  And thats how that began.  Then my route became bigger and bigger.  Wow, that was how many years ago?  I would have to say at least 12-15 years ago.  The more cats I saw, and knew they were sick and starving, the more I fed.  I remember one spot came about because someone I knew said they had a co-worker that was leaving their job and moving to Buffalo and she was going to abandon her cats if she couldn't find a home.  That was on Hayward.  I have since rescued around six cats from that street, including Mama Girl, Betty, Jack, and a few others.  This is also where Red, Big Red, and Emma reside.  She did abandon her cats by the way.  Another start up came when I was coming home from the public market and took a side street that allowed me to see, with the headlights of my car, that there were about 8+ cats in the field ahead of me, on Bay Street and First, and I just had to get out and give them food, then brought shelter, then got permission from Wilbert to begin feeding there.    So many memories...  ha!

It was a chilly damp drizzly morning out this morning, but I am thankful to have placed food, water and dry towels down for the babies.  So many out there, so many needing homes.  Have a great day!

Baggage Handler Fired Over Concern for Starving Dog

I love this story!  We need more people like this woman in this world!
Leslie Smith, Editor in Chief
Monday December 5th, 2011
Lynn Jones (photo credit: Marilyn Newton)

Sounds like Lynn Jones is looking for a job, so I’ve got a suggestion for the Humane Society of the United States. Dump your current spokesperson and hire Jones.

The former Reno-Tahoe International Airport baggage handler put her job on the line — and eventually lost it — for the sake of a starving, suffering dog. When she refused to load him into the cargo compartment of a plane bound for Texas, her manager responded with a show of compassion the Nazis would have admired: the dog had its papers and was not Jones’s concern.

Jones felt differently. "The dog was so weak and torn up. It didn't look like it could survive the flight,” she said, referring to the animal’s bloodied paws and emaciated, sore-infected body. So instead of keeping quiet or doing as she was told, Jones went to airport police who in turn called local animal services.

The good news is that the dog was taken into custody by Washoe County and treated for his wounds and malnutrition. Bravo to those who intervened and ensured the dog at least a few days or weeks of kindness, not to mention meals and medical treatment. The unfortunate news is that the dog is now in Texas, where he was originally scheduled to be shipped. It’s unclear as to whether his owner at that time is again the legal custodian.

As for Jones, who was fired on the spot, a message: Know that you are a hero and a role model. We need more like you, people who take action when faced with suffering and injustice, people who refuse to be even the least bit complicit in cruelty.

Jones told the Reno Gazette Journal, "My supervisor said it wasn't my concern, but animal abuse is everyone's concern who sees it." Indeed. Fire the supervisor for the “just follow orders” attitude. Promote Jones to the head of the department

http://renoairport.com/contactus
Use the above link to contact the airport directly and let them know your thoughts. Tell them that firing Lynn Jones - a true animal hero - was a mistake.

Roadkill

I picked up another cat off the road this morning that had been hit on Bay Street. This is the second one in a month for me. The poor baby’s head was crushed this morning, the rest of her body intact. I am sure this poor animal did not suffer for a minute. I was thinking about the person who hit the cat, and just left it in the road – was it some 80 year old man that neither saw nor heard it, was it a cop on its way to a call and had to make the decision about whatever he/she was heading towards, or go back for the cat, but just kept on driving, was it some young person, the typical kind of person in that area that lacks compassion towards animals, that hit it and just kept going without a hesitation. I personally could never hit and then leave an animal. Not even a chipmunk. I love every kind of animal, whether it be a bear, or a tadpole. Anything that has a heart and it beats, I love.

People think I am a cat person. I am only a cat person because they are the most neglected of all the four legged animals. We as humans turn the other way when we see cats outdoors, thinking they have a home, or they will live by eating mice. We are the biggest abusers in the world to cats. I would be a dog person if it were dogs roaming the streets, hiding out under porches, eating garbage from garbage cans trying to stay alive. It just happens to be cats that are the overpopulated creatures we see out roaming. That’s another reason I don’t believe in letting your cat outdoors. You take that chance the moment it goes out that it won’t come back to you again. It could get hit by cars, it could get attacked by another animal, it could pick up God Knows What out there. I have a friend in Colorado who has a cat named Three’er because her first two cats were eaten by the coyotes in her back yard.

