JOY!!! Joy to the world! Joy is a savior to many animals, and to me. She has fostered many cats over the years - and given second chances to many 'feral' cats. Her husband built a sweet little cat room in their home, and outside of their home is a feral shelter like no other. I could live in it! Thank you Joy for all you do for the animals. XO!
Today, if I could title this post, would be Sirens! I ventured out this morning at my usual time, 3:40 a.m. Now, the weather was quite unpleasant. We had wind gusts of up to 60 mph throughout the night, and if you've ever woken to a loud wind gust, its scary when yo have trees. All I could think about each time I woke was - is this tree above my roof top going to crush me? what would the cats do if that happened? would they run and be gone forever? would they hide in the basement? What are the cat shelters like? Have most of the tarps blown away? This is why rocks and bricks are so valuable to me. Nevertheless, I went to my first stop, which is now on Parsells rather than Melville. I've been kicked out of the vacant house that I fed and sheltered on the porch - it used to be the carport below until they boarded that up just because of me.
The neighbor next door kindly offered to take the shelters after the men were going to throw them out, and she told me she would build the shelter next to her house. She told me she would feed them on her porch. Its a very hard thing for me to not go there in the morning. I know she is a very kind person, but these cats knew me, and trusted me to pull up there every day to give them their precious wet food, and fill their water bowl. I had them all neutered and spayed over the years. There are still more to be done. I have to let this go, but its hard to do.
The minute I opened the door at my first stop - which I could barely do with the winds - was to replace each of the dishes the food would go on, and the water bowls. Thank you to those that have donated paper plates and bowls. They are invaluable to me! Right now though, I have enough, thank you.
I also heard sirens beginning at that very first stop. And the sounds never ended while I finished up at 5:15. The sound of wailing was coming from every direction! Between the wind and the drunks! The police worked overtime, that's for sure.
I got home and heard there was a shooting on the corner next to where I feed. This happened just after I finished up. This is the very area where Saturday morning, Saturday Sheryl and I went to feed the red and white cat that lazily comes out of the shelter I built up, with three houses, tarp, boards, etc., and found it gone. And I have not seen that cat since, although I go there every day to call for it. I even left a Styrofoam box for it in another corner of the property just behind the RTS bus station.
Today I deliver Noel, the 5 month old semi-feral Walworth barn kitten, to a new home, and hopefully permanent home. Noel is the shyest of the three - Bunny and Thumper - but with patience and love, will show his affection and playfulness and trust of his new human. Melissa has done a fabulous job with him.
That's it in a nutshell. A new year, new beginning, new hopes and dreams. That's it!
Fare well!
"The best is yet to be."
Joy L and husband,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for everything you do to support Janine's mission in Saving Rochester's Cats One At A Time.
Keep up your kind work in helping save feral cats lives through your outdoor shelter and fostering for Janine.
Walt & Karon Simoni