More Meanies...

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, someone had moved the two remaining shelters I had left and placed on Central, where all the new cats – mostly new mothers – that I have been feeding, and TNR’g.  I was hoping it was city workers just to get the grass mowed on the two vacant lots, but when I pulled up this morning, I realized it was just another very mean spirited person.  The totes were completely gone.  The boards were still there, but the totes must have been brought to the curb right after I left yesterday, as it was trash pick up day in the city.  I consider that whoever did this commited a sin.  To knowingly hurt an animal, and in my opinion, it is hurting an animal.  This was shelter for the food because of all of the rain we experience, and what will they do in the winter time when the snow falls?  I must speak to someone in one of these houses, find someone compassionate around there.  Its time to knock on a few doors.  Problem is, you don’t know on people’s doors at five in the morning.  I will have to make the time to go when people are out. 

It was thundering, lightning and raining this morning as I headed out.  I knew I would have to dodge raindrops if I didn’t want my thick and normally frizzy, but newly straightened hair to explode.  Most of the kitties were waiting for me, under shelter.  I have not seen the three remaining kittens on Baldwin,  since before my trip.  I am not sure what has happened to them.  I have also not seen the very sick black kitty on Seventh, nor have I seen the remaining sibling to Blake, the kitten that is still waiting for adoption.  I do see the Mama kitten (she is barely a year old) every day there though.

Tomorrow morning I have two spots at the clinic for trap spay/neuter and return.  I will be trying to trap a kitty on Baldwin, and will be hopefully just picking up one of the friendly new mothers on Central and plopping her, or one of the friendly unneutered males, into a carrier.  These people in this neighborhood don’t realize what a favor I am doing for them, and its not costing them a thing.  It all comes out of my pocket, and they could care less.



Cricket



Blake





Little Orangie



 

I am desperately trying to find homes for Little Orangie, Blake and cute little Cricket.  They are all wonderful kitties that deserve a decent and loving home.  Little Orangie is still on the streets of Ferndale and Webster.  I’ve been caring for this cuddly sweet boy for nearly two years now.  Please help me to spread the word. 

"One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away, or try harder."

Cat Scratch Fever

I forgot to mention that on Friday of last week, the day before our family trip, my mother was bitten by her cat, Katie’s mom, Penny.  Penny got spooked by Mikey, another rescue of mine that Mom adopted, and my mother’s ankle happened to be in the right place at the right time!  Now, years ago, my mother was bit by her other cat that had gotten out by mistake, and when my mother went to grab her, she turned around and bit her in the hand.  My mother wound up in the hospital for four days because of that.  [Cellulitis in the lower leg is characterized by signs and symptoms similar to those of a deep vein thrombosis, such as warmth, pain and swelling (inflammation). This reddened skin or rash may signal a deeper, more serious infection of the inner layers of skin. Once below the skin, the bacteria can spread rapidly, entering the lymph nodes and the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body.]  So, being in Massachusetts over the weekend, my mother visited the Emergency Room three times, once on Saturday, once on Sunday, and again at 1 am. on Monday morning.  We all still had a good time, but sitting in the ED in the wee hours of the morning, the night before an early trip home, it was not fun.  Mom spent the evening and the next day, after a long drive home, in our local hospital in Rochester getting more intravenous antibiotic fluid pumped into her, and she is doing much better than when it all started. 
 

On my route yesterday, I ran into this man John, who has allowed me to shelter and feed behind his property for a few years now, ever since I got kicked off Grand Avenue after Wally moved.  He was running late, and I gave him a ride to a food shelter down the street.  Apparently he hasn’t been doing too good lately, and is not working.  He also mentioned that he is moving in October.  He told me he had to get rid of his dog Silver, a beautiful German Shepard, and was trying to find someone to take him before he had to take him to RAS (Rochester Animal Control).  Very sad.  He did say, however, that he would tell the new tenants about me, and the shelter behind there, and would hope they would respect that.  I hope so.  This is the location where I rescued Sylvester, Stanley, and Sadie.  This is where my Earl came from!  This is just houses down from where Neck Wound Kitty hangs, and a few others that I’ve TNR’d there, that I feed at a boarded house that will be occupied at some point soon.  A man has purchased the house, along with the house next door, and is fixing it up.  In the meantime, he has allowed me to shelter and feed kitties on the porch.  What a nice man.
 

