Lurking in the Darkness

Quick update on the fawn in my 85 year old friend Lillian's back yard - today is day four.  I spoke with a great guy out in Greece who has offered to take it if no mom is around.  We still don't know if she has been coming back to feed this week old baby, who has moved twice now in three days.  I am waiting patiently for Lillian to call me this morning to advise what's happening.  As I was driving this morning, two young deer were trying to cross 104 near Culver.  Luckily, I braked, and swerved, and watched out of my back mirror for the oncoming cars - praying they saw what I did, and sure enough, they all slowed down on this 55 mile per hour highway.  The babies jumped back over the fence into the woods.  As I drove on, with my classic rock songs blasting away, I started to cry, thinking of how many sad stories there are with deer, and their babies.  I must be in a very sensitive mood today, I hope it doesn't last.

My friend Lichi sent me these photos, taken in her back yard, some with night camera.  She lives right here in Penfield.  We forget, or at least I do, that there are foxes and coyotes, and other creatures lurking around.  I am able to view the raccoons, and the possums, but that's about it.  And I do enjoy seeing them, but not when they are stealing the kitty food.  These pictures are pretty good!

I had a breakthrough with a cat this morning, one that I've been feeding for a long time now.  He was first spotted, I think, on Penn and 4th, and then migrated to Short.  He is a beautiful grey tux.  He was limping two weeks ago, but stopped about a week ago.  I am sure it was the glass that is strewn all over the city, especially in these vacant areas.  What is it with smashing glass?  I dunno.  Anyways, as I got out of the truck this morning, he came strutting along, and got very close to me.  As I bent down to replenish the food bowls, he got closer.  I put my hand out, and he allowed me to gently stroke his head.  I snapped this picture of him before I drove away.

Amazing.  It really is, when these cats, that have been so afraid of you, yet so dependent on you, finally trust you!  They finally trust a human!  And its so hard for them to do when they have to fight and struggle to survive on these streets, where most of the folks don't care much for the cats.  If at all.  Now I need to name this little guy (and get him neutered!).  And then get HIM adopted!  :)  So many kitties out there need homes.  Please spread the word!

For those of you who don't already know, I go through 18 pounds of dry cat food feeding the homeless, sometimes a bit more, per day, 365 days a year.  A bag of Dad's is $9.99 for 18 pounds.  Add that up, and I am spending $70 per week just on dry food alone.  Then add that up times 365 days per year.  I am not sure how I've been able to do this on my little old salary from the hospital alone, but with a little help here and there, its been made a bit easy at times.  I thank you who've contributed in the past, and I thank you ahead of time to those that might want to help.  If you can help once in a while, I will continue to do the dirty work of going out there.  I also urge anyone that would like to come along and see what I do to do so now, because its actually light by the time I leave the house to do it!  :)  So you don't have to be such a wuss!  HA.  Kidding.  I know its not in everyone's blood to get up at such an ungodly hour.  That's ok.  Just think of me at least.  :)

Have a great weekend!

Pay it Forward

Lillian, the older woman that adopted a kitty from me last year, and named him Pepper, who just had his teeth pulled out due to stomatitis (that cost her $800), called me to let me know she had a baby deer in her back yard.  Of course I had to go see it after work.  Tiny, and precious are the only words to describe it. 

She called animal control and they told her to leave it alone, that mama would be back for it.  I pray it happens.  Thats all I need is the need to rescue a baby deer!!

It was quiet this morning, only two significant events happened - well, significant to me.  Even the smallest things can mean the world to me. 

I had to return 'Asterisk', the kitty I trapped yesterday morning on Hayward.  After trying to get him settled in for a nights stay on the porch, due to his drowsiness of the meds he was under for his neuter that day, I tried to place some food in his cage, but he only pushed and pushed each time I tried to open it.  He seemed fairly friendly, so I brought him in the bathroom, opened the door, and out came the sweetest, nicest, young black kitty, ravenous.  I left him to devouring the food I placed on the floor, and made a few  visits to him before bedtime, not wanting to get too attached to him.  He is a sweet boy.  If he is someone's cat, they should have neutered him, or at least put a collar on him.  I will be keeping my eye on this boy, that I begrudgingly put back on the street this morning.  I HATE that part of trapping.  HATE it. 

