Happy Birthday Thunder!



My boy Thunder turned 12 yesterday. Here he is with Scooter, his BFF. Thunder was diagnosed a year ago with bladder cancer, and I was told he had less than a year to live. He was becoming incontinent throughout the year and had to wear ‘big boy pants’, and he started to really slow down. In the past few months, he is still slower than he used to be on walks, he has had less accidents, therefore not having to wear his (shhhhhh…) diapers, and still thunders through the house in the mornings chasing after his toys. He went to the vet on Friday for an ear infection, and he weighed 10 pounds less since his last visit which I believe was a couple of months ago. But again, he is still a big boy, as you can see, and still a happy one too!

The rain continues to batter Rochester almost daily. My washing machine is still kicking, but barely. With winter, there are always a ton of towels, and in the summer, its only needed when it rains, as it soaks the towels that are usually laying on a pile of dirt or a board that collects dirt when it rains, so I am not getting much of a break with the washer so far this spring. Its been a miserably wet one, although it has saved me many evenings of watering my flowers, vegetable garden, window boxes, etc.

I brought Lillian a small hanging basket on Saturday. She and little Paddy/Pepper were just hanging, and I just wanted to do it because of how kind she was in adopting him, and him having so many medical issues – she had been so patient and loving with his treatment. I have no extra money to do these kind of little things for people, but sometimes you just have to… she is alone, 84 years old, and a really sweet lady. So I felt compelled. I wish I could do it for all my adopters, because most of them have become my friends. People who actually take the time to donate here or there, whenever or whatever they are able. People that read my blog, that take the time to sit and read my dribble… I am still playing the lottery! There is still hope!

I got a picture of the raccoon on Paul’s house on Saturday morning. I wish I had my camera there on Friday when she was sitting there on his roof with three of her babies. I haven’t seen the little bugger in the past two mornings so I am praying she has taken her babies and moved on. There is no sign she has eaten any of the cat food left in back for the cats either. There is a wildlife specialist coming there, thanks to Harold’s mom for the referral, today to assess the situation. I am hoping he doesn’t find the raccoon and her babies. My friend Maree, who adopted Big Red (Sandy) and Monkey, has offered to take the brood and allow them to rehome in the woods behind her house. Otherwise, these animals are usually killed when they are captured.

This guy, I’ve named him Chester, he runs to me each morning at Fourth and Pennsylvania, rolls onto his back, but keeps a safe distance from me, slowly building trust for me. I am not sure if he is neutered or not. He reminds me so much of Big Red.

At my spot on Garson, where I’ve not seen Neck Wound kitty and Lucy around in ages, I think I am seeing Neck Wound kitty at my first spot on Parsells now. Its funny how they wander, looking for safety, and food. These poor souls, they all need homes, and medical attention, and love.  Please spread the word!

My Spots & TGIT!

Thanks to the few of you that commented about the raccoon situation.  I printed out the link someone posted and left some other information and a phone number of a wildlife removal specialist for Paul this morning on his doorstep.  Although I am sure the man can't afford to pay someone much, I hope it at least helps. 

Its pouring again, but the rain at least held off until the very last minute, and I was done from my hour long delivery of breakfast for 50+ cats in the Beechwood section of Rochester.  Here is a rundown of my spots today:

Parsells - I am still seeing the tiny pregnant girl, along with a few others.  The cat I TNR'd here two weeks ago is seen occasionally - at least I think its him.  He was a sweet boy that was hard to put back on the streets.  They all are.  I was given an appt. through HFC at their clinic for next Wednesday, I was informed late yesterday, in fact they had a slot for me yesterday morning but the woman said she forgot to tell me.  I was very disappointed.  Each day that goes by this pregnant cat is getting close to delivery.  It saddens me immensely.

Parsells #2 - I go here every other day now, I rarely see kitties here, but have seen them, so I know they are eating.  This is where Sadie, Sylvester and Stanley were rescued and brought to a barn in Canandaigua where they are loving life, and Sadie has given birth and will be spayed soon!  I also rescued Earl from here.

