Garçon

We got another kitty!  This sweet black beauty from Garson Avenue would run to the truck when I pulled up every other day, and I could hear his cries.  I would open the door, and from the first time I tried to coax him in (most likely during a storm), he began to do this on his own from thereon, beginning last Fall.  I would open the door, and he gets on my lap and first gives me a hug, literally, and then waits for me to open a container of wet food, and he starts to eat.  Meanwhile, I am petting him, and rubbing his cold little pads on his feet, and talking to him.  My friend and former adopter (of 4 cats!) and her fiancé go with me some mornings.  Christina and Lindsey.  Last week, we rescued Romeo, a gorgeous grey beauty from Garson Avenue also.  C & L were supposed to just foster this grey cat who was very lovey-dovey to all its feeders, and now they are keeping him, and have changed his name to Toby.  They said that they would foster the black cat at the next stop on Garson, and there he was yesterday, jumping into my lap.  This time, he wouldn’t get out after I opened the door.  So while he stayed in the truck, I got out, went to the back to get the carrier, got back in with the carrier, and we just pushed him in.  It was good timing because of the ice storm we had overnight last night. C & L are not keeping Garçon (pronounced the French way).  In fact, they have someone coming over today to meet him!  He is a former TNR, so he has his ear tipped, but he is the sweetest boy in the world.  So affectionate and sweet.  Here is Romeo:

 

And we have another black kitty in my rescue that my foster Tamera rescued from the corner of Grand and Stout.  She suspected she was pregnant so she swooped her up and we had her spayed last week.  She is gorgeous.  Her name is Velvet.  She needs a home!

 

And don’t forget about our other beauty, Pearl!  She is still – is it two years now?  Still waiting for her forever home.  My foster and former adopter Kim and her friend Julia have taken such great care of Pearl at Kim’s horse barns.  Pearl is spoiled and pampered but needs a real house to chill in.

 

As for more kitties that are ready for rescue, we have one at Parsells near Webster.  A sweet brown and white tabby actually stands on his back legs to get a pet.  He is a sweetheart as well.  There is also a family of black cats that live at the church parking lot area off Central Park and Fourth street that runs to me EVERY morning when I drive there to slide plates of food under the church van that has been enclosed inside a fence for years.  And for some reason, there is a person that comes there every day and removes the plates of food and water dish.  I just don’t understand how someone can remove sustenance for a homeless hungry animal.  It’s the meanest thing I can imagine doing.  I don’t know if they don’t like me for doing it, or they don’t like cats.  I am trying to figure out the wording for a note I would like to leave.  Any suggestions?  I obviously do not want to tell the person to ‘f*** off as that won’t do any good.

I am still in need of boards – 2 or 3 feet x 4 feet would be best. And dark-colored, or it can be spray painted dark.  Have to keep these shelters camouflaged as best as I can so that they are not messed with.  I am also in need of regular-sized aluminum pans.  Not sure of the measurements, but maybe 9” x 13”?  I remember the man on Niagara street a few years back who was stealing the boards.  He didn’t like me feeding there (what his problem was I have no idea – this was against a vacant building at the time), so he would come there every day and take the board we placed to cover the food – it served as a lean-to to keep the food covered from snow or rain.  This was before we built a shelter there.   He must have stolen over 50 boards.  I always dreamed of catching him and following him to his home and finding all my boards in his backyard.  People can be so cruel.

I can always use dry food.  I go through 7 16-lb bags each morning I go out (every other day).  I go through 30 regular-sized cans of cat food, although I prefer the larger size cans because its fewer cans that I have to open.  We find those in dollar stores.  Expensive at 1.25 a can, but they are so convenient for me.

I have an update on Garrett, the kitty I rescued in 2019 and was fostered by Max before he was adopted.  I rescued him from Grand and Stout also, and he has been thriving through the years in his new home.  I am so grateful for his new mom keeping me updated on him with pictures.  All he ever does is sleep!  But he does like to birdwatch when he isn't sleeping or eating.  😻

Have a great day and spread the word! 

 

Random Things

The streets of Rochester are mystifying at times. You just have to shake your head at some of the most random things.  I'll start with the most recent:  I was out this weekend with Sheryl, doing our thing, refreshing a few huts with straw because we knew a cold front was coming in...  on Seventh Street, 2nd to last stop (The "Apartments" - this is a large shelter with many small wooden huts underneath a tarp and have been there for years), we finish feeding, and cross Bay Street to Syd & Johnny's car repair, and I hear a thumpety-thump when we leave to start driving down Bay Street towards home.  I pulled over in front of a well-lit little closed convenience store (it was 6:00 am.), and get out and go to look at the back left tire to see what it is, and sure enough, a bullet!  What the ?????  a bullet???  yes, a bullet.  So I start to pull on it, and Sheryl says you'd better not do that, what if you pull it out and the tire deflates, what if it went through the tire?  So I didn't.  I drove home, and we are in disbelief still.  I go to Midas tire the next day, and tell them about it - three guys come out to look at it - and after inspection, they found the hole in the tire, but no bullet.  It fell out!  And my tire is still good thank God!  I have four-wheel drive so I would have to replace all four tires, which sucks because I just bought four new ones last fall.  But randomly getting a bullet stuck in your tire.  Now that's random.,

Talk about Random Things.  There is so much more randomness that Sheryl and I have seen, we constantly say we should do a whole post on what we have seen over the years...  but I can't remember right now.  I will be seeing her tomorrow so will have to get some more details, and finish up this blog then.