I have not seen the Baldwin kittens, those being Cricket’s siblings.  It saddens me to not know what has happened to them, so I can only pray they are safe – that someone has caught them and is keeping them safe.  I have also not seen one of the two nursing moms there in two days.  I did, however, see a nursing mom that looks pregnant again.  I also saw an orange cat that looked pretty pregnant yesterday at this location.

On Central, at my new spot, where I placed two tote shelters and boards down for rain cover, these were moved – I found them this morning down a ways from where I had it set up yesterday morning.  I thought perhaps it is the city workers, and they came and mowed the lawn there in the vacant lots – I hope and pray it was.  I placed the shelter back up again and am hoping that they will stay today.  Rain is expected later today, and there are a lot of kitties here that need this food.

"You don't have to defend or explain your decisions to anyone.  Its your life.  Live it without apologies."

I'm Back!

And back into the swing of things.  I want to thank Kristin and her husband Darrin for taking the ‘front nine’ for me on Sunday and Monday.  I also want to thank Laura for taking the ‘back nine’ for both mornings also.  What an totally unselfish act it is to volunteer to fill in for someone who goes out 365 mornings a year and feeds at 17 different spots in the inner city where over 50 cats await her for their only meal of the day.  I will never be able to repay you, nor thank you enough, because that show of gratitude cannot be expressed.  Hopefully it warmed your hearts to see the cats sitting there waiting for their empty bowls to be filled.  My next big project is to get their spots ready for winter.  I won’t need to do this until September, but by then, I will need more plastic tote shelters, heavy duty boards, and heavy tarp, as I used up my last two tote shelters at my newest spot, on Central, where all those females have recently had kittens, and two were just spayed last week, and I am getting another two done this Friday at the new clinic on Bay Street.  I placed two totes down this morning, with straw filled inside, and a board over both to cover the food from the rain that we are supposed to get, again, later today.  I pray when I return tomorrow, these are still there and intact.

I also want to thank Maree, Mary and Jacqueline for taking care of my home kitties – They loved them like their own.  And the kitties were very grateful to see them when they arrived.  I know this because they told me.  The cats did.  J  Yes, I have talking cats.  Right.  Also, Cricket, the kitten that I rescued almost two weeks ago this Thursday is doing well.  He was well cared for by my neighbor Tracy, who took him to her house for the weekend.  I brought him in for his first check up the day before I left on Friday, and it was confirmed that he is a boy, weighs just over three pounds – and he got his deworming and first distemper shot.  He is a good boy in need of a home.  Very sweet, cuddly and loving!

I travelled to a small town outside of Boston this weekend, where family lives - a town that has an old New England feel. White-steepled church fronts the town green, which is bordered by black-shuttered white clapboard houses.  Old colonial homes and neighborhoods with the town center you see in old movies. The town center is adjacent to walkable neighborhoods that lead into the center. The center has small shops, restaurants, banks, post office, town offices, churches and a middle school nearby.  Very quaint, very New England.  At my Aunt’s house, I couldn’t get away from cats, because each and every time I go to her house, which is near a town square, there are a multitude of cats.  One beautiful long haired calico hung around the back deck most of the weekend, where my niece Brenna instantly fell in love with it.  We fed it all sorts of yummy things – and couldn’t help feeling sorry for it.  Cats should be indoors, where its warm, cozy and safe.  We hoped it had a home to go to.

"If you don't like something, change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude."

Happy August!

Thanks to everyone that voiced concern over Wally. My goals is to get him feeling better – so that he can care for himself better…, happy life, happy cat. I started the process rolling, by calling a social worker at the hospital I work at and getting her recommendations… So I will get all the insurance information needed and try to get him in to see a physician. Larry was brought to the low income vet yesterday and I was charged $100+ total for the check up and treatment. Wally surely couldn’t afford it, and it is money I certainly do not have, but Larry needed the medicine, so we do what we have to do. He has some more issues that I can’t afford, but for now, he is better than he was.