Tuffy

I did see Tuffy this morning again, and slipped his pill in the soft food I left for him.  He walked right up to me as I bent down, and hissed.  He is a sick boy, and I am hoping Laura can help me trap him, to get his ears looked at and some meds in him.  Him, along with Neck Wound BODY kitty on Stout.  :(

My final reflection from this morning is from 7th Street.  I was walking back to the car after placing fresh food and water down for the four or so cats that wait for me each morning here at the back of this empty lot, and the black older gentleman that lives across the street, the one I introduced myself to late last year, came out to greet me.  He always remembers my name.  He is a respectful, God fearing, kind man who always has something good to say about life.  His house is a shamble, his car is on its last leg, not even a leg, its last TOE, but he is positive about life.  You can just tell.  I asked him what would happen when his car conks out, he says I will just have to get another one.  You see, he uses this car to transport people to the places they have to go.  He charges them a small fee, and I am sure this is how he makes his meager living.  I've always said, if I could do something for the people who have shown me kindness and compassion in my life, I would do it.  Paul on Second, I would love to build him a new barn, paint his house.  This man on 7th, I would love to see him happy, worry free.  I asked him if he liked home-baked goods, and after he nodded and smiled widely, I told him I would bake him something good this weekend.  Now I just need to find the time and do it.  Any bakers out there?  :)

We hear so often now about people 'paying it forward' - if we could all just do one act of kindness today, what a difference it would make to that person who receives it. 

Life is good.

Have a great day!

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." 

- Maya Angelou

Ladies of the Night

Alligator!  (I took this photo!)

This morning, I had a spot booked at the clinic, and I set my trap on Hayward, hoping to get one of the two long haired, beautiful tabbies - they actually could be Maine Coons they are so beautiful and unique - I am sure they are from the same litter, probably the mommy cat I could not get last fall.  Instead, I got a little black beauty that I have not seen before, I don't think, sex unknown, and very unhappy too.  Rattling around in that tiny cage is not fun.

Black Kitty from Hayward

I spotted another cat that almost looked like a spotted tiger - I can't think of the name of the cat - it will come to me, but I saw it on Parsells, looked very thin, and I stopped to feed it.  It came over to me after I shook the food dish, and I noticed it was not eartipped, but also noticed he had just a little bulge 'back there', and I thought, he must have been neutered and they did a good job.  He was a beautiful cat thought, long, lanky, with the spots on his body, like a ........  still can't remember.

Laura trapped two kitties for me yesterday on Short.  One was Morgan, the other was a tabby.  Thanks Laura!  I couldn't do (clean up these streets) it without you!  Someone pointed out to me, neighbors should be applauding me, not trying to tear me down.  I am trying to help THEIR neighborhoods! 

There are a ton out there that need to be fixed.  I wrote down a few that I saw this morning:

1. The two fluffy ones on Hayward
2. One red, one white with red spots, and one grey tabby on Baldwin
3. Grey tux on Short Street (he had the wounded paw last week)
4. Red kitty with cut tail and a black faced calico with short legs and short tail
5. small brown tabby, black and white with cauliflower ear, and black with white with white stripe on nose on Central and Fifth

Some other noteworthy things, on 7th, it looks like there was some kind of machine was there yesterday to clear the grass off part of the lot.  My shelters were not touched, but I sure do wonder what is going on.  I pray this spot remains for me, I have no where else on this street.