I had a call last night from a woman named Yolanda, and she lives off East Main Street and asked for help with a cat - asking if I had some shelter - I did and I got right up and drove over to investigate because we are having a cold snap beginning today, and I didn't want any cat left that I knew about.  What a nice woman.  She has a cat inside and said she tried to introduce but there was hissing.  The kitty ran right up to her when she met me outside her duplex.  I brought over a $40 shelter (thank you Cat!) that was snug and warm and set a can of wet food on the porch and the cat gobbled it up.  It was starving.  Then I felt her belly as she ate and she is prego.  Yup.  So need to formulate a plan.  I need a foster for this cat to go to after she goes to the clinic.  Anybody?  

All you need is a room with some food and love!  

Have a great day!

 

Pearl

 It's been a month.  A crazy month.  Before I forget (I did forget - I forgot that I wrote about this in my last post!!!  Forgive me...  but there might be a few new details here...  hee hee) –  I rescued three kitties this month.  The first was Fluffy from Melville Street.  Fluffy is the kitty that has been getting into my truck, and onto my lap each time I pulled up since the beginning of fall.  He is a LOVER boy, and he is a former TNR.  I swear, when you TNR a cat that is semi-feral, it CAN become socialized very quickly because even though they were trapped, they learn to trust you after that because you still come back to feed them.  And that is his story.  And he’s been out there for at least 5 years now.  I had the opportunity for Kristin’s mom to foster him in hopes of Kristin’s cousin adopting him.  That did not turn out, but soon after posting him on Petfinder, we found a good guy to adopt him. He goes to his new home this weekend. 

My next rescue was Momma.  Momma has been around for a long time too.  She gave birth to four kittens next to Sid & Johnny’s garage on Bay Street years ago.  I rescued all four kittens, but she was elusive to go into the trap, she was semi-feral too.  Finally, I got her.  And had to release her.  A beautiful fluffy black cat that I called ‘hoppity' because she would run across the road, onto 7^th Street, and into the back of a lot that I have shelters at.  And she would hop through snow and tall grass.  So cute.  She would lose her fur often - so bad that she looked nearly bald, but it would eventually grow back.  She has been rubbing in between our feet ever since, and I had to get her off the street.  A kind woman offered to take her in. 

The third and last rescue was a kitten from Grand Avenue.  This kitten, it turns out is over 10 weeks old according to a vet, but looked to be not even 6 weeks old.  And she was very docile.  I suspected something was wrong with her after the first night in my bathroom.  She was as sweet as could be and cuddled in with me when I would visit her after I brought her home, and then the next morning she was very lethargic.  I posted on Facebook, and tried to find a vet – I must have called five of them.  No one could see her, especially with the symptoms I mentioned. They thought it could be something contagious.  Then another rescue reached out and offered to take it to their vet.  The head of the rescue came personally to get the kitten while I was at work, and off the little one went to be seen.  And for me, never to be seen again.  Apparently, there is a woman that is known to the vet that had to have her cat put down and the vet felt that the woman would be a great person to take the kitten once it healed.  The kitten, who I named Prince (before I knew it was actually a girl), ‘Princess’ had very bad diarrhea and needed fluids, and to be treated for all sorts of parasites.  After spending the week with the vet – and the vet tech at her own home – she finally has had a normal stool and is ready to go to a home.  Thanks to the rescue that took her, and thanks to my friends, helpers, and former adopters Christina and Lindsey who found the kitten in the shelter originally.

There are a good handful of cats that need to be rescued from the streets.  One is a very sweet former TNR who is all-black.  He is another one that jumps on my lap and sits there until I have to leave – on Garson.  There is a very sweet, sweet, young brown Tabby on Melville that runs to the truck, and meows all the way back to the shelter each time.  There is a beautiful grey cat on Garson that is super sweet.  And another brown and white tabby on Parsells that would rather be a pet than eat.  Such sweet sweet animals!  If you have a home with a spare room, please consider fostering.  That’s all they need is a room with a window, food, and a litter box.   I will get them adopted!  Promise!  

And let's not forget about Pearl, who has been waiting for over a year now for her forever home.  It takes just one very special person out there to give her a chance.  Here is her bio, and her beautiful pictures!  She is SO pretty!  💓

Say hello to Pearl, a sweet, shy white and black kitty looking for a special home in the Rochester area.

