Thursday! One more day!!! :)

Charlie and Bobby



Monet
 

I forgot to mention other activities of the past weekend.  Monet was adopted on Saturday to my old neighbor and friend Deanna and her family, where newly named Monet - SEBASTIAN - joins his brother and sister Peanut Butter and Oreo.   Its hard giving up a cat that you've rescued and put money, faith, time and love into, but knowing he is in a good home makes it worth it.  The same with my little Cricket - he is with his new family now, and I couldn't have asked for anything better.
My little buddies, Bobby and Charlie, who were rescued from a situation on Central Park, were brought to a no-kill shelter in Victor, NY, where they are getting love and attention from their temporary family, along with many other little furry friends there.  They will get the time and attention they need, while I could not give that to them with my full-time job - and they will go to the best families, as potential adopters are screened to the max.  I can't wait to hear how my babies have fared since I let them go!  Deanna!  Norma!  Hear my plea!  :)

It was quiet in the hood this morning.  I rained overnight, so the humidity level was sky high, and the temperatures are still in the 70s at 5 am!  My friend Laura has offered to try trapping Nicky - a/k/a Neck Wound Kitty on Parsells again tomorrow morning, so I fed less there this morning.  Garson Avenue kitties continue to have their bowls taken away from them daily, so I keep replacing them, but I wonder who is actually doing it.  No one is living in this house right now, but I think it is being slowly renovated - and whether or not someone is working on it, I think someone is taking pleasure in just driving by and trashing my stuff on a daily basis.  On Ferndale and Webster, my other trouble spot, its been two days in a row that the bowls under a tree haven't been touched.  I will be rescuing a kitty I had spayed there on Sunday morning to bring to a barn situation in Caledonia, along with Precious, another female on Central.   Since the last catastrophe with my poor Angel and another kitty at the stables at Finger Lakes Racetrack this past early spring, with them escaping and never to be seen again, I am hesitant and want to be sure that this method of bringing cats to barns is foolproof.  I've been instructing the man who will care for them on how to set up the cages, etc. and when to let them out.  Prayers for these babies, and Angel and other kitty too.

I wish you all a great day!

Hump Day!

Love that Geico commercial with the camel....  :)

Hi Folks!  Please keep in mind, I am having problems with this blogsite, so I am just about a day behind in my posts.  GRRRR.  If anyone can help, I would appreciate it.

Yesterday morning I set a trap for Nicky (a/k/a Neck Wound Kitty) who has been suffering for years with a huge wound on his neck - cause is still undetermined - and scratches at it to the point of howling, every few seconds of his 24 hour long days.  The poor thing has travelled from spot to spot with me, and is just untrappable.  Even the great master trapper, Laura, is unable to get him.  I don't know what to do about it anymore.  I tried again yesterday, with my crappy regular Have a Heart trap, but he wont fall for it.  I wound up with another very unhappy uneartipped kitty that I had to let go because I had no appointment scheduled anywhere, which there are no clinics on Tuesdays regardless, nor do I have money at the moment, or transportation for the clinic.

I've been feeding a kitten, along with Big Red, and the buff red cat that had her kittens I suspect on Pennsylvania and Fourth (whom I haven't seen lately), and I shined my flashlight on the kitten this morning and she (?) almost looks pregnant to me.  She is what I would call feral for a kitten.  RUNS like the devil when I come near her. 

At Webster and Ferndale, my bowls were left there overnight, surprise surprise, but I bring my supplies each day regardless, as there are at least four cats waiting to gobble the food I place there.  Crazy Marilee called me again yesterday - thank God I have her number programmed in so I can see caller ID, she rambles about feeding them Science Diet and they are getting sick with what I give them and telling me to stop feeding there.  She lives down the street, this woman needs her meds.  She is the girl that believes no cats should be spayed, it is not God's way.  First she was my friend, now she is my enemy, knowing I am getting these cats sterilized.  I can't wait to see her in person (I won't bother to call her back), telling her to stop with her silly and harassing calls, and to mind her own business.  I have enough problems without her!

Even though its in the 90s here (ugggh), I need to get my more secure shelters prepared for the cold and snow.  I have two plastic tote shelters right now, could use more, and perhaps a bit of straw.  Definitely some boards to cover the openings, and to place on top of two shelters to create a roof.  And some good thick tarp material.  That helps.  Perhaps even some bungee cords.