Speaking of cats indoors, you will never believe what happened. You know how I’ve been hoping Wally would take a cat. Well, I brought over a small lasagna I made yesterday for him, and thankfully Miss B. was there too, but she doesn’t like Italian food, but Wally was very appreciative. I also brought him a strand of Christmas lights, blue, for his little place, to liven it up, along with an old comforter I had, and a Christmas table cloth for the new donated kitchen table he was given last weekend by a good dog rescuer friend of mine, Dee. Anyways, I also brought over a small litter pan, litter, scooper, wet and dry food, and was going to tell Wally I really needed him to take Buster in for the winter, that he would make a good companion, and he would be saving a cat, and not to mention continue to get scrumptious meals from me! J But he called me and said ‘bring over a litter box please’. I couldn’t believe it. Well, he agreed to take Buster in, now we just had to get him! This morning, as I stopped to put food and water down for the kitties that eat outside his house, near the lean to I have there, I looked up and saw Buster in the window! Miss B. must have gotten him sometime after I left yesterday afternoon! So that is GREAT NEWS! Another cat off the street!  Pictured here are my two kittens available for adoption, Rufus (white and black) and Buddy.  Are they not the cutest!



Rufus and Buddy



Friday's Frivolities

Just having fun.  I am getting lame when it comes to thinking about what I want to write without boring you to death. 

I am so thankful its Friday.  Even though last week was a short week, it seems this week went on forever, and ever, and ever...  For some reason, I always think its easier for me on the weekends going out and feeding strays - maybe it is.  I don't have that time pressure like I do for the work week.  There was a bit of interest shown by someone in adopting one of my adult kitties out on the street.  I thought about it and I am having a hard time thinking which one is best.  Do I go by the one most deserving?  The one most desperate?  The cutest one?  The sweetest one?  How do you pick?  There is Red, there is Big Red, there is Tuffy, there is Emma, there is Buster, there is another Red yet unnamed that is very timid - he is where Mr. Bully is.  How about the Pushy, the grey on Second Street, who pushes against my bag as I am trying to pour and the food ALWAYS spills. There are SO MANY others that are unnamed that I feed in the morning.  There are so many I could never keep them straight. There are just so many deserving cats.  Then there are my three other babies just under a year old I am trying to adopt out that are already in my house, Rufus, Midnight and Buddy! 

I am going to post some pics this weekend.  A few friends have sent me ideas on shelters and I thought, hmmm... simple, yet ingenious!  Will get those on this weekend.   I wish you a great day!

Help Wanted!

Part-Time position open.  Duties include one hour + a day, 365 days a year, must be morning person,   must have valid driver's license. You will be expected to work in many different environments including potentially dangerous and strenuous situations. have a love for dangerous situations in high risk criminal areas  Benefits include:  Nothing.  No insurance, no pay, but occasional pats on the back will be most rewarding to you. You will be expected to perform remote visual inspections in the field for a variety of clients including but not limited to cats, raccoons, opossums and occasional dogs.  Must love animals!

I have had a total of three people offer to help me within the past year and half, to give me a break, but that never happened.  Thats not to say I never had help.  Heather was the only one who was there for me when I needed to travel and be away.  She was a trooper through and through and I cannot thank her enough for doing that, even to this day.   I keep on trucking along though, especially when I see their little faces sitting there waiting for me.  There are so many wonderful adult kitties that need adoption out there.  They would make the sweetest, cuddliest kitties.  And don't forget I have three kittens ready for a home!  Rufus, Midnight and Buddy!

I had a surprise yesterday.  A woman wrote me to say she had been reading my blog, offered me a built shelter, and said if everyone had just a fraction of compassion that I have, the world would be a better place.  And its true, if we all opened out hearts and homes for JUST ONE MORE, I could possibly get that needed break I so deserve, to not have to go out and feed all these animals each day.  But this woman - who doesn't know me at all, opened her heart to donate this shelter and a bag of food, and that was my pat on the back.  It meant the world to me.  Thank you to everyone who has ever patted me on the back!

Wednesday's Woes

Boy, I am getting lame with my titles!!!  Must get my mojo back!  Anyways, it was a quiet, yet very damp morning out there.  It poured and poured and poured all day yesterday.  All I could think about was my babies out there as I sat at work for the eight hours listening to the rain hitting the skylight just above my desk.  I kept telling my co-worker "I hate the rain" and its only for the fact that its miserable for the cats.  Would rather have it lightly snow than rain.  I had to pick up soaking towels this morning.  The bully kitty was out in full swing on Third Street, going after Tuffy, with lots of growling.  He is so territorial.  Tuffy is ten times larger than Mr. Bully, but also a sweetheart, obviously, because he backs away when confronted.  Tuffy has been around for a long time now, I first noticed him on Second Street years ago.  He is a large orange and white kitty, male, very large head, but you can tell a sweetheart.  You can also tell he was once someone's kitty, but for one reason or another, is now a street cat.  I wish it were lighter in the morning, and more conducive for me to take pictures.  I have to sneak around and constantly watch my surroundings every second, so its not easy to whip out the camera, the crappy camera.  I can never get it to flash in the seconds I am able to take the picture.  There are so many sights that are worthy of showing on my blog.  I also had someone mention that the pictures I post you cannot enlarge anymore, like they used to.  Not sure what happened with the blog, but it was not my doing.  I just take the same pictures, and post, but when you click on them, they do not enlarge to see them better.  I will work on this.  In the meantime, Midnight, Rufus and Buddy are all doing well, and I am waiting to get them adopted.  They are wonderful little kitties, all under a year.  Take a look at posts back, you will see their pictures!

