Relief!

This morning, before I went out to begin my daily hourlong journey into the abyss (in ancient cosmogony - the infernal regions; hell), I caught the first few minutes of the 5 am. news.  There was another shooting in the city last night - on Chamberlain, one of the streets I feed near, and drive down.  (OK, I am now sure I've lost my mother a few posts back, if not for sure with this one!)  I am fearless normally, but this morning I was thinking about what I would encounter at my first spot where I've had all the trouble, and now looking out for a shooter that hadn't been caught yet.  But, ALL WAS WELL!  :)  Thanks to my cop friend, who did go to the woman's house yesterday and have a talk with her.  She told her, basically, that she had to stay away from me, away from the cats, and away from my food bowls, or she could be arrested for criminal mischief, animal cruelty, or endangerment.  Theft for stealing my stuff.  Yay.  She must have listened, for today.  Here is a pic of my new spot. Look closely, zoom in, you can see all sorts of eyes glowing!  Its not much of a 'spot', but I am going to try placing a few nice shelters my friend Kristin the schoolteacher has built for me this weekend.  Thank you Kristin!

 
Otherwise, it was a normal morning, and I had to chase away quite a few raccoons.  Little devils. 

Larry is in my tiny bathroom for the day.  He went after Scooter this morning, and it was a nasty fight.  I had to sit with Scooter after I was able to throw Larry in my bathroom, and calm him down.  I searched for bite wounds, but couldn't find any.  Lots of fur flying, for sure.  So upsetting.  I don't know what I will do with Larry.  He is a very good boy normally, but seems quite irritated with the others in the morning.  I must figure something out or he cannot stay.  I don't know what I will do with him.

This little guy still needs a home! 

Butterscotch

"It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis"

EVIL- PART TWO

OK, so, here is what I've been dealing with for a good week and a half/two weeks - EVERY SINGLE MORNING.  VERY STRESSFUL.  It began with my stuff being tossed to the curb from behind the house next door to Wally's, on Grand.  Then came the young girl that I wrote about a few posts ago that lived in the same house as Wally, who I got into a heated discussion with but she turned around and apologized to me for her attitude.  Wally moved out last Wednesday to a new place that my uncle, who owns a lot of properties in the city, found for him in a slightly better location, not far from here.  The people next door to his place didn't do much to bother me and the cats, I believe, because I was over at Wally's a few times a week doing something for him or bringing him something - not that Wally could protect me from them, but I think they did it out of some sort of respect, if you can call it that.  But the very next morning my stuff was trashed again. On Sunday, they were sitting on the porch just waiting for me to pull up at 5:15.   A heated argument ensued with a black woman who lived next door to there, and a man they call "Crazy Legs" because his legs are all messed up apparently due to a gunshot, according to Wally, who tells me its his nephew.  God knows where any one actually sleeps around this area.  Next door to the left of where Wally lived is a 'spanish' woman who left me the note the week prior saying 'antifreeze is quicker' - referring to poisoning the cats if I didnt' stop feeding.  In the meantime, my shelters are trashed, bowls of water and food are thrown out as soon as I leave so the cats have nothing to eat for another day.  Are you following me?

Anyway, after Sunday morning, I decided I had had enough.  I made a plan to go to the house on the street parallel to Grand and pray this person had an ounce of compassion enough to allow me to move the food stuff behind their house, which would be easy enough to coax the cats throught the adjoining fence separating both yards.  Low and behold, I found my savior.  In this respect.  A nice man named John.  He owns a german shepard and two cats himself and he told me he had no problems with me doing this.  I had also left a note at the adjoining apartment and that person called me that night - Julia, and said it was ok to do. 