Stout - I continue to feed two beautiful reds and a black kitty, all are fixed.  The house next door to this dilapidated garage that I feed them in is going to be demolished any day now.  The black kitty has gotten very attached to me, and runs to me and follows me all the way back to his feeding spot, although I am leary of him, he is a scratcher!

Garson – I rarely see any cats here the past couple of weeks – I had been feeding Neck Wound kitty and Lucy for a long long time every single morning on a porch of a boarded up house. The owner had been throwing my stuff out, but now two paper bowls for food and a plastic dish for water remain – and I fill each morning whether the cats are there or not. This is were I rescued Big Red (now Sandy), along with others…

Hayward – I scooped up a board to place under a board that every time it rained the board would have a puddle on it due to a dip in the middle – there is a mud pit below that, so the board I found and place there this morning will alleviate that somewhat. It used to be a nice secure shelter until someone that was working on the house trashed all my stuff, I had to haul it all back, and leave a note, and they have not touched it since. I have rescued SO many kitties here. This is where I see the pretty calico that I had TNR’d a month or so ago, when I was trying to get the very pregnant cat, but Miss Cali got in the trap instead! I must get the mom here fixed next.

Baldwin – this is where Laura rescued a few for me, and returned a kitten back after she had it spayed – I think I see that one here, along with a beautiful soft muted calico that was spayed a few months ago. There have been a number of cats on this corner lot that I’ve seen over the winter/spring. Most stay a distance away until I leave, so its hard to see who is fixed and who is not.


Little Red on Webster (my new spot!)!

Webster! – my new spot continues to make me happy each morning – the potted plant that Harold’s mom brought to me for them is hanging on the back porch of the house where the kind couple have allowed me to set up house there – Little Red and Little Blackie are there each time I pull up now, waiting for their food. I cradle Little Red in my arms for a minute before I am on my way. Little Blackie is not fixed. He is also next.



Captain Morgan on Short

Milly on Short

Short – Captain Morgan (one eyed kitty) is waiting for me each morning here. He is not neutered, or at least his ear is not tipped. No one allows me to get too close to them here, so its hard to see who is fixed and who isn’t. I occasionally see the black kitty that wound up at the animal shelter, and a woman asked if she returned it to Short if I would feed it, which I have. She had offered me another nice shelter to place here, but I never heard back from her since about that. They could use something here, in this big open field, to accompany the rickety shelter I have built for them. The neighbors don’t mind, nor does the city that cuts the grass.


Sixth Street


Sixth, there are at least five or six cats here, some fixed, some not. Most of the females are, I think, except for mommy, who might have had her kittens a month or two ago across the street from where I place food down, but I’ve never seen. The kittens might be dead, and mommy might be pregnant again.

Pennsylvania and Fourth – a beautiful red kitty is here, one I thought was on his deathbed during the wintertime, he runs to me and rolls over each day now, but won’t let me get close. The black one waits for me here also.


Pennsylvania and Second


Pennsylvania and Second – Several cats wait in hiding for me to place food and water down here – there is a kind man who owns the house in front of where I feed – I’ve never met him, but know he has very large feet due to tracks in the snow that I saw last winter. I know he knows I do this every day, but he has never confronted me.

Second – I left information for Paul this morning, and met a man named “Tony” who was smoking pot in front of his house this morning. He knew me, that’s for sure, and asked if I was going to place some food down on the porch of where he lives in back – I introduced myself to Tony and also told him what I do, and how it was also his responsibility to keep the cat population down on his street, and to let me know if he sees pregnant cats or kittens here – I suspect a calico kitty had her babies recently here – I couldn’t get her in time either. The nice Puerto Rican man Frank lives in the apartment upstairs with his cat at this house. Across the street behind Paul’s house, I see daily the black kitty, the injured grey, and a handful of other kitties that I know are fixed.

Central – There were SIX kitties here waiting for me this morning! Tuffy, Cedric, Rollo, and three others I have not named.

Central and Third – I continue to leave food here on both front and back porch of this abandoned house – this is where I rescued Cheddar recently.


Kitten Mama on Seventh



Seventh kitty fixed


Seventh – little mama kitten is here each morning waiting, along with three others. The three others are fixed. I did not see the injured black kitty this morning.