Tuesdays Tales

Yesterday I mentioned Part Two would come today of the past week, with mean spirited people.  First off, where I've been feeding under a tree for the past summer, a few houses down from where Miss B. used to live, and from where Wally, her friend, lives now, I was there Wednesday after having brought something to Wally during the day on my vacation day, and out of the window yelled this huge woman screaming at me to stop feeding cats under that tree!  "my grandbabies are scared of them!".  She went on and on, after me telling her that the cats weren't going to her her grandbabies, and that she should be teaching them, compassion.  She yelled for me to move the bowls from under there or she would put poison in them.  So I moved the bowls to across the street, told her how mean she was, and waved goodbye.  In the meantime, I finally moved the bowls to a tree in front of Wally's house, I had been hoping to move these remaining five adult kitties down to where I had a 'friend' instead of the bleak corner I had been feeding at.  On Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving, Wally's neighbor, actually the woman who lives in the same house, different apartment, came out and told me she didn't want me to feed the cats under her tree because they bring varmints, mice, etc.  I looked at her and said 'that didn't last too long.'  This is the same woman that scolded me for days before she came back to me one morning and apologized and said she was a Christian woman, and that what I was doing was good.  She then went off on a rant.  Loud.  And then she decided to call 911.  Now I am not a confrontational person.  Not at all.  I am not good at confrontation.  So Wally just motioned for me to come in the house, all the while I can hear her describing me, taking down my license plate.  She was NUTS.  I told Wally to give me a call, and to give the police my number if they did come for such a stupid thing.  I left, and things calmed down after that.  Apparently Wally spoke to his landlord, and he had no problem with me leaving the board on the side of his house for the kitties as shelter.  Thats why this woman went off - I told her I would continue to feed on the side of the house.  But as long as Wally was good with it, and the landlord, I have continued to go there each morning, very quietly, and call for the kitties to come get their sustenance.  I may not be able to verbally fight with you, but I have a lot of fight in me!  I won't back down!  Not when it comes to the welfare of animals, children and the elderly!  Have a great day!

Helping the Helpless

Thats what I said to the pastor of a small white church on the corner near where I've rescued many cats - Teenie, Benny (my mother renamed this one), Barney, and so many others - I said 'please don't trash my shelter for the cats, I am a kind person, and I am only trying to alleviate some of their suffering'.  He has left it alone since.  I also treated Wally this past week - he is the gentleman that lives down from where Miss B used to live, where I have been leaving a small shelter at the side of his house so that I can give some protection to the food that I used to leave under the tree near the corner, where there was no shelter from the weather, and I was desperate to find some for the five or so remaining adult cats.  This is the place where I have rescued Midnight, Cloe, Phoebe, Buddy, and two others that I have forgotten their names - shame on me! - Anyways, I wound up cooking the meal for Wally and he shared it with Miss B.  I brought over TV tables and my kitchen chairs for them to sit on for the day.  I then went about my own family celebration, but I felt good doing this for these two downtrodden people.  On Saturday, I took Wally out for a pair of reading glasses.  Remember, he is blind in one eye.  He has not been able to read without them and I bought him a newspaper.  He was thrilled with them.  He felt like a professor he said.  I then took him for a haircut.  Not only his hair, but I motioned for the barber to do his nose, ears, etc.  He was a mess.  He came out of there looking like a totally different man.  He went from looking like a hobo, to looking great.  I felt good about that, but warned him that it came with a price, and he had to start thinking about adopting one of the kitties outside his door!  So, I will continue to get him to take in Buster.  Much to the dismay of his neighbor, which is another story in itself.  That Part Two for tomorrow. 

Misery

Loved that movie.  Especially when Annie Wilkes yells to Paul Sheldon "You dirty bird!  He didn't get out of the cockadoodie car!" - not in the same sentence, but those were classic lines...

It was pure misery this morning.  I would rather have it snow.  Did you see or hear the rain last night beginning around 5 pm.?  Did you awaken during the night and hear it pouring?  Did you see it outside this morning at 5 am.?  Miserable.  Pouring.  Wet.  Streets flooded.  Towels soaked.  Kitties hiding and miserable.  I have to say, I actually held out until 5:40 this morning, waiting, hoping.  And wouldn't you know it, when I got to my first spot, which I reversed my route this morning due to where I feed under the leafless tree near Miss B's old house, I had brought a board to lean against the tree to cover the food in the bowls I left so it wouldn't get soaked.  Anyways, wouldn't you know it, the rain subsided, long enough for that one hour I was out.  I do believe in God, and I do believe He watches over me.  It had been pouring just prior to me leaving the house.  I am so thankful.  Nevertheless, it was still miserable out there. 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for all the friends I have in my life, who have been there for me through thick and thin, and I am thankful for the people in my life who have made donations to me, no matter how big or small.  Even the strangers, I am thankful for you too.  I will be making a nice dinner for Wally, the half blind man who lives down the street from Miss B's old house, and hoping to make his day a little more cheerful.  I am going to have him cook stuff himself, but I bought some of hopefully his favorite things.  Turkey breast, cornbread, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows (which I am making), cranberry sauce, and gravy.  I even bought him a small pecan pie.  I hope he likes it, and can cook!  I am also slowly trying to talk him into taking a cat in!  Say a prayer, and cross your fingers!  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