All in all, despite many obstacles, I continue to put one foot forward and move ahead.  Sometimes, that's all you can do. 

Have a great day!

Monday

NOTE:  This is what I wrote yesterday, Monday. 
Once again, Blogger is causing me problems!!  :(  Wanted to share pictures with you too, will have to see how it goes in the morning.)

 

Monday, AGAIN.

 

It was a chilly morning this morning in the hood.  I had thoughts about having to get my shelters, the ones that are somewhat secure, ready for whats coming.  WINTER.  COLD.  SNOW.  The UNSECURE shelters are Spot #2 Parsells, where the guy John has allowed me to feed there since last spring, a year ago, when I had to move my stuff from Grand Avenue because of the evil people there.  Another unsecure spot is on Webster and Ferndale, where the ‘kind’ Spanish couple have now booted me from their property, and someone from there is picking up the bowls I leave there each morning and trashing them.  I had a few kitties neutered there, including Little Red, a red buff pregnant female, and a small teeny tiny black female.  I found someone looking for two females for a barn situation in Caledonia, and ideally would like to get the little red buff female and the teeny tiny black female from here for this.  At least they would know each other.  If not, I need to find a semi friendly female at another location, which I have a few in mind.  This  will all take place next weekend, hopefully.  Two more off these evil streets of Rochester.  A third iffy location that my shelters are in jeopardy are always the houses that may be torn down, and the abandoned garages that may be visited by the owner of the property, who doesn’t like cats, like the guy on Garson.  Here, they are lifting my bowls daily now, again.  But Casey, and two others are waiting every single morning there for me, and I won’t give up feeding these poor animals.  People are evil.  To pick up food  that a starving animal depends on and trash it is evil.  To trash a 2X3 ft. plastic tote shelter with straw in it, to keep one cat warm and safe, to sleep in - the only comfort it has in its life, that’s evil.

 

My friend Jessica’s dad made me two shelters and I got them this weekend.  What kindness this family has shown me.  Their grandmother purchased food for me, as she does occasionally, and its just the sweetest gesture from this 90+ aged lady from England. 

 

On Friday I had two kitties awaiting for me on my porch when I returned home from work.  Laura had trapped them and brought them to the clinic, they came from Central Park – where the gazillion other kitties wait for me each morning – in the dark I was able to discern that there are just two black males that need to be neutered, I think.  Unless there are shy females hanging around that wait until I leave to come out.  This is where little Bobby and little Charlie came from.  Laura has also offered to take Neck Wound Kitty and have him treated, IF I can catch him.  He’s a tough old bird though, he is scared – but very sick.  He waits for me every single morning under a car when I pull up to the first Parsells Avenue feeding spot.  He scratches away at that neck wound he has had for years.  He howls too, he is suffering.  I must get him.

 

Speaking of, Monet was adopted on Saturday!  My old neighbor, and friend, Deanna, came by with her two young boys, and fell in love with him and took him away to join their other indoor kitties, Peanut Butter and Oreo.  I will share an update as soon as I have one.

 

Bobby and Charlie are going to Pet Pride tomorrow, thanks to Norma’s kind offer to take them.  They have a GREAT chance at a GREAT adoption through them.  I have had my successes, but these kittens will join their family there until then, where they will be loved and showered with attention.  Right now, I have them in a bedroom as they are too tiny to roam my house with the ‘big guys’.  The guilt I feel when I leave them!  J

 

Have a great day!

 

Thank God....

Its been a long and crazy week.  I thank those of you who continue to read my blog, and those of you who continue to make donations, however large or small they are.  Without that, I would lose a lot of hope and faith that I’ve come close to losing many times before since I started doing what I do way back, at least ten years ago feeding homeless cats at only one or two locations, which has now grown to at least 15.