So, Monday morning, we moved a few boards over and placed some food and water down.  I made kitty noises to try to coax them to the back and through the fence to this new spot to eat.  I then went on my regular rounds.  I decided to come back and check before I went home to get ready for work.  I went back, and made some more calling sounds for the cats because not all had come initially, and there was the 'spanish' woman in her back yard, and started to tell me I was a menace and that I had better stop feeding the cats or she would poison them and that I was trespassing.  I yelled back over to her, through the fence, that she would be charged with animal cruelty, that I was not trespassing any more (I never was on her property to begin with), and that I would never stop feeding the cats and allow them to starve to death, and to mind her own business!   So, when I got there this morning, the bowls were gone, and there was a box of rat poison laying there.  I immediately texted my cop friend and we spoke this morning.  She is going over there to speak to this woman and tell her to leave my stuff alone, and that if she touches my stuff, or poisons the cats, she will be arrested.   Can't wait to hear the outcome.  Stay tuned!  :) 

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it."

EVIL

I will start this post with all the good stuff happening, and then maybe there will be room for the bad stuff, maybe.

Patric, the little boy that was trapped Thursday for neutering and returning, has been slowly healing from his toe wound at my house.  He went to the vet on Saturday morning and was given antibiotics, his ears treated, and his wound cleaned and wrapped.  He may have a permanent home, but not until his foot is better, so must keep on that!  Here is his picture, lazing about in 'his bedroom'.  

Here is another good thing:  This little guy came walking up to me at my third spot - he was full of fleas, here is him getting his bath:



Gross, look at those fleas!

And my, doesn't he clean up nicely!

Can you imagine...  these cats are truly suffering out on the streets.....  My vet told me that Patric would not have made it on the streets with his toe like that - you can see the bone!  And this little guy, yet unnamed, it just makes me sick to think that someone could have dumped this little one.  He is SO cuddly and sweet.  He must have known human contact.  When I let him out into the general population Sunday morning, he was as happy as a clam being with all the other 'adults' in the house.  I have the best bunch of cats, they barely blink an eye when a new 'guest' comes along. 

Another kitty I am grateful I was able to get off the street is Larry, who is doing well, getting ear meds daily.  Although I was not pleased with him this morning after hearing a scuffle between him and Rufus.  Larry certainly did not act like the elder I thought he was, he could outrun Rufus.  Larry had a time out this morning in the bathroom.  He was like a little kid, he needed some time to calm down.

Finally, Buster, who I found on Friday after work in the basement on top of a pile of old rugs folded up.  I was so worried about her because she rarely ever leaves the spare bedroom she hangs in and always come when the dinner bell is rung (kidding).  So, I've been keeping an eye on her, and she seems to be coming out of whatever she was in.  Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps the new visitors in the house, I don't know. 

Well, I am now out of room for the EVIL portion of this post.  I did this on purpose because I am in mental anguish over it.  Its the first spot I go to each day on Grand Avenue.  I have had some really bad verbal fights with the evil people that live there.  They have trashed my shelters, and have thrown the food away as soon as I left there the past two mornings.  Those cats have gone two days in a row without food or water.  I will give you an update tomorrow, I just can't talk about it right now.  I was threatened again with the anti-freeze, this time in person by the woman who wrote the note.  Such evil, and I am sick over it.  Update tomorrow.  Have a good day.

Found!

Buster has been found.  He was lying on a pile of rugs in my basement.  Mother says because it was so hot they gravitate towards the basement.  I think he is sick, so have him locked away in bedroom with lots of food, hoping he is interested.  I was heartsick yesterday until I got home and was doing something in the basement and glanced over and saw him.  He was as quiet as a mouse.  Thanks everyone for your prayers and support. 

Look what else I found this morning.  Came walking right up to me on Hayward, as sweet as can be.  Covered in fleas, he was bathed in Dawn dish detergent and is just the sweetest little guy.  More update tomorrow on him, and Patric, who was rescued Thursday. 