I've been giving a cat named Tuffy, who is a big, old Tom Cat that I've been feeding for many many many years, mostly behind Paul's house on Second Street, a dose of doxy the past few mornings.  He has some serious ailments and I figured it wouldn't hurt, as long as I can do it on a regular daily basis.  He won't let me too near, so I place it on top of the wet food that hopefully he gobbles down after I leave.

On Hayward, my bowls were gone.  Now, I don't know if the wind blew them - I could not spot them blown anywhere - or if the creepy guy next door took them, but if its him, he needs to stop.  I am recording all this.  He was over yesterday, for sure, because he finally cut his foot long grass.

Finally, the girls were out in full swing this morning on Bay Street.  They know me, are respectful of me, they wave to me, and I wave back.  These ladies are not the prettiest girls in town, but I am sure that at one time, they were innocent little girls, with hopes and dreams of something better than what they do now.  While I used to abhor these women, I now feel empathy for them.  I wonder what happened to Tamara, the one I used to bring sandwiches to.   She was a mess.  I've not seen her in almost two years now - I pray she turned out well. 

That's it for today folks!  Have a great day!!!

"Smile, things are working out.  You may not see it now, but just know God is directing you to a much greater happiness."

Shoveling Cat Litter?

Well, it was an interesting weekend!

To begin with, the man on Hayward who has caused me problems for close to a month now, because he didn't like me feeding cats on the property next door to his newly purchased house, where he is supposedly renovating it for rentals, has not returned my tote shelters and boards that he stole.  Not only that, but I believe he dumped a huge pile of cat litter - used - on the next door property, just to make me look bad.  So, being the bigger person, I started the clean up of that this morning.  It will take two bags to scoop up, and muscles to drag to the curb for trash pick up tomorrow, but it will be done.  I did it not only to get rid of the disgusting pile of cat litter, but because the man that owns the house that allows me to feed on his property is a good man, and I want to respect his property and clean up what I can.

Speaking of this kind man, my friend Nancy (who lives just down the street from him!) and I paid him a visit, at his request, because he has adopted two baby kittens - listed on Craigslist - two out of nine three week old kittens - and one wasn't thriving like the other.  So we went over to assess the situation, suggested to try some soft wet kitten food for them - the bottle wasn't cutting it for this little one.  So happy to find out later that the suggestion worked, and the kittens were gobbling up their new food.

Last week I received a note from a woman who offered to take a cat that might need a little help, and I immediately thought of a cat on Hayward that I just had neutered a week prior and had to return.  This little black and white kitty ran to me each day, I had been feeding it since last fall, and he seemed friendly enough.  On top of that, with all the trouble this man has caused me on Hayward, the less cats there are to feed there, the better.  So, Sunday morning, I scooped him up and drove him to his new home in paradise, a beautiful country home in Webster, where he will never have to fight for his meal again.  Where he will sleep on a soft bed and not under a filthy porch.  I am so grateful this opportunity fell into my lap.  Thank you Joy!

At my 4th and Pennsylvania, someone came along and cut the grass on the empty lot next to the boarded up house that my stuff was trashed at last week.  I had managed to save a few things and dragged them to the lot next door, and they were gone the next day, after the mow.  Very sad for the six or seven cats that wait for me each day there.  I continue to feed on the covered porch there, for as long as I can, and will figure out what I will do when the time comes. 

On Friday, between Laura and me (I?), we managed to trap three more kitties - me the orange from Baldwin, and her two from Short Street - one being Millie, who was early pregnancy.  Now, Millie was named Millie because she was tiny, but I couldn't be sure of her sex because she wouldn't get close to me.  I knew she wasn't fixed because of no ear tip, but she also never got pregnant, so I convinced myself she was a boy.  But sure enough, Millie is a girl, and she was in early pregnancy.  Millie hangs with a male cat nearly identical to her, who I named Morgan (Captain) because he is blind in one eye.