It’s a wet and miserable morning out there – figures, I just had my hair straightened at the hair dresser last evening – its gotta hold out for my weekend mini trip, so I was dodging raindrops as I went to each of my 16 spots and pouring food and water down for all the hungry kitties. At the one location on Central, there is no shelter to keep the food from getting soaked, so I hope the kitties gobbled a good amount down before it downpoured, not even twenty minutes after I left them. On Sixth Street, where someone finally moved into a house that I feed many cats on the porch of – and I placed the food in the garage across the street temporarily – the guy that owns the empty house will trash it when he comes by – I saw a woman standing in the doorway. I got out, waved, and went up to her. A nice Hispanic woman came out, didn’t understand me, got her young daughter up and out to interpret. What nice people. They told me I could continue to put food and water down on their porch for the cats. They said they don’t use the front porch, they use the back, and they told me to continue to do it. I was elated. You can tell these people don’t have much, but they sure do have compassion for animals. Of course it feels odd to go up to someone’s porch at 5:45 in the morning, but as long as there are cats that need food and water and shelter, I will do it! 

I managed to get a large dose of antibiotic into the black kitty on Seventh Street – the same kitty I’ve wanted to have euthanized because I believe he is suffering. But Laura has offered to get him and vet him and care for him until he heals, if he can, so I will do what I can to help him. He gobbles the wet food as if he hasn’t eaten in days, so he doesn’t even notice the meds hidden in it.

I did see THREE kittens on Baldwin this morning – one is calico, almost looks like the one my mother had, Katie, and the other two are black with white spots through them. Adorable, and so so sad. These kittens are the same age as this little one, Cricket, who is the most precious baby, a true cuddler and purrer, and just wants to be held. I hope to find her, Blake, a home very soon.

I wish you all a great weekend, I love to hear your comments, please keep them coming!

Around Town

My friend Kristin came by yesterday to go over the cat feeding route she will have while I am gone both Sunday and Monday morning.  She took a copious amount of notes about each of the EIGHT different stops she will make – splitting it up with Laura – whereby Laura will be taking the ‘back nine’, which is really SEVEN more stops. The last seven includes the new location where there were two females TNR’d on Monday.

Most of the cats there have plastic flea collars on, and may be cared for by someone there, but they are still starving each morning, and producing baby after baby. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that these two will be doing this. There is NO one else that will do this in my life right now, and that is not an accusatory statement – most people are just frightened to think about doing what I do at the time I do in the locations I do it – feeding cats in the inner city at an ungodly hour every single day. But as I told Kristin , I believe these people that know what I do – and a lot of them do – respect me for what I do. I never get hassled except by a landlord or two occasionally. And at 5 am., this is such a quiet time of the day here, you can hear pin drops, in between fire and ambulance sirens occasionally, but its very quiet! I wave my hand a lot in the morning and I get waves back most times.

On Sixth Street, someone has finally moved into the house where I ‘ve been feeding cats on – there are four or five bowls on the porch – they must have just moved in yesterday. I creeped up to the porch thinking they most likely trashed my stuff, but it was still there. I was amazed. I also wonder why they are still there, and are they allowing me to continue? What kind of people moved in to this house? There are sheets hung in the windows, and a small battered car in the driveway. I must leave a note tomorrow morning thanking them for allowing me to feed on their porch, but also must ask if they would like me to stop. If they want me to stop, I need to find a new locale for the six or so cats I see and feed here each day. There is a garage across the street – belonging to a house that is unused – the same house where a cat had her babies in a hole under the porch two months ago, none of which I’ve ever seen – I have a paper plate and plastic water dish in there, but occasionally someone comes by and trashes it. Its always something. I wish I had a solution to these situations I face on a nearly daily basis.

At Baldwin, I did not see the kittens this morning, but found some very hungry mother cats and others. I must work on getting these spayed also.