MISSING

I have been in a panic this entire morning.  My Buster is missing.  I have not seen him, and as ashamed as I am to say this, I don't remember the last time I did see him.  I can't be sure if I did see him yesterday.  The day before I am pretty sure of as I was home that day and all seemed accounted for.   This is the worst feeling.  Its a sick feeling.  I can't even begin to imagine a parent with a human child thats gone missing, the sickness they must feel.  I have searched everywhere in the house except going up into the rafters in the basement.  Although I cannot figure out why he would be there.  All I can think of - did he get into a fight with Larry, who possibly might have bitten him, and now my poor Buster is dying somewhere, or dead already?  As I said, I am sick over this.  Just in case he got out, which is most unlikely, I will post something on Craigslist and perhaps do some fliers to post around the trees on my street, and alert my neighbors.  I have friends and relatives that let their cats outdoors.  I could never stand the sick feeling I would have if that cat didn't come home for a day.  I am so upset and worried, but have to put on a brave and happy face for work.  Anyone who says an animal is just an animal - just because they have human children - they are wrong.  I don't have human children.  My cats ARE my children.

Another emotional situation I encountered this week was the sight of this house:   I drove past this house and just had to turn around.  I was shocked.  I rolled down my window to look closer, and could still smell the fire, even though it happened last weekend.  I hope you can zoom in on the front of this house, there are words spray painted on the boards in front saying "Will always be missed Grandma, Tootsie"  and "RIP Grandma".   I have never been involved in a fire, nor even witnessed one.  As I was looking at this house, realizing that someone died in this fire, I looked over across the street and noticed a woman sitting on her porch, directly across from the house.  I drove over and spoke to her, and just lost it.  I told her I could not believe how sad this was, and said how bad it must have been for her to just watch this, and she told me that the woman who died was bedridden, and that she actually wasn't watching the fire, she ran in and got the kids that were in there out.  I just sobbed.  Such a sad sad sad situation.  Someone's mother, someone's grandmother, someone's daughter, someone's wife, someone's aunt, someone's niece, someone's girlfriend, someone's best friend.   Seeing this was just so profound, so tragic.  We parted after I wished her a blessed day, and she said the same to me.  Two strangers bonded for one brief minute.

 

The picture above is of Limpy #2 taken this morning, along with Sparkles backside, and a new darker red cat at the feeding spot.  Limpy #2 was targeted for trapping yesterday, and to have his foot looked at, but no luck.   He disappeared, but was in plain sight today, still limping.  "Patric" (picture below) was also picked up from Short Street, this little guy, who has a problem with a toe, so he is in my bathroom, hoping to heal, and hoping to find him a home.  He is under a year and very very sweet. 

I wish you all a very safe weekend.

Man oh Man!

What a past few days its been.  Hot hot hot.  Dry dry dry. 

Fact:  Although cats are descended from desert animals, they still need enough water to maintain optimum kidney health. While cats that eat only raw prepared diets or canned food may get moisture from their diets, cats on primarily dry foods MUST drink fresh, clean water to survive. I wish all cats had a constant source of fresh water.   That would mean that if every individual in the world put out a bowl of water somewhere on their property, and keep it filled daily, they would be helping an animal.   Its no biggie.  Just one bowl of water per day.  I now carry four large plastic containers full of water and use every last drop each morning.  I dread the wintertime, as I will be filling the containers with very hot water before I go out into the freezing cold, will empty out the ice that is left in the bowls, and place hot water and hope that its liquid long enough for the cats to drink from.  Its so vital to cats, and to us.  I drink gallons a day, I also tend to exaggerate! 

I went over to Wally's house yesterday to help him move a few boxes over to his new apartment.  I also brought him a sandwich.  I also went with the intention to move a new shelter that was built for me over there.  When I got there, and the reason I don't go there during the day, there were a people milling about his house and the house next door.  Of course I started to get flack about the cats and feeding them.  I defended them as best as I could, continued to carry the shelter to the back, and left there just so discouraged.  When I went there this morning, which is my first feeding spot each morning, the bowls, shelter, etc. were still there.  So were the kitties, waiting for their meal.  Before the raccoons came and got their fill.  I am so tired of trying to defend these beautiful sweet cats and trying to explain to these ignorant human beings the importance of these animals being fed.  I keep asking 'have you ever been without food for a long period of time?' - they just don't care.  The flack I received was not by the young girl from days ago that I wrote about, its by the new tenants in this house where I feed in back of.  Young black people.  They just don't care.  I still have to find a place where I can feel safe and comfortable feeding and sheltering them, especially when Wally moves completely, which is supposed to be tomorrow.  The ideal situation would be that I get them all adopted. 