I have begun to make a list of all the cats that still need to be spayed and neutered, and slowly but surely, we will do it.  I do need help financially with this, not to mention food.  Its $50 to spay or neuter a cat at Rochester Community Animal Clinic on Bay Street.  I have had donations made there in my name before, and I am ever so grateful for that.  That means that YOU have done your share to stop the overpopulation of cats, you have prevented hundreds of cats being born out there on the streets.  I just do the back work for you!  :)  :(  Would love you to join me!  :)

Another day, another dollar, have a great day!  I LOVE THIS QUOTE:

"How people treat you is their karma.

How you react is yours."

Crazy Business

Well, GREAT news.   At my Hayward location, according to the officer at the NET office, if I could get written permission from the owner of the house, that I've had verbal permission from for years, for feeding the kitties on the side of his rental property, then it would be best, and the 'guy' next door would have no legal right to remove my stuff.  Well, I finally spoke to this wonderful man, and he agreed to provide me in writing his permission.  I will be going to his house this morning to have him sign this simple agreement, and to bring him something sweet - a breakfast treat of some kind.  It was funny, when he agreed, he said 'as long as you do something for me'.  I immediately exclaimed "of course, anything!"  He told me he had two three week old kittens that he had been bottle feeding, and still didn't know the ratio of milk and water.  After double checking with my friend Julie, I called him back to tell him to immediately get KMR, and Julie sent me instructions, and I forwarded those to him, and he seemed grateful.  I offered to help him with them in any way I could.  If I could.  So that's the scoop.  Going over there soon, and then skedaddling off to work!  GREAT news! 

Now, I just need the officer at NET to convince this 'guy' that he needs to return my shelters and boards, which was supposed to happen yesterday, but has not.  I will be making a few more calls, and then may have to take a more drastic approach if he does not return them.

This morning, I had two slots scheduled for TNR at the clinic.  I was able to get the red kitty on Baldwin who had a nasty wound on his forehead a few weeks back. And once again, with Laura's help (bless her), she got two from Short.  Hurray!~!  Three kitties!  I pray they have an extra slot at the clinic!  :)

So, all in all, a bad week that turned out pretty good.  Six cats neutered and spayed, and my legal right restored for feeding on this property (for now of course, I know this won't last forever.  My goal is to get all the kitties spayed and neutered there, and get them out of there, adopted or otherwise!).  I'd say that's a winner!

Have a great day!

 

"When anger rises, think of the consequences."

UPDATE TO TODAY'S POST:

I heard that the guy on Hayward is reading my blog.  Does anyone have anything to say to him?

Maybe we ought not bash the guy, but try to educate him, and beg for his compassion towards animals.  

When it Rains, It Pours! (yes, I was soaked this morning)

Thank you everyone for your suggestions on my post from yesterday. 

Kristin forwarded this (below) to me, and I responded right away by clicking on the TAKE ACTION NOW link (at the end) that will quickly send a note to our state senator and assembly member.  I urge all of you to do this?  PLEASE?   I also added my own words in the part where you can express yourself, along with my blog link.  You are right Carol, we need to do something!  If anyone can message Beth Adams, or someone from the media via Facebook, that might be able to help also, or do an article on me/this subject.  Thank you for trying for me, for the kitties!  Please read below! 

A step in the right direction.  FYI if you haven't already seen this and 
if you have pass it along to others.  The more people that see it and 
respond the better the chances for a positive outcome .
 
 

Humane program will save taxpayer money, control feral cat populations and save lives. Unsubscribe | View Online | Please add website@em.aspca.org to your contacts.
	Community Cats Need Your Voice
	Contact Your State Legislators in Albany Today!
	Dear New York Advocate, The number of free-roaming (or “feral”) cats in the United States is estimated to be in the tens of millions. Trap-Neuter-Release programs humanely trap and transport feral cats to veterinarians to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated, after which they are returned safely to their neighborhoods. As the only humane and effective method proven to manage homeless cats and prevent population growth, these programs can have enormous value to a community. However, these programs are not eligible for funding from the State. Fortunately, lawmakers in Albany have introduced A.9487/S.7290, legislation that would allow a portion of New York State Animal Population Control Program funds to support much-needed TNR programs across Upstate New York and on Long Island.  At least 15 other states have animal population control programs that cover the costs of TNR programs. We need your help to make New York the next state to take this important step for feral cats!
	What You Can Do Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center right now to quickly contact your state senator and assemblymember in Albany and urge them to cosponsor and support this humane bill. Thank you for your help, New York!Take Action Now »