This blog is really a diary of my thoughts, opinions, and experiences I have on a daily basis.  I hold back a lot – I try not to offend anyone that cares to read my blog – I know some subjects are more sensitive to others than to me, and vice versa, but again, these are my opinions, and experiences to share, and I hope the majority of you have gained something good from it.  I know I couldn’t walk into a shelter without crying – or watch a television show where lions are chasing other animals, its just too cruel for me to watch.  I am a very sensitive person – I cry at everything - and still can’t believe I continue to get up daily, trudge out there into the dark, and into neighborhoods where there are shootings all the time, where most of the people hate cats, and could care less about their fellow human beings, at the same time, feeding at the same locations, seeing as many sick and injured cats that I do, and still go on the next day.

But thankfully, I still have hope for this city.  With help from you with donations, I can continue to make spay and neuter appointments at the clinic to get these poor animals sterilized so that they can’t continue to produce babies.  I know I’ve made a huge dent in these neighborhoods where people despise me so much, and its all and only because of my love for these furry creatures.  Only because I care.  It costs me only $32 to spay or neuter one cat that will prevent them from producing at least five cats per litter.  I had someone make a donation directly to the clinic I use to cover the cost of sterilization for a few, and that was enormously helpful to me – I spend every last dime I make at my job caring for these animals. 

So, thank you to each and every one of you who has helped me in the past.  I just couldn’t do it without you. 

Have a blessed weekend!

PS, two more cats were picked up this morning for TNR thanks to Laura!

TGIF

Sixth Street Garage - Six Kitties

I knew I would hear at least one negative comment about the decision I made to end the life of one of my very own precious ‘children’, Earl.  The only thing I will say about that is ‘walk in my shoes for one moment and you will see how I must make my decisions – it may not be the way you would handle one of your ‘children’, but it’s the decision I had to make at that moment.  If life were different, and there was more time, it might be a different decision.  Again, you need to walk in my shoes to know how and why I make the decisions that I do.  And that’s that.  I mourn Earl every moment, just like I mourn my dog Thunder still, and the loss of at least six of my long time babies that I’ve had to had euthanized in the past six months.  So again, lets not judge until we know all the facts.

Life on the sttreets is not fun these days. Never was, but now its even more stressful.  At one of my spots, on Webster and Ferndale, where the ‘kind’ Spanish couple allowed me to feed on their property, next to their driveway, have now given me the boot, and the neighbor on the other side, the ‘kind’ young man that works at Petsmart, he and his gang have destroyed the shelters I had placed there, and have now been trashing even the paper plates and bowl of food and water I left in their grass hidden under a bush the other day.  Nice guy – sure you are.  He and his druggie friends had better watch it.  I have never experienced a group of people living so close together that are as evil as they come, to take away food and shelter for these poor miserable animals that I have been trying to get neutered and spayed.  And along comes CRAZY Marilee, the nutcase who doesn’t believe in cats being spayed or neutered.  She tells me I am killing the cats by feeding them there.  That she is feeding and sheltering them at her house, a block down the street.  She called me and left a rambling message at one point a while back.   I need to figure something out for these poor souls, they have no where to go but to starve to death if I stop feeding there.  I am sneaking on their property now just to place paper bowls to feed these hungry babies.

The other problem is the people on Central Park, where I am feeding on paper plates also because they destroyed my shelters there, and trash the food.  This is where I’ve rescued three baby kittens already.  Bobby, Charlie and the little calico being the first.

CHARLIE and BOBBY

SMOKY and BOBBY

CHARLEY!

The photo above is on Sixth Street – where I feed at least six cats daily.  This pathetic garage will soon be freezing due to the many gaps in the walls and ceiling, and windowless windows where the snow will soon whip through. 

Why would God create these precious animals, only to have them suffer like they do?  It really saddens my heart every day knowing they struggle so much to survive day to day.  And then you have these cruel people trying to make their lives even more miserable.  I just don’t know… 