That’s it in a nutshell. I am glad I am able to feed their hungry bellies for one day.

I have tomorrow off, yay from work and hopefully from this blog. Its sometimes draining to go through and recap what I see each day.

On a final note, I went to visit little Paddy (now named Pepper) yesterday with his new mommy Lillian, who has been treating him for Stomatitis around the clock, and little Pepper's gums are pink and healthy, for now.  They say it will come back.  Pepper has been gaining weight and is a little porker now! 

Don't forget you can click on each picture and it will zoom in.  Make it a great weekend!

Raccoons Galore!



Pennsylvania & Fourth Kitty

 First things first.  As I pulled up to Second Street this morning, Paul was in his driveway and said 'we have a problem."  Paul is the kind black man who used to work for the Monroe County Sheriff's Dept. doing detail on the police cars, he is retired now.  He has allowed me to place shelters behind his house and feed cats for years now.  He is a really really good man.  He is one of the very few out there, and I am lucky to have him in my life.  He went on to explain, as he pointed, that there is a mama raccoon and her babies living under the easement on his roof, and they had to go.  He didn't say, 'you have to stop feeding here, its attracting raccoons' like he could have.  Instead, I turned it around and said let me see who I can call.  He said that Rochester Animal Services only takes care of dogs and cats.  IF ANYONE CAN OFFER SUGGESTIONS TO ME ON WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO OVER TO TAKE A LOOK, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.  I don't know who else to call!  I must make some effort to help him, after all he has done for me.  As I went to place food down in the back afterwards, I wound up chasing off another raccoon, twice, up two different trees!  They are rascals, for sure!

CHEDDAR/LEO update - I received a voice mail the other day from his 'mother', and she told me so far so good, she had been having computer problems and would send me a note as soon as it was fixed.  Here is what I received this morning: 

Hi Janine-

Everything was good until last night when Leo decided to use the spare bedroom floor as a litter box. Not sure why he did that especially when his litter box was just a few feet away. Any way I am getting ready to move his box to the back hall off the kitchen where there is no carpet and see if that helps. Up til now he has been very good. He gets along with the dog for the most part, they play and sleep near each other and I haven't locked him in his bedroom since the first week we had him. He has the run of the house all day and sure is a lover boy when I get home from work. We really like him however his marking in the house is not cool. This is why we have never had a male animal before but we'll keep trying and hope it's just a temporary thing. Talk to you soon.

I am obviously not happy about this.  I feel like if Cheddar does one thing wrong, this woman is going to return him.  As if I don't have enough problems.  She has had Cheddar for over three weeks now, I would be heartbroken if she now decides to return him.  It will be very hard for Cheddar too, I can assure you.  I just have no room at all in my house, and have major behavioral issues happening.

I got a voicemail from my cousin last night, the one who first alerted me to the trailer park cat situation - she was asking if i had spoken to the woman, because she took a drive out there after work yesterday and found that the condemned trailer's property had been cleaned up and that there was cat food out there.  Total surprise to me.  The park manager had not called me back after a few attempts to reach her, and I assumed the worst.  Not sure of what has transpired, but hopefully its a good thing whatever did.

I wanted to update you on all my spots, but thats a whole other post and I am running out of time before I have to get to work.  I did want to mention that Habitat for Cats was not able to give me any slots at their clinic this week, and the two cats that are pregnant - one I have not seen for days, and the other is still pregnant, but ready to go at any time.  This is a tragedy, where you cannot get an appointment or for any day of the week at these low cost clinics.  There are so many kittens being born because of this.  I am not blaming HFC, I am blaming society - there is not enough help out there to get this situation under control, at least not in my hood.  I can't wait to see how the new clinic that is supposed to open in July will help to alleviate this problem somewhat, for me.  But again, I can't do all this alone -  I just can't afford it nor have the means to transport and pick up due to a full time job.  I am beginning to feel the pressure of my finances - its hard to make ends meet with my paycheck alone - I can barely afford to buy the food that I feed these homeless cats that depend on me daily anymore. I don't mean to whine, really, but you have to understand the situation that you read about daily.  Its a hard hard job to do.