Pearl has beautiful bright eyes and harlequin cat markings. She is a petite adult female cat, probably five years old and weighing less than 10 pounds.

Pearl would like a quiet home where she can explore, find her favorite spots to watch the world, and enjoy a lap to snuggle on and receive scratches behind the ears.

She will be shy and timid at first, but will reward a gentle person whom she trusts with love and a purr which shows why we could call her “Purrl” instead!

Are you ready to give Pearl the kind, caring home that she deserves?

Pearl is spayed, fully vetted, litter trained, and in good health. If you are interested in adopting Pearl, please contact us at: janinethebeanrescue@gmail.com

Or complete an adoption application at: http://www.janinethebeanrescue.org/cat-adoption-form/

Half of Pearl’s $150 adoption fee is sponsored by a donor.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

55 Rescues!

Happy end to a not-so-great year.  For me.  I had a few too many health issues than I care to count.  
But all is well again and I am looking forward to a new year, putting sad thoughts and people out of my mind, and looking forward to happy and good times.

As far as cats go, two more lucky kitties are off the street.  Two weeks ago, someone offered me the opportunity to foster a cat - and so Fluffy was swept up from Melville Street that Sunday morning, and whisked off to Kristin's mom's house in Rush.  I was on pins and needles waiting for her to let me know how he would respond once out of the carrier because he did NOT like going IN the carrier.  Not to mention, he was a former TNR (Trap, Neuter Return) many many years ago.  This past year he has trusted me so much that he would run to the truck and hop in to rub his face with mine, and purr at the scratches and pets he got from me until we had to leave to feed at the next location.  It was heartbreaking to leave him.  He wasn't even interested in eating sometimes, he just wanted to be loved.  

So the first report I received was that the second he got out of the carrier, he began to rub against Mrs. Miller, Kristin's mom.  He did not run and hide, he just wanted to be loved.  I went over Christmas eve to check on him, and boy is he a lover.  He will make someone very happy if they are looking for a lover of a cat!

Second rescue:  Mama from Bay Street!  Mama had litter after litter until I finally got her trapped and fixed.  She would never let us get near her until maybe two years ago she started to come around.  This year, she was a lover.  She would run up for pets, always hungry, but more hungry for attention.  I rescued her four kittens before I TNR'd her five or so years ago.  Two of the four was Emmet, the other was Pip (I adopted those two out together)...   She started to cross over Bay Street which was very busy, and come to the Seventh Street shelter.  She is known for her hopping in the grass like a bunny.  Very cute.  Anyway, someone offered to take her in, and voila!  I got her last Sunday morning.  Thank God for adopters and fosters!  It just takes a spare room with food, water, and a window to look out of.  Please consider!  Below is Mama.  Unfortunately, I was not able to get a picture from her adopter.  This is when she was still on the street.  I am certain she was grateful to be off the street and away from the cold and winds we have had.

I have another kitty in my sights to rescue - he is a former TNR as well and is pure black, sleek and silky, AND a cuddle bug.   He is located on Garson Avenue and runs to the truck when he sees and hears it.  He cries and cries until I open the door and when I do, up he jumps onto my lap.  I close the door and he loves to be on my lap and have the heater warming him up.  This morning, he nuzzled against my face.  A very sweet cat indeed.

We had a wicked windstorm this past weekend, but nothing like the blizzard that Buffalo had.  We had very little snow, and they had over 50 inches. I was glad to go out and see all my shelters still intact.  I worry about the shelters, but with enough bricks and large rocks, they stay put very nicely.

My needs:  DRY FOOD, tarps (dark green or brown (camo)) SHELTERS (I can tell you how to make them if you don't know how to do it).  They can be styrofoam or plastic tote bins.  Think about the size - they should be large enough for a cat to get in and turn around comfortably.  

And now for some fun facts about your cats:

8 Things Your Cat Loves

 

Because cats are such smart, sentient creatures, they can have a long list of likes (and, perhaps, an equally long list of dislikes!) In most cases, the things your cat loves are the very same things you love—like fresh, tasty food, long naps in cozy spots, and plenty of fun activities, to name a few.

Just like us humans, the things cats find interesting, fun, or exciting can change as they age—your cat may love her toy with feathers one day, but find it boring the next. As a kitty parent, it's your job to recognize when your cat's interests change, so you can keep her happy, healthy, and engaged. Although likes can vary from cat to cat, these eight kitty "likes" are a great place to start.

01of 08

Cats Love Taking Naps

It's no secret that cats love to sleep. In fact, the average kitty sleeps for a whopping 12 to 16 hours per day! Because cats are nocturnal creatures, they snooze most of the day away—and who can blame them? Everyone loves a nice, long nap in a cozy, comfy spot.

Keep in mind, kittens and senior cats will spend more time sleeping than, say, an adolescent cat. But if you're worried that your cat is sleeping too much—or too little—talk to your vet about what's