An Ode to Jake

I have a good friend in Australia, Jen Brown, a very interesting girl in many ways, like her childhood, her career now, and her very cool personality.  I wrote about her dog's passing a few months ago, Jake, and she sent me the following note recently after getting a new dog, Brady Brown.  I will post his picture tomorrow as I don't have access to it right now,  but stay tuned, because he is one PRETTY pup!  I do, however, have Jake's picture, and his gravesite.   Our animals are our family, and whoever can give up a member of their family is...  well, its beyond my comprehension their way of thinking.  I know there are circumstances, but these animals, like a dog, when you come home, are their tails not wagging a mile a minute?  Or the kitties, when you walk in the door, are they not looking at you lovingly?  Or maybe thats hunger, but nevertheless, if you have not cried openly before, and your cat did not come up to you to figure out what you were doing, then, you don't have my cats! 

This is Jen's note to me, which I share with you to show you just how precious our pets are to us:

People are sooooo irresponsible with their pets arent they? They are PEOPLE with four legs. And they crave love and attention. When Jake Dog had to go suddenly due to cancer of the spleen it was such a shock. He had slowed down but never complained about any ailment. He ate well and loved going places with us. He just had no energy. Like all our pooches, he was a 'hand me down" and he was fabulous.
When he went we felt such a loss...again losing another faithful friend. I told Jim I needed to get another dog. He said I FORBID YOU. So that was the nail in the coffin. All settled... I got Brady Brown Dog from another lost doggy home. Jim was furious but I told him to accept Brady or piss off. He grew a beard instead. Good, more hugs for Brady Brown Dog then !

Brady is adorable, loving, friendly to all, the house looks like a bomb's hit it with all his toys. Even our kids who said "Don't get another dog ! " love him to bits, and they only see him occasionally.


Jake Dog would have approved. Our beautiful boy has been gone 14 weeks now, and we think of him every day. This time last year we drove to NSW and Queensland  Jake came with us and all our friends fell in love with him.

Stay tuned for Brady Brown's picture! 

As far as my route these past few days, it was very cold out this morning.  Frost all around.  I am trying to make my shelters as comfortable as possible but its hard this year.  I have had to relocate a few spots and my shelters are very flimsy.  I will have a friend come help me hopefully soon to see what she thinks.  She is very creative, and I am hoping she may have some better ideas.  I picked up a poor dead cat in the street yesterday morning.  I spotted him in the road, and just knew I couldn't go past him.  I placed a towel around his little black and white body and placed him to the side of the road.  I then went back and got the plastic flea collar that must have come off him on impact.  His body didn't look damaged, so I am not sure how that happened.  He is in heaven now and will not suffer in the coming months.  Poor baby. 

Sunday

Its been a long/short weekend, and I didn't get to download the photos of some of my 'shelters' as promised, but here is the first one I arrive at each morning.  It takes the brunt of the southern and northern winds we get due to its location.  I am having a hard time figuring out the scheme of what will shelter the babies I see here each morning, but wanted to share with you what I see.  This is the same location that some crazy person rearranges things like a blanket here and there, some type of breading that is soaked in a container - thinking its to feed the cats - and the most exposed to the elements. 

On another note, I went to Wally's house this evening to bring him some grilled chicken and baked potato with butter and sour cream.  I try to feed this man.  He is blind in one eye - didn't know why until tonight, and he is also allowing me to place a board against his rental apartment in order to feed the cats that I've been feeding at the tree all summer, where I have rescued at least six cats the past two months.  He is a soft-spoken man, 63 years of age, African American, and has nothing.  I want to help him with a chair, bookshelf, kitchen table and blinds for his little place.  I brought him the food this evening and asked him point blank about his eye.  He told me that kids came by a few years ago and threw paint balls at him and one hit his eye and he has been blind in that ever ever since.  I asked him if they caught the kids, or if he ever got compensated, both of which he replied no. 

I spoke to Miss B. also this weekend, and she is back in the hospital due to high blood pressure.  She will get out tomorrow and return to the women's shelter.  Her biggest concern is the cats she left behind.  Thank God we have people like Miss B. and Wally who care.  No matter what they have, they are willing to give what they have, even if its just their kindness and compassion. 