"I said to my mind, be still, and wait without hope

For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love

For love would be love of the wrong thing; yet there is faith

But the faith and the hope and the love are all in the waiting.

Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:

So the darkness shall be light, and the stillness the dancing."

Rant and Roll

RANT:  The other day I was driving on a fairly populated road and was in the right lane.  In the left lane just ahead of me, a car was swerving over to my lane, and then back.  I carefully drove past her on the right, glanced over, and this woman was TEXTING!  Texting while driving.   If that doesn't take the cake.  There are enough distractions WHILE you are driving, and here you are typing on a tiny device AND driving at the same time.  I wanted so badly to pull over up ahead, get behind her, follow her into the shopping center she pulled into, and just remind her that what she did was not very smart.  She could have ruined my day, not to mention her own - with an accident with or without injuries.  PEOPLE, PLEASE, STOP TALKING ON THE PHONE AND STOP TEXTING WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING!  ARE YOU THAT IMPORTANT?  AND SPEAKING OF THAT, WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING, STAY TO THE RIGHT UNLESS YOU ARE PASSING ANOTHER CAR, AND THEN GET BACK TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE!

There, I said it.  I feel better now.

My new spot on Webster is still doing good, although I think a raccoon might have been visiting yesterday - the water dish was dirty.  And the food all gone, although that is not an indicator, there are so many hungry cats around there.  Little Red and Little Blackie both run to me every single morning now.  Its so good to see them.  I hold Little Red in my arms and rub his little face and tell him to be careful after I leave, and to eat his breakfast.  Little Blackie is a bit scared still, he/she doesn't know me but trusts that I am going to leave food each day.  I left a beautiful little hanging basket on the back steps for these kind people, just a small gesture to thank them, until I can get to a garden store and pick out something for their front porch.  The hanging basket was actually left on my porch by Harold's Mom yesterday, along with a bag of cat food.  I couldn't believe how kind it was of her to do.  And she left me a note from Harold too!  My my that Harold is a smart boy, he was able to spell most of the words he wrote correctly!  I think Harold's mom read the post where I asked for any donations of flowers and pots for this kind couple that helped me that day that I was stressing after having lost my feeding spot for these kitties on Webster.  I still want to do so much for them.  I can't get over the kindness of strangers.

I catalog lucky events like this on a back page of my journal. I need a permanent inventory of inspiring moments; otherwise these small miracles can vaporize with a shift in mood. Regular prayer helps too.  These random acts reignite my faith in the random goodness of other souls.   When I feel my world is crashing, like I did the morning I lost that wonderful shelter to the Devil man, I can click the world back into focus, and flip my inner lights back on after a kind deed such as this.

Have a great dry day.  No more rain! 

Trailer Park Kitties

I made one last trip out to this Orleans County trailer park very early Sunday morning.  I wanted to check to see if the park manager was caring for these abandoned cats that the owner of the above trailer had to leave due to illness, that I had asked her to do two weeks ago when I heard about the situation.  I had dropped off a 16-lb bag of food for her last Sunday, and had another one that I left on her door step yesterday, in the hopes she would continue to feed these poor souls, the black and red kitty - I don't know what happened to the third.  She made no effort to contact me since last Sunday, even after the few messages I left her, along with a note I left on the bag of cat food yesterday.  I have to let this situation go, I can't do any more than pass on the number for Habitat for Cats, and my business/blog card (thanks Jess!).  I can't afford the gas, and I can't afford the food, and I certainly can't afford the spay/neuter that would be involved with all these cats in this park, nor would I have the time!   When I arrived yesterday, it was clear that the park manager had not been feeding them, in fact a food bowl was missing, so I replenished a bowl and a plate full of food, and cleaned out a water bowl.  If you click on the pictures you can see better.  My heart goes out to these cats - I pray there are kind people in these neighboring trailers that have some compassion for them - if they can't get them spayed/neutered, at least they will feed them.  Thats all I can do.