Yesterday, I dropped off some requested cat litter at Wally’s house for Larry, the cat he ‘adopted’ from me – if you remember early last year, he had a terrible ear hematoma and needed desperate help, so I rescued him from Pennsylvania and Fourth, brought him to my bathroom, got him to my vet for ear surgery, and cared for him until he was better. Actually, Nancy fostered him while he recuperated– thank you Nancy! I peeked in to say hello to Larry yesterday, and his damaged ear was bleeding, so he is going to the new clinic today to have a look at – poor animal has seen a lot and gone through a lot living with Wally. A nice man, but living on the edge of life. Wally seems more and more depressed as time goes on. He has nothing, and has nothing to look forward to in his life. He has no medical, and needs to be seen by a doctor. He is in his 60s, can’t walk great, his apartment is filthy, and he needs to do his laundry, which he would have to get a ride to. I can’t do it all, I just can’t. If I had money, I would hire someone to go in and clean his apartment thoroughly, and have his wash done. He could then start anew. And I could worry less about him and Larry.

Lots happening, but I take it one day at a time. That’s all I can do.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. " ~Anne Frank

Wow! What a Weekend, ,..continued...

so much happening, I had to make this a continuation!

So on Saturday, at 5:36 am., I get a phone call on my cell which is in the dash of my car, while I am out feeding Sweet Little Red and unneutered Sweet Little Blackie on Webster and Ferndale.  I checked the message and it was Paul, the kind black man on Second Street that allows me to feed behind his house.  There is a nice shelter built back there too.  He has had some raccoon problems – they were getting into his rooftop – a mother and her babies. I had loaned him a trap a few times, and this time, he got a raccoon. He asked me to come get it. I didn’t realize he had already called 311 to have it removed, but they never came and he was concerned for it as it had been in the trap for over eight hours! I finished up my rounds, and went and got the poor thing, and released it in some woods down near Irondequoit Bay, first placing some food and water down. The little guy scampered up a tree, immediately, and I drove away wondering if I did the right thing. I later realized that I did, by releasing it in a more natural, safer environment. I just wondered how lonely he would be.

The next thing I knew, I had another voice mail on my cell later that morning, from my friend, an officer with RAS (Rochester Animal Services) who advised me that she had gotten a call about a raccoon being trapped, a call that came too late in her opinion, as it would have been a more urgent issue if 311 and 911 hadn’t taken it upon themselves to downgrade the urgency of an animal in a trap. She considerately gave me a little warning that what I did – transporting a wild animal – was against the law, you must have a license to do so. She found out it was me because when she went to see Paul, he told her his ‘friend’ took the raccoon, and she asked who and he told her, and she said ‘oh I know Janine.’ So, I learned a lesson, and the officer and I had a nice friendly chat about other stuff and she continued with her day of saving animals in her own way.

Here are pictures I took this morning of the injured black kitty on Seventh.  Laura offered to try to care for him.  Waiting for an appointment to open up at a clinic.  Poor baby. 

Now for some good news, Monday morning, Laura helped me with trapping (she did it all this time – thanks Laura!) and managed to get three females – one in early pregnancy, and one that may have recently, or still is, nursing.   I am not sure if she is nursing right now, I have never seen the kittens, but we will let the doctor at the new clinic make that call. So these two are amongst the first patients at the new clinic on Bay Street. Now we need to get the two kittens on Baldwin that are left - I nearly had the calico - the little thing came right up for the wet food I was plating, but I didn't grab her fast enough.  That was so disappointing.  I won't give up.

These are what is left at this location on Central - that I know of - two unneutered males, and two unspayed females - here they are - pics I took this morning:

Central Unnueutered Male



Central Unspayed Females



Central Unneutered Male

Here are some great updates:  If  you remember Cheddar - the pretty orange kitty with a wound that I rescued from corner of Central and Third a few months ago - here is what his new family has to say:

Leo is doing great. He is being a very good boy and getting along beautifully with my dog. They play together and are good company for each other. He has not had any more "accidents" since the very beginning and he really is a lover boy. I do need to get his immunization records from you as I am not sure when he will need what. Every one loves him and he loves everyone. He's a great purrer and keeps us all company. He looks very regal sitting in my front window and very smart. He watches us in the backyard from the bathroom window and then when we get close to the back door he runs down stairs to wait for us. He meows like crazy when we are outside, wants to be out doors with us but very happy when we come back in. He is a great addition to the family and we love him alot. (so does my son's girlfriend who keeps threatening to take him home with her).

