Top Five List

The rain held off this weekend, which is great for all the homeless and feral cats on the streets of Rochester, and great for my hair too.  When it rains, my hair tends to expand, I could be mistaken for sporting a clown wig.  At my first location, on Parsells, there are at least eight cats waiting for me.  Three hang out waiting for me to leave, but five are there milling about my feet until the food is placed down.  There are three to four cats that actually hear the sound of my car, and greet me at my car door when I pull up, and together we make the long trek to the back of the very long backyard where their feeding station is. Out of those eight, I would have to say four are neutered.  And that is only by my memory of which ones were TNR'd during the Grand Avenue days.  Its so dark out that I really can't see if the others ears are tipped.  That is one location that I will need to secure a little better.  I have a little feeding station that two cats will fit under to eat, and a little hut, that a cat or two can fit under, and on top of those (each are on an opposite end from each other) is a heavy door.  Underneath all this is another door that I set more plates on.  All in all there are around five paper plates and a food bowl under that door that all eight cats need to eat from.  So, during rainstorms, its tolerable for these cats, but when the wind and snow come, it won't be ideal whatsoever.  I don't know if I need a tarp to go over one side, or what.  Wish I had someone to help me assess the situation.  Any suggestions?

At my next spot is my faithful old Big Red.  He has become such a loving little boy since he was fixed.  I have seen him through illness after illness since he's been out on the street.  He is on my Top Five List of getting off the street, when I can find someone or if I can/when I can manage him in my own home.  And of course Talkie is there every single day, so is Lucille, who has been limping for the past week plus, she cannot put any pressure on her front paw.  So sad!  She was TNR'd years ago, and has been getting closer and closer to me each day since. 

At my fifth spot, this little red boy that I had TNR'd last fall greets me every single day.  This is the location that I have NO shelter whatsoever due to the workman redoing the house I used to feed and shelter them at, and the Devil Man who was throwing my stuff out on another abandoned house's porch just a house down from the corner.  Anyways, this little red kitty has been trusting me more and more, enough so that he greets me just as I get out of the car by twisting himself around my ankles until I have to shoo him away so that I can actually walk without tripping to the feeding destination, which on rainless days is under the tree in a vacant lot between the two houses, and on rainy days, on the porch where Devil Man throws my stuff out (but hasn't lately - might have had a change of heart?) although the racoons have also been feasting there lately too.  Little Red is a highly adoptable cat, and is on my Top Five List. 

On Third, there is a beautiful little grey boy, that has been TNR'd already, that I am falling in love with.  He reminds me of my Boris, and my Smokey, and my Barney who I lost just a few months ago.  I swear, there is something about a grey cat.  They are the most loving, the most gentle cats.  I can do anything to Smokey, even put a t-shirt on him, and he just sops it up.   This little grey that waits for me each day at Third, and stands up to Bully the cat who goes after him when I show him affection, is on my Top Five List.

This post is getting too long, so I will continue with this tomorrow.  In the meantime, have yourself a great day, and consider adopting one of the babies on my Top Five List!  :)

PS, Butterscotch a/ka/ Butters a/k/a Butterboy a/k/a Butterballs is still up for adoption!  He is waiting for his furrever home!