An update from this morning - Thursday - that punk, Sharief, on Hayward, who bought the house next door to the house that I've been feeding at for years, with verbal permission, the jerk who told me the cats were "pissing" all over his property, and asked me to feed on the vacant city lot next to him, which I agreed to out of kindness, removed all my stuff from the vacant lot yesterday. There was nothing there.  I wound up dragging the only board left there to the house next door and place paper bowls down, to the crying cats that were thoroughly confused, but starving.  I left a note also.  I now need to call Officer Mitchell from the NET office to ask him to relay to @#$# to stop harassing me, and also need to call this @#$@# Sharief and tell him to return MY PROPERTY.  Wow.  Do I really have to go through this?  Every day?  The cats are suffering for it!  Not me!  There are people dying every day, suffering, and this is his battle? 

I also released the two females yesterday evening after they were spayed.  One was lactating.  Had to get her back to her babies, wherever they are.

Please don't forget about the babies that are still waiting for homes: Fraser, and George.  

Fraser

George

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Stress

First off, thank you everyone for your suggestions yesterday, to Boris' mom, one of my adopters, who is having behavioral issues with him.  I have passed everyone's comments along to her, in case she doesn't read the blog!  :)

The past 24 hours have been crazy. I have no idea how I got into this cat business, but its taken years off my life, stress wise.

I was on my way to Zumba last night when I noticed a message on my phone.  It was the owner of the house that I have been given verbal permission from years ago to feed cats on the side of this house that has rental apartments within it.  He didn’t say much, he found a note I had written, and was calling me.  I think he remembered me, he sounded kind.  I called him back and left a fairly detailed message, and that I needed his written permission to continue to feed there, due to the creep that bought the property next door to fix up for renting, wanting me out of there.  I await his call – everything hinders on his response, because in the meantime, the city wants me off their vacant lot that I moved my stuff to, out of kindness to this jerk named Sharief.

On my way back from Zumba last night, I received a call from Laura, who successfully trapped a female from Penn & 4^th, who was releasing the kitty after having been spayed, and noticed all my stuff was piled up in front of this boarded up house.  I was sick to my stomach hearing this.  After trying to listen to Laura, and trying to drive at the same time, I finally came to my senses – I had become completely enraged in a seconds time, and couldn’t even pay attention to what she is saying.  I said to Laura, I must get a grip, and just put one foot in front of the other.  I could easily obsess over this, and lose a night’s sleep, worrying about the cats, and about the wonderful shelters I had here.  Kristin made a really nice one that probably kept quite a few cats alive this past brutal winter.  Everything was by the curb, waiting for Wednesday’s trash pick up.  When I pulled up there this morning, I managed to get a few of the totes in the car, and moved some stuff back behind the house in hopes of going back there and getting more – like some good boards, etc.  They piled a huge pile of debris on top of the nice brand new tarp someone donated to me, I was just sick to my stomach witnessing this.  All the cats that used these, and depended on these during storms, etc.  Its madness, how someone can come along and destroy stuff like this.  They tried to trash the totes that were lined with Styrofoam, obviously time and care were put into building these for the cats.  Sickening.  In the meantime, I must figure something out here.  Another problem to deal with.

Laura has committed to helping me get a grip on the new cats on my route – in getting them spayed and neutered, and this morning, as I had asked her, trying to pin point the pregnant and sick cats, she did get a kitty from Baldwin, pregnant, and another calico from Penn & 4^th, possibly lactating.  Bless her heart.