An update on Larry:  Larry seems to be adjusting to life at my house fairly well.  His Aunt Nancy cared for him when we first rescued him from the street.  His ears are doing better, but he needs a different medication as he still seems to be irritated and is scratching at them.  There have been only a few fights so far, not bad ones, just a little fur flying around, but most of my cats are pretty used to their Mom bringing in new furry bodies, so they are generally good about it.  Larry has made himself quite comfortable in my house, and is very obvious that he is happy to be off the mean streets where I got him from.  He is such a good boy.  AND he needs a home!

O Say Can You See, By The Dawn's Early Light...

How apropos for today's blog.  Oh, the things I see and hear sometimes. 

It started off at my first spot, where Wally is moving from, where there has been so much tension lately with the screaming match with the young girl, and the note written to me about poisoning the cats if I continued to feed.  I brought back this large plastic tote and stood it on its side in the back of the house next door to Wally's.  I then went back to my car and got the food and water, all the while six cats are either following me or waiting for me to come back.  I fed them, provided water, and proceeded to go back to my car when I glanced over onto the porch of the house I feed behind, and there sat a young white guy.  I said goodmorning, he replied the same.  I was hesitant about what to say next without coming off like a crazy person.  I asked him if he liked cats, and he replied he loved them and started to tell me about one that at some point in his life, that had run off when someone opened the door.  I told him what I was doing and asked if it was him that put the shelter to the curb last week.  He said no and pointed to next door, where the girl lives, and said he thinks it was her, or the house next to that where I think the note came from.  Anyway, to make a long story short, he told me I was welcome to move my shelter back there and that he would keep an eye out for the kitties and my shelter.  I could not have thanked him enough.  His name is Ryan, and he was a very polite young guy.  I am so thankful for this, I had so much anxiety going here each morning!

I proceeded on to my next few stops a very happy girl.  I gave a good pet and scratch to Big Red, Talkie and Lucille, and then to the next stop giving a good scratch and pet to Red and Boots, then to the next stop where injured raw wound kitty resides.  I saw him, and his wound is back to being raw and red.  Not sure what to do here.  I feel so bad for him.  Wondering if I can slip him some kind of medicine in his food.  I thought he was healing so nicely after being trapped and treated by Laura.  Here is his picture I took of him this morning. 

Then onto the next few stops, where I stopped the car in the middle of 7th after seeing a pit bull running close to Bay Street with his lease dragging.  A beautiful copper colored dog.  I always check to see if its agressive, and believeing it wasn't, I got out and got the little bag of dog food I carry and shook it.  I pulled to the side and got out and placed it on a plate with a bowl of water, he sniffed it and took off.  I was so mad I didn't grab his leash and place him in my backseat to take home, keep in my yard until animal control could come get him or his owners.  Didn't see him after that.  I pray he is ok.

After many other stops, Sparkles and Limpy #2 (pictured here)

gobbling their food, and all the others, I proceeded to my last stop on Parsells.  I got out and placing food and water heard a loud shouting.  It was across the street, so I walked over and listened.  After about 30 seconds, I said  I am calling the police.  It was a woman that sounded like she was beating a child.  The neighbor came out and confirmed a woman lived there with her kids and that there was always something going on like that.  I called 911.  I could hear her from across the street.  I could hear pounding and thumping, and knew who ever was on the receiving end of this woman's wrath was not winning the fight.   I will never give up reporting these kinds of things, especially to help a child in possible danger.

These are various pics I took this morning. 

This little gray is a sweet young male that really needs a home. 

They all do. 

Have a great 4th everybody.