Sorry about the picture.  As I have said...  I hate my camera!

Thank GOD its Friday

Its been a very long week.  Longer for me because tomorrow I have to work the hospital gala that my department holds every year.  Fancy schmancy.  Not only the actual duration of the gala, but all day helping to set up for 1300+ people!  So, I won't be on the computer much, but Sunday I will try to post the pictures I took of several spots this morning on my 'cat route'.  I brought along a few rickety boards to put up at a few rickety shelters.  We had our first really chilly evening and morning with high winds.  It was cold for everyone out there.  I now have to get really serious to do what I can to give these cats some comfort during what will soon be a very long cold winter.  If anyone reading here has access to or can find some decent heavier type boards, like 3x5 or 5x5, they come in handy.  They are always being stolen, and they are the only protection for the food I place down for these cats sometimes.  Please let me know.  I am at janinethebean10@yahoo.com.  Also, if anyone's old larger cat carriers are ready for carrier heaven, I will take those too.  I will take anything that a cat can get into for shelter.  You know I wouldn't be able to thank you enough, but I will try!  Check out this weekend for pictures of my shelters!  Have a great day!

Bullies!

Bullies...  we have them at schools, we have them at work, and bullies are even in the cat world!  The definition of a bully is:  a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.  Not only do I encounter some in my workplace, but I deal with two furry bullies each morning.  One is at my third spot.  He swats at all the other cats waiting for me until HE IS FED FIRST!  He even swats at my head if I am bending down and within reach.  He is mean mean mean.  Bullies are mean.  My second bully is at close to my last spot, a red and orange kitty, who chases all the others away.  They feed like hungry lions when I put the food down there.  This is the tree that I feed under that is down from where Miss B. used to live, and where Wally lives a few houses down also.  I have placed a very small board and a cat carrier down on the side of his house, but its inadequate for the winter.  I will keep feeding Wally when I can on weekends.  I've made him breads and soup recently, and I know he appreciates that. In fact, he doesn't have much.  I toured his small apartment, and he has nothing.  His television is the size of a postage stamp.   I still don't understand how someone gets to be that age and they don't even own a chair or couch.  Sad really.  But back to the bullies, they are very aggressive cats, and make it very difficult for their companions.  Bullies need to be taught lessons in life, so they don't bully again.  But how do you turn a cat bully around?  Picture above is where the red and orange bully hangs...  sorry, picture didn't turn out very well.  I hate my camera. 

Nightlife

This morning as I was driving in between feedings, I noticed several girls, prostitutes, walking the streets.  Not that that was unusual for me to see, but I noticed they are getting younger and younger.  And the area where they are selling themselves is so poor, I don't know how they make any money.  Its a shame.  They all know me though, they've seen me every single day on the 'job'.  Most people do respect me though, I know this because the old carriers I've placed this week are still intact.  And so are most of my rickety old shelters.  A board or two was stolen from one spot, but it was in the neighbors yard next to the trash, as if they are trying to tell me something, but I just went and got the boards and brought them back to the abandoned house porch next door.  They were still there today.  At one spot last week, as I went up on the porch of another place, where I got Rufus, had Emma fixed, Rufus' mom, where Red hangs, and where I rescued two other kittens months ago (Rufus' sisters), I noticed a woman behind the curtain of the house next door.  I could only see her silhouette, and I waved to her in the dark, and she waved back.  I don't know if that is instinct for humans to do that, or if she really did have a decent and kind bone in her body, despite her very dilapidated looking house.  Her porch roof is being held up by two boards, one on each side. 

I've been blessed with decent weather too.  We had rain a few days ago, but besides that, we are lucky right now.  It won't be that way soon, so I am counting my lucky stars.  I do need to continue to build up my shelters.  The abandoned house's porches are wide open to the elements, I must figure out a way to cover the cat carriers that I hope they will use.    I took pictures this morning as soon as I figured out how to turn on the flash in the dark, will have those up hopefully tomorrow.  Have a great day!

Out of Order

That is what another computer is basically saying when I try to login to my blog here.  So, my apologies for yesterday's lack of something new, although I hope you all read my Saturday post!

So many things happened over the weekend, and as usual, I failed to jot down, so out of sight, out of mind.  For sure. 

The most significant thing that happened yesterday was I got into work and an older co-worker asked if I could help place her daughter's dog, who had just bitten their baby.  Now this dog, a beagle I believe, is several years old, and was rescued from a shelter by this woman and her now husband.  One other incident happened, the dog nipped at the husband a long time ago.  This baby is around 9 months?  It did bite, enough for the mom to take her to Emergency where the doctor said she might have scarring until she was around 5 and then it would disappear.  I asked her to get a picture from her daughter of the dog.  A few hours later, I asked her about it and she said the husband came and got the dog and took it right to the shelter.  Now, I have never had children, but my three biggest passions are children, the elderly, and animals.  I love them and they should be safe.  But there are safeguards you place around your children when you have animals.  I am not saying it was anyone's fault, but then again, it was someone's fault.  And what about that dog? Animals have bad days.  Animals are just like humans.  We listen to the baby screaming, we get out tails tugged occasionally, there are lots of things animals go through just like humans.  I can't tell you how disappointed I was to hear that this drastic measure was taken by these people.  It almost haunts me to think this dog had a good home (I think) and it was dragged from there, and placed in cage, with hundreds of other animals in the same boat.  What must that dog be thinking, and what must its trust level be with humans now?