Peggy from Penn & 4th

Bella from Baldwin

"Being strong doesn't always mean you have to fight the battle.  True strength is being adult enough to walk away from the nonsense with your head held high."

Have a great day!

PART TWO

I've already written today's post, below, but I received this note from someone that adopted a kitty from me a while back, and is having some problems.  Please, I need some suggestions.  Please advise how you would handle this, or what you've done in your own situation:

Hi Janine.

I am hoping you can give some advise about our friend, Boris the cat.

He is a great cat, but he is a bully.

We have the two older cats.  He is ok with Etta, the oldest, and Etta holds her own.  Unfortunately, Rosebud is the victim.  

Boris terrorizes Rosebud.  Chases her, picks fights with her.  She has taken to a few "safe places" though the house - on top of tables and furniture - to escape him.  This AM, he tried to jump up on the kitchen table, scared the life out of her, and she went flying, as did all the stuff on the table.  

We are placing Boris in time out (every AM he is in time out, mornings seem to be his "on" time.)  We've tried water guns, and we yell at him.  He comes back for more mayhem as soon as his discipline is over. He is relentless in his pestering of Rosebud.  Was he like this when he was in foster care?   I am worried about Rosebud.

To be fair, they seem to be fine at other times.  When Boris is not all wound up, they are fine together . . . they sit/sleep in the same room, walk past each other quietly.  But Rose is always (to me anyway) on guard against him.

We are going on a week long vacation in early June and am worried about what will happen when we are not here to referee.  (My sister is cat sitting, but she is not going to be here during the worst hours -- sunrise.)

Any other ideas for keeping all of us sane?  I suspect this is due in part to Boris' youngness (I suspect and hope he is outgrow this) , and Rosebud's not being assertive enough.   Regardless of the reason, it is a problem right now.  

Thanks in advance.

Quiet on the Homefront

Yes, an uneventful morning.  I pulled up to my first spot, on Parsells, where I've had some trouble recently since the man who owned the house rented out the apartments he was renovating.  He had allowed me to feed the cats until tenants moved in.  Then he told me I could feed on the side of the house, then in back and then someone started to move them to a position that stated 'we don't want you feeding here anymore'.  After continuing to feed, they finally trashed my beautiful shelters. Ronald and Donald, the two brothers from Texas that I had met long ago who were friends with Crazy Lisa from down the street, the one that was doing crazy things to the cats, came out the morning I realized I had no where to place the food and offered their porch.  As crazy as they look, two gangly guys with gray hair -  they may be twins, they are sweet.  So, this morning, Ronald was waiting for me.   He asked if I could move my bowls to the porch next to them.  He said the birds were leaving a lot of droppings on his porch.  He said the place next door was vacant.  What a Godsend!  :)  So, as I placed the bowls, two hungry cats were waiting.  I thanked him, left him a flier about sheltering and feeding the cats, and left on my morning route.

Just after I left the 4th and Pennsylvania spot, I got a call from Laura who said she was going to trap there today, as I have two spots at the clinic for tomorrow.  This was a surprise, so I had to hurry back and remove the food that the cats had already gobbled up.  Cats need to be very hungry when trapping.  Its the only way to lure them.  As I walked up, I saw seven cats scattering, along with a very vivid beautiful calico that looked pregnant to me.  In fact, I had seen her before and thought she was.  So, hopefully Laura will get her this time.  I believe we had tried to get her before but couldn't due to rain.  There are a ton here at this spot that need neuter/spay.

I leave you with a few pics from this morning - click on them to zoom:

Hayward - Vacant Lot

Baldwin - Sweet Kitty, needs home

Baldwin - Head Wound Red

Short Street

Short Street - Sweet Kitty needs home

4th & Penn - Cats waiting for me to leave across the road

Second St - Paul's garage

 I wish you a GREAT day!

"Happiness is not something ready made.  It comes from your own actions."