On another note, I have to get this baby kitten mama below neutered before she gets pregnant again.  She is the one on Seventh that I was not able to trap in time before she had her litter,which I've never seen since.  She is here at this spot every morning waiting for me to fill up her empty bowls of food, along with this injured black one below, and a host of others.

This kitty below is from Second Street, I took this photo on Saturday morning.  His front paw is very injured, he can barely walk - you can see he has it raised in the picture.  He is as mean as the devil though, so its difficult to assess the situation fully.  I just know he can't put pressure on his paw.  

I have so much more to share but so little time to write this blog.  I hope you can take away something each day, and see what I see through my photos and words, and do your best to help - to do what you can possibly do to ease the suffering of homeless animals.  Food, money, shelter building, spay/neutere a cat, help with transport, adopt a cat, be a vocal advocate, etc.  There is so much you can do.  Thanks for reading.  Tomorrow, I will have some updates to share, and must thank some very kind people! 

"Life is a long lesson in humility."

Que Pasa?

Whats happening?  Around town.....  it was a quiet, yet very soggy humid morning out there.  We had another close to 2 inches come down within a 24 hour period yesterday - I sat at work with a skylight over me listening to the rain pounding down onto it -- hearing that all day is very depressing because all you think about is how extra miserable it is for homeless animals.  I thought about each one of my 15 spots, and what one was being affected the worst.  I changed quite a lot of towels at those spots this morning.  As I've mentioned, I used towels on surfaces that are bare and dry mostly, just to provide a little comfort to the cats feet when they eat.  Otherwise, they are standing in dirt or mud, or a cold hard wet surface.  I know, I am crazy.

At my first spot on Parsells, I was told by Dave, the nice older black gentleman that lives in the house next to the house of the porch I feed on, that a man bought the house, along with the other one next door to it - whoever this man is, he is compassionate.  He has never once tried to move my little towel with plates and a water bowl down.  This is also the spot where I tried to get a pregnant kitty TNR'd on Wednesday but no luck, I got another little kitty, a boy, instead. 

At another spot just up aways, on Garson, where I was feeding Lucy and Neck Wound Kitty, I have not seen them in a long while.  Its also since the owner of the house actively began to trash my stuff, but I kept putting bowls of food and water down and someone is eating it, but I just haven't seen these two kitties.  I shudder at the thought that this man could have harmed them.  The food is gone each morning that I get there - but I find it odd that the two bowls are always turned upside down, and the water looks clean, so it can't be a raccoon.   I would love to watch this house for movement, see who or what is eating this food, or where its going.

At the next spot, I must get a momma cat neutered.  I am once again getting cats spayed and neutered out of my own pocket, and I can't afford it.  I was very lucky last year to have been part of a grant through Lollipop where I was able to do this for free.  Actually, over 70 last year, for free.   Webster Avenue was calm, my stuff was there at this nice couple's driveway, and little Red and little Blackie were there waiting for me.  It was fairly dry under the board, but I need to make this prettier and more stable, not only for the cats, but for the couple.  I don't want them to see this as an eyesore.  Maybe even some potted plants surrounding this spot would help.  Anyone have any extra pots and flowers they would like to donate?

On Second, the mean looking fluffy grey kitty has been limping, not putting weight on his front paw.  On Seventh, I need to get that little kitten mama neutered.  And on Sixth, same situation.  I need to get these three, no four, pregnant/ready to be spayed new mothers fixed up!

I went to visit little Paddy last night at Lillian's - he is now named Pepper, and he is doing wonderful.  Growing like a weed, and his teeth are in remission, so he has pink gums for now, but poor Lillian must chase him around after each meal to rinse his gums with a dental solution.  He is so good about it, but I feel so bad that she has such a lot of work for a kitty that she thought was just going to be a nice easy addition to her life.

I have not heard from Cheddar's (Leo)'s family - I will reach out to her again today - she is not writing me back, so I will make a phone call.  I hope he is doing well. 


Cheddar

 Here is an update on Harold, with a new picture.  I must say, these are the best adopters I've ever had that adopted a kitty that I knew nothing about its history, and they weren't sure about him in the beginning.  They stuck it out and now love him to pieces.