I would love to hear others opinions on this subject!  In the meantime, after the rains yesterday, I have a full load of wet towels in the wash!  I must continue to get proper shelter for these animals!! 

Moondance

Its a marvelous night for one.  Van Morrison.  Great tune.  The moon has been beautiful the past three or four nights.  The light of the moon is a help and a great comfort.  Its an extra flashlight for me without having to hold one in my hand, or in my mouth when I am multi-tasking as I am bending down pouring food and water and trying to hold up boards, or keep the cats at bay while I am doing all of that.  I recently had a donation from my vet's tech yesterday when I had to bring in my Boris for a very expensive check up due to the fact that he is 'urinating' in certain areas of my house lately, several times a day.  Well, $220 later, he has had a urine sample taken, and hopefully after testing it will show signs of infection, which hopefully can be treated.  Anyways, Kelly gave me several old carriers from her house, and I distributed them around this morning.  These will hopefully be of some comfort to these stressed out, homeless stray cats  I care for.  I need more of them though, including large flat boards to lay against structures to keep the wind and snow out.  As I looked around at all the cats I feed at each spot, I always feel a sense of satisfaction knowing I've fed their hungry bellies.  Some people though, would disagree.  They feel I am only adding to the proliferating population.  I feel guilty about that sometimes, but what I do know is that I don't have the means to get them all fixed.  Number one, its hard to get appointments for neutering at low-cost, and number two, I just don't have the time to do it.  I have a full-time and a half job, and nearly full-time job when I get home.  So whats the alternative.  Nothing for now, I need to keep feeding and caring and rescuing and doing whatever I can for these homeless strays.  Won't you consider one?

Almost Winter

That was the way it felt this morning.  We have had a really nice past two weeks here in Rochester, NY.  60's, no rain.  Plenty of sunshine.  Great moonlit nights.  But this morning, I realized thats all coming to an end.  The rain will be coming, as will the snow, and it will be harder and harder for me to get out and feed these animals.  Not only harder for me to actually get my foot out the door each morning, but also harder for the cats - their shelters are so poor right now.  I really wish I had some help by a creative person to help me build up these shelters.  And that is hard to do also because I have to hide them also.  I just wish I had help doing what I do every day, period.

I was speaking to a woman last night who is fostering Oreo for me.  Remember Oreo, one of Miss B's old house-near-the-corner cats.  Her picture is featured a few posts ago also.  She is ready for adoption, so think about it!  Pass it around!  Anyways, I was chatting with this wonderful woman, finding out how Oreo is doing in her new digs, and she mentioned something rather comical to me and I wanted to share it with you - she looked up Cat Lady in Wikipedia.com, and here is what it said:

In at least the Anglosphere, single women who own cats have long been associated with the concept of spinsterhood.[1] In more recent decades, the concept of a cat lady has been associated with "romance-challenged (often career-oriented) women who can't find a man".[1]


The term is also used to denote an animal hoarder who keeps large numbers of cats without having the ability to properly house or care for them.[2] They are generally blissfully ignorant about their situation.

I just thought this was hilarious.  It couldn't be further from the truth. There are plenty of pretty, sane and successful women in all walks of life doing what I do.  Rubbish.  Wikipedia.  Rubbish!  :)  And I keep a pretty good house too!  I will not be like the Crazy Cat Lady on the Simpsons!  I will not, I will not, I will not!  :)  I invite you to a great article - I think if you love cats, and are female, you will love this article:  http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/14/crazy-cat-lady-pets-stereotype-forbes-woman-time-felines.html

I have a vacation day tomorrow, hooray!  Have a GREAT weekend!  Please contact me if you want to foster, adopt, or have any shelters you may want to donate to me.  Thank you friends!!

