Monday

It was a quiet morning out there today.  The stars were out, the moon shined bright.  It was not as difficult seeing in the dark as it is somedays.  At each of my stops, there were kitties waiting.  Some lurk in the shadows, but most run to greet me.  There are an average of 4 cats per place now.  It used to be lower.  They are all very hungry.  By the time I leave, the raccoons come by to finish off the food, and to gulp the water with their wormy, slime infested mouths.  The cats have nothing for another 23 hours sometimes.  There are many times that I will go to a spot, chase off a raccoon and know that I will circle back to it because I just know that raccoon will come back after I leave and leave the cat with nothing.  I wind up chasing them away twice, but I also realize I can't stay there forever, so I have to leave, and just hope that the kitty gets enough to eat before the raccoon goes in for his daytime nap.  

At Central and Fifth, there is a group of Puerto Rican men that drink all night on the porch most weekends, and are usually there when I pull up at 5 am.  They know me, and I know them now - Jorge and Jose - they are brothers.  They live with their elderly mother in the house next to the lot I feed in.  They come up, we do the hand grip/hug thing that you see guys in gangs or something do.  :)  I thought to myself, will have to teach them that 'ladies' don't greet each other that way, its kiss kiss on each cheek, or a hug.  :)  I don't care to do either, but the hand grip/hug thing has to go.  They know what I am doing, and respect it, but want me away from the house cause of the rats.  Sunday, they told me to bring some cats back because of the rats.  We laughed.  Ha ha.  Sure.  I told them to clean up the litter and they would most likely lose the rats.  I offered them my loppers for the growth around the tree there, where all the litter collects. You could make with the bottle returns with all they leave there.

Kitty on Central and Fifth

Above is the newest guy at this location, reminds me so much of past kitties, the last one that was dying inside the stryrofoam container, like the one you see in the picture.  His name was Chico.  He must have been hit by a car, climbed inside the container and couldn't move after that.  He was literally a skeleton and we had to remove him from there and take him to the emergency clinic, where they determined his injuries to be severe, and he was euthanized.  God only knows how long he had been stuck in there, not able to move, until I heard that faint meow that one morning.  Another gentle soul gone from these harsh streets.

Cammy

Speaking of gentle, Cameron (Cammy for short!) did very well in my bathroom since his rescue on Tuesday from this same location.  He loved to be petted, and loved tummy rubs. Not bad for a cat that had seen his nine lives come and go.  I am so thankful I was able to rescue him, and thankful even more that someone offered to foster him.  His new mom came over on Sunday and fell in love!  He will be adopted out by Operation Gypsy, a rescue group who saw his picture and knew he had to be given a chance.  Thank you OG!

Two of the remaining four kittens were adopted yesterday also.  Cleo and Blu went to their new home.  They join several other cats, and three dogs.  I am praying for a good report today.  They are the tiniest little creatures still, having gone for their first immunizations this past week, and weighing in at 1.48 pounds!

We now have Dot and Stripey to get adopted!  Please spread the word!  I am also waiting on a report about Tootsie, the black and white kitten, the first to be adopted out of the bunch over a week ago.

Dot and Stripey!

Tomorrow is TNR Tuesday.  The clinic charges me $50 per cat for spay/neuter and shots.  I am using my slots for the two red feral kittens that were caught last week, and will be going to Branchport on Wednesday to live life in a barn.  Its pretty sad to have to barn home a kitten, but we don't have enough people to work with feral kittens - who CAN be socialized given time.  But we can't put them back because they won't have a regular food source.  And Lollipop will euthanize them.  There are still two remaining kittens at the location of Parkside and Greeley, which is just around the bend from the clinic.  There are just so many out there, its overwhelming to think about.

Thats it in a nutshell for now.  Must get to work.

Have a great day!  

"When life gives you a hundred reasons

to cry, show life that you have a

thousand reasons to smile."