"Hi there! Just wanted to send a quick picture of my sweetie boy... as you can see, he likes sleeping on the couch now. He also crashes out on our bed and he totally hogs it... he sleeps like a ROCK and once he is in place, we just have to work around him. Look how big his paws are!! He's just so stocky and solid. Everything is still going great... he runs to greet us when we come in the front door and still chirps and talks away... he's the best.  Hope all is well with you!  Kim"



Harold

Finally, I will be heading out to the trailer park way out on Route 104 past Parma to bring another bag of food for the park manager to feed the three cats that I know of that have been left homeless due to their owner being hospitalized and his trailer being condemned.  I will also be leaving a phone number with them so that they can try to take charge of their cat problem - Habitat for Cats I am hoping will help them.  Prayers for these poor animals.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Miracles Do Happen!

Little Blackie at Old Webster Ave. Location


Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus, it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed. - The Buddha

Yesterday was a very bad day for me. After the encounter I had in the morning with those two very mean people, I really questioned myself, and why I do what I do – feeding over 50 cats every single day in high crime ridden areas, trying to make a difference in other people’s neighborhoods by getting these cats spayed and neutered, all out of my own pocket – spending over $6000 a year on food ALONE - of my own money, money that could have gone to better my own life, so that I didn’t have to struggle with paying my bills like I do now on a monthly basis, and just think of the yearly vacations I could have taken. All I could think about yesterday was where was I going to feed the five little kitties that have depended on me every single morning at that location, how will they survive without a shelter, etc. I called 911 from work to request that the police officer that responded to my call (I had to leave for work – could not wait around any longer for someone to get there) – to the Devil Man’s call – call me at work. He did, a nice officer named Mike Grabowski – he actually listened to everything I had to say, and then told me my alternatives. I didn’t really have any except to get written permission from whoever allows me to put food on their property. That would be a monumental task, so his phone call left me just as disappointed as I was before he called. I then called a city worker and he told me what I wasn’t expecting to hear. That the property – the vacant lot that I had been feeding on for years – was actually owned by the woman in the house next to it. So I couldn’t go on that property anymore, legally. So the only thing I could do was hang my head low, get home from work, get the cat I had neutered (it’s a boy!) and return him to Parsells where he came from (he was such a good boy), and drive near the location to scout out a new one, or talk to a homeowner that I thought might at least listen to me. I didn’t have much faith though.

Little Red at Old Webster Ave. Location

When I pulled into this driveway (which is just around the corner from the said lot), I didn’t think anyone was home, but noticed a man in his truck in the house next door on the corner. I walked up to him, he didn’t speak much English so he called for his wife. This young woman came out and at first, so many words spilled out too quickly, I didn’t want to be rejected again, so I quickly gave her the jist of what had happened that morning, and what I was hoping to get from her – permission to feed kitties on her property. She told me she has seen me over the years – her house being in direct view of where I park in the morning, and before the house across the street from her went from being boarded up, to a livable house – this is when I had most of the cats that are there neutered and spayed. When after all of that came out of me, she spoke to her husband in Spanish, and then her head nodded, and I could her – over the traffic on that corner, speaking the words ‘yes’. My eyes instantly started to well up. I had such little hope and faith just moments before.

Humans cause each other so much angst and pain, and yet it is also humans who relieve us and make us feel loved and understood and calm our souls. How strange that the same creatures can have such very different effects on us - some to hurt and some to heal.

I am so very grateful to this wonderful couple, I must find something to reward their good deed. My friend suggested a beautiful potted plant full of flowers. I would love to give them money or gift certificate – none of which I can afford, but will find a way.  I thank them both for their compassion.  There is so little of it in the world these days.

This morning, after I placed a few plastic totes down and a board over them to shield the food I placed in between both totes to shield the rain we are expected to have all day today and night, I called quietly for the kitties, and sure enough, little red and little blackie came and gobbled up the food.  Its amazing their instinct to survive, they were starving after not having eaten yesterday, after those evil people threw their fresh food away that I had placed down minutes before.  People like that will pay for their acts in the end.  God will see to that, I am sure.

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong.  Because someday in life you will have been all these."