My Name is Earl

Another tough part of my weekend - my baby boy Earl crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Saturday.  He had symptoms of urinary blockage – I had been noticing him squatting in the litter boxes the past couple of days prior – called and made appointment with my vet but they couldn’t see him until Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday due to closing, but told me I should take him into emergency if it got worse over the weekend.  By Saturday morning he hadn’t eaten his FAVORITE wet when I got up, and I knew something was wrong.  To save myself $100 that I didn’t have just to walk into the Emergency Animal Hospital that is open 24/7, I waited for the new clinic on Bay Street to open at noon and brought him there.  They examined him, brought me in the estimate to unblock it for just over $400, with a guarantee that this is most likely not going to the last of this blockage, and told me I needed to follow up with my own vet if Earl remained good until Tuesday.  If not, I would need  to bring him to Emergency Vet before then.  I had to make a very hard decision, one that involved how good Earl’s quality of life really was.  Sure, he was a good boy with me, but he lived in constant fear of three other cats in the house, one being Scooter.  Scooter was terribly mean to him, so much so that I’ve actually felt hate toward him – well what KIND of hate you can feel toward a cat I don’t know, but there were many times I had to brake up some serious cat fights between the two.  Earl lived in F-E-A-R, constantly.  I felt bad.  I had to separate the cats in different rooms at times, and allow Earl to walk around the house in semi-fear, but when he walked freely, he also sprayed the house freely.  He had serious issues.  But I can tell you, I am so thankful that Earl did not have to live another day on Parsells Avenue, where just this  morning I picked up another dead cat from the middle of the street, hit once again by someone without a conscience.  Earl spent many cold days in the winter trying to survive, so for the past two years, he had a warm home to sleep in.   Rest in peace my little buddy.

 
Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Bobby and Charlie!



It was a very tough weekend.  It started on Friday when I trapped two more kitties, thanks to help from Laura - who was able to get the hard to trap pregnant kitty on Webster and Ferndale.

(On a side note, my computer - this blog - is not allowing me to do pictures correctly, nor correct my own typing, so this is a poorly written post today, my apologies - I could not even add the things I wanted to add - maybe tomorrow, but there's enough here for you for today!  :))

I named her Fern, and the boy kitty that was also trapped, Dale - get it, Fern & Dale ?  So Saturday morning I had to release the both of them, and as always, its very hard for me to do.  Dale is an especially nice boy, very friendly, and this is not a good neighborhood that I had to return them to.  When I pulled up to this location, I noticed the plastic totes that had been cut into little shelters filled with straw that I had placed there a while back, when the nice spanish couple allowed me to do this.  They were now trashed and the bowls were gone.  But five kitties were still waiting for me, and I had to release these two, so I replaced the bowls and plates, filled them generously, and released Fern and Dale.  I quietly cursed the monsters that could do this to the innocent animals.

So, just after I dropped them off, I rounded the corner to Short Street off Goodman but just before that turn, I saw something in the street, in the dark, flopping around.  Sure enough, it was a precious black kitty that just been hit.  I freaked, got out of the car, got back in, grabbed my favorite kitty embroidered towel, and placed it gently but hysterically over the poor dying animal, its eyes popped out, and started to cry.  A couple came towards it, and instinctively, I asked if they had a gun because I just wanted it out of its misery.  They said no and left, I called 911, they must have laughed and I waited in the middle of the road directing traffic around and within a minute, the cat had stopped breathing.  Heartbreaking, this was.  I scooped up this poor innocent animal and placed him gently at the side of the road.  And on I went. 

I got to my second to last spot and lo and behold, on Central, there was a six week old kitten outside 'the house' I've spoken about in the past, and I just grabbed him.  The occupants were sleeping, and I would never let a baby stay there, on this very busy inner city street.  I brought him home, named him Bobby, gave him a bath to get rid of the millions of fleas on him, and thanks to Diane from ACPR, she gave me some flea med to apply to him.  He is the little red guy. 

The very next morning, I went to the same spot, to feed the six plus kitties that half are still needing to be spayed/neutered, and there was this little guy outside, in the dark, all alone, outside 'the house' with the occupants sleeping.  This little guy is about 14 weeks old.  I named him Charlie, brought him home and washed the many fleas he was covered with, applied flea med, and look at him now.  Two gorgeous little boys needing homes!  And lets not forget Monet!  They are three of the sweetest little treasures - and I am so thankful I was able to swoop them up out of the danger they were in.  Of course my little niece Hanna just had to spend the night with the new kittens!

If anyone is able to help out with these precious babies, I sure could use it.  Either foster or adopt, you've got yourself flea free, litter trained, and cuddly little babies, any one of them.  Monet has already been neutered and given his shots.  Please, spread the word. 

 





BOBBY









CHARLIE