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up. ~Jesse Jackson

I LOVE that saying!  In reference to my post yesterday, I forgot to count ONE more stop I make each morning.  Its in between the corner tree, near Miss B's old house, and my last stop, on my way home on the same street, at the next corner.  Its right in the middle.  A place rented by an older black male that is half blind in one eye.  Could be cataract, could be blindness, either way, its a cloudy eye.  One time I had to pick Miss B up at her old neighbor's house, Wally.  I introduced myself to Wally, shook his hand, and invited him to dinner with us.  I wanted to do something nice for her - get her out of the women's shelter, and away from these bleak neighborhoods for a few hours, so I took her for a fish fry.  Anyways, Wally turned me down, but I told him 'maybe next time', which he appreciated I think.  He smiled.  For a few days after that, I thought I would approach him to ask him if he would allow me to place a board shelter against the side of his house for the kitties, I've been trying to find a sheltered location instead of the tree at the corner, because of the winter weather that is coming.  He agreed, and I have a small rickety set up right now.  Since then, I have been bringing him fresh baked banana bread, and two kinds of soups.  He seems so appreciative when I do.  A lot of these folks around him hate cats, and a lot also hate white people, but its nice to have a friend !  It makes it a little easier to feed the kitties when you have a 'friend' around.  I need to continue to build up the shelter there, little by little, and coax the remaining cats that are at the corner to come to Wallys!

PS, the little cat carrier was still at my first spot.  No one took it.  Hurray.

Another Great Day!

Its warm out.  Its not pouring out.  That makes it a great day.  I was thinking this morning, I go to how many spots???  Lets see, there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven (and the seventh stop is on Seventh Street!  how coincidental), eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve!  Thats 12 stops I make each morning between 5:15 am. and 6:15 am. when I pull up at my house.  Thats insane.  But...  what am I to do?  This morning I brought a new little shelter - a rusty old medium sized cat carrier with a blanket stuffed inside.  I placed that at the spot that someone took the other one from yesterday.  Now, there must be a mentally unstable person that is cohabitating with the cats on this porch, this very open, public porch to this vacant house on a busy corner.  This morning, back was the blanket on the floor of the porch that someone had placed there over a week ago.  Of course my missing carrier was not back but the blanket was.  Its just spread out like a rug.  And there is a pet dish, a plastic one that holds both water and food, but both sides were empty, and flipped over.  I can't figure out who would be doing this besides a person who is mentally unstable.  I never see anyone there, and I view it from a distance like a hawk while I am slowly driving up to this location in the dark.  All I ever see are cats, who are frightened of humans, and they are sitting there until I get out of my car, so I know there is no other human there when I get there.  I felt good later though, as I passed by that first stop of mine, because I glanced up on the porch and saw the red kitten coming out of the little carrier I set there.  I sure do hope no one takes this again.  Its the kittens home.   Where else do they have to go?   Please open your heart and home for one of these kitties I rescue!  I have Oreo, Rufus, Midnight and the still unnamed kitty that need homes!

Suddenly Monday

I did post yesterday, so check it out!

Where do the weekends go?  They fly by so quickly.  The older you get, the faster time goes.  Sad, but very true.  I have moments, and I call them moments because they are so brief, on the weekends where I can just sit and think, but then again my mind races to all the things I should have done last week, and put them on my to do for the following week, and things I should be doing while I am sitting there thinking, that I get up and don't take that very much needed time for just ME.  I sit and look around and think I should be doing this and I should be doing that.  Its ALWAYS something. 

Saturday morning I rescued a little boy cat, we will call him a TWEEN - I am very bad at guessing ages - he is another from Miss B's old house's corner, and I have yet to name him!  I am attaching a few pictures of him.  Very very cute.  Very very playful and affectionate.  You will be hearing more of him once I name him!

This morning I was very disappointed.  At my first stop, I had placed an old cat carrier with a blanket inside on the porch of this vacant house.  Each morning I've pulled up there are three little kittens inside it sleeping.  They hear my car, I can see them come out, stretch, and go off to watch me from a distance.  I feel inside the little hut and its warm where they've been sleeping.  This morning, I pulled up, and everything was gone, except the paper plates and water bowl.  Sad.  Really.  Why would someone want to do that?  I need shelters very much.  If anyone knows of any old cat carriers that may be in bad shape, they are in good enough shape for me.  I will take them.  If anyone has any old plastic storage bins, I will take those.  As you can see, sometimes they are taken, I am always in need of little shelters for the cats.  .