And the two orange kittens I rescued a four or so weeks ago, here is what their new family has to say:

Hi Janine,


The kitties are doing so well. Today, we opened up the door finally so they have the run of the house. They keep going back upstairs, though, they are not comfortable down here yet! They are getting very cuddly. Friday night I got some really good bonding time with them... Jim was at a dinner and the kids were at sleepovers - so I hung out with the babies!!!! Penny wags her tail when she sees me in the morning and is very lovey. Pepper is usually calmer and will allow more cuddling. They are very well behaved. They are funny though... they go from "cats gone wild" to sleepy little purring things in an instant. They are mainly sleeping on Russell's bed with him all night. We shopped at the Webster plaza yesterday and bought a book about cat care at Barnes and Noble. Russell has been reading it non stop and telling us all sorts of interesting and helpful facts. We also weighed them today. Pepper is now 3.2 pounds and Penny is 2.4. He loves food! I am going to make a vet appt. soon so we can get them all set up there. We just adore them, Janine.

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does."

WOW, WHAT A WEEKEND!

Let me start with my rant.  So, I go to the donut shop - what am I doing there you might ask?  Do I REALLY NEED A DONUT?  The answer is NO, I don't, but it was a rainy Sunday morning and I was going into work to work some overtime, and I needed a little comfort.  So -  there is a line of people, with three women behind the counter.  The couple dozen trays that normally hold donuts are practically empty, there are six people ahead of me, six people behind.  I wind up getting 'the attitude' to wait on me.  I finally get to order, and while waiting, I couldn't even see the donuts that were left, but when I was finally served, I asked for a minute, and I thought she was going to kill me.  HOW RUDE!!!  I am always kind, apologetic, said I just needed a second, and tried to make light of it, but she was STILL RUDE with her stance, no smile whatsoever, you could just TELL she wanted me to hurry and get the hell out of there!   Then she rings me up and tells me to 'have a nice day.'  RIGHT, you witch.  I treat people how I would like to be treated, why can't they do the same?  Granted, she might be 'going through something.', but aren't we all?  We have to learn more tolerance, patience with each other.  We are mere humans, and life is very hard, so lets learn to tolerate each other.  If you show kindness, you will receive it.  Thats that.  Done.  Be kind to each other.  Thank you.  OK, there, I am done.  OK.  Right.

On Saturday morning, the day after I rescued this little guy (or girl?  still not sure!) from Baldwin, I saw two baby kittens just down aways from where I feed there.  Remember the calico sibling I mentioned I couldn't get, well now there were two!  The calico and a black assorted colored one.  My heart sank.  They were playing or something, so I got out and set a bowl of food and water down, and went to the normal spot, where I am feeding a large white unneutered male, a beautiful red one, a spayed calico (thanks Laura), a white and tabby girl, spayed (thanks Laura), two nursing females, and now the two kittens - although Sunday morning the kittens were no where in sight.  Plus it was raining.

There is a black cat on Seventh Street (above, in better days) that was in rough shape, was limping, and I had snuck in some antibiotics in its food a while back, he seemed better, but I saw him Saturday morning and his eye is pretty bad, he is limping severely, and he is in really rough shape.  I am going to look into euthanasia for him at the new clinic on Bay.  He is suffering, this is not a good life for him.  I think I can grab him without trapping him.  Then there is poor Tuffy, his paw is so so sore.  He is the next - I must try to help him.  But for now, I must put an end to the suffering of this other poor baby.  Before I forget, I saw the baby kitten, Blake and Izzy's sibling - first sighting of the kitten that got away since the other two were rescued nearly a month ago.  My heart sank.  I won't give up.

KATIE!

Another Chance Pet Rescue offered to adopt the kitten that my mother's found stray, Penny, had.   If you recall, she had three babies, two of which died, but KATIE survived.  Afgter my mother's TLC for the past nearly 12 weeks of life, I brought her in to Petco Saturday morning, with a very heavy heart, knowing I was taking her from a very large, loving house, with her Mom, and my mother's other two cats, and placing her in a strange environment (not STRANGE, but different from what she was used to - :)).  Well, not even 24 hours later I got a message from ACPR that someone wanted to adopt Katie!  They fell in love with her, and as soon as she is spayed, she will be going to a new home!  Hurray!!!  Great news there~! 

Now we just have to get my new little one adopted, and I can continue my quest of rescuing one kitty, one day at a time.  :)