The Dark

Look at these two.  These are my friend's kitties, and she has four of the most photogenic cats in the world.  Or, at least in Bristol where they live.  Two very cute cuties!
My title is appropos with it being Daylight Savings time here in the east.  Fall Back, Spring Forward.  We set our clocks back an hour last night, but that just meant I was up an hour earlier than normal because my body is used to only so many hours of sleep.  Yuck.  And I woke with a slight headache due to a fun evening with friends having dinner, and mixing my wine.  I realized this time change will not really affect me, because the light still doesn't appear on the horizon before 7:30 am. anyway.  So I am still in the dark at 5 am. when I leave the house (now really 6 am.).  But I decided thats ok, because the darkness is my friend!  I really don't want to be seen doing what I do so lurking around in the dark is much better for me.  A little more scary, but better for me in the long run.  Plus, I bought a great small LED flashlight, so that helps me too.  It was quiet out this morning.  Something is going on with Red, as he was coming to the spot that I've been feeding him at, where Emma was, and Rufus was rescued, but he is now hiding on me again.  I believe he's very sick.  Big Red is still sick, but still waiting for me, sidling up to me, and looking at me with his big gold eyes.  I wish I had the means to help him.  I think he would be a very grateful only cat for someone, after he was cured of his ailments.  I dread thinking about the weather coming.  Not for me, but for these animals.  Its cold enough now int he morning with the frost on the cars and grass, but the temps will be near zero - which is 40 degrees lower than it is now - in a month or so (January and February are our coldest months), and its going to be very cold for these critters.  I do my best, but nothing is going to be good enough.  Actually, the little huts my friend, her husband, and her students have built me are not bad shelters, with some straw added.  But these cats don't always have the know how to use them!  I should put a sign over the entrance saying "Stay here for the night!  Come huddle and cuddle with some of your furry friends!"
I might just do that!

Mother and Child

As you all know, I have rescued two kittens recently.  One is Rufus.  Rufus is the brother of two girl kittens that I rescued after I had their mother Emma neutered, and returned to the street to be with her remaining child.  I took Rufus just a few mornings ago, because I had not seen Emma, his Mom, around in a few days.  I knew I had to get him, especially when he was starting to get very sick.  URI.  He has been good about taking his medicine each morning, and he is getting better.  I was actually able to get a picture of him this morning, just before he flipped out after hearing a noise from the shower curtain.  I brought him into the tiny bathroom thinking the best place to get a picture without background clutter.  Anyways, Emma was there this morning, and she was looking very very lonely.  I feel bad for her now, I've taken away all her children.  I wonder if cats can feel that.  Does anyone know?  I wish more people were able to take cats, I would have Emma adopted in a heartbeat.  She is a good kitty.  Even let me pick her up this morning.  I hate leaving her on this dangerous street, to go through a harsh winter.  I have not seen Red around either.  He slipped through my fingers about a year ago.  I had him in my carrier, with someone willing to adopt him, but he got out and never showed up again until months later, and very leery of me.  He now lets me pet him, but he has gotten sick over time and is not looking good.  Red is not to be confused with Big Red, who still waits for me, who still intertwines his body in between my legs, but is still very sick too.

But the good news is............  There are people out there that do care, and are rescuing animals - both dogs and cats and other critters each day, whether from the shelters, or from the streets.  Even people!  I know you all remember Miss B.  Well, my uncle happens to rent houses in the city, and he just may have a place for Miss B.  She can finally get out of the women's shelter she has been staying at for close to two months.  I love being able to help in all situations of life, whether it be animal or human.  Many times I find that when I offer an act of kindness, it brings a warm feeling of happiness to me.  Happiness is about making happy choices. So I make a choice not to lose my happiness because of someone, something or anything. I get up every morning with an expectation of finding joy and happiness at every interval of my day.  I dont make an excuse for not being happy.  So with that, I wish you all a GREAT Friday!  PS, picture of Rufus coming soon!





"For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if ye will hear his voice." Psalms 95:7

Food

We take it for granted, don't we?  The cats don't.  I just about ran out of food this morning feeding them.  I had to skimp on some of them.  In fact, yesterday, the Nasty Boy on Third Street, took a swipe at either me or one of the other hungry cats, and knocked a large bowl of dry food down on the porch, scattering it all over, so I had to use extra.  Although for some reason, I almost ran out today, even though I brought the usual amount.  I think the difference is I ran out of my back up food.  I usually keep a small bag in the trunk of my car as surplus.  I always dig into it, because 15 pounds does not always feed the cats each morning.  I have received donations of small bags of cat food in the past, and when I do, the donors say to me - I know its not much - but it IS.  Those are the bags that I NEED when I run out of the food I pack each morning to use.  I appreciate these small bags so much.  But I had none, so I skimped on some food for these babies.  Anyways, I just thought I would mention the importance of small things, small gestures.  They are always welcome to me.

Otherwise, it was a dull morning.  I didn't run into anyone in the hood, and all my other usual suspect kitties were there, minus Red.  Big Red moves around.  Big Red is the one I took a picture of his wounded head a few posts ago.  He is the one I am having a struggle with my conscience about taking him to the shelter.  But he has recently been greeting me by rubbing his head and body against my leg when he sees me now.  I know that is a sign of affection, and if he can show that, he is worthwhile to someone.  But again, that someone is not around, we are short on people to foster these guys, and also he will be expensive to treat, which I cannot afford.  And Mama Girl on Third Street, she gave birth earlier this summer, she has an Upper Respiratory Infection, you can hear her labored breathing while I am dishing out the food, but she won't let me get near her, so I wouldn't be able to pill her anyway.  Just sad cases.  But there is hope!  I have saved Midnight, Oreo and Rufus, and they are all waiting for homes!  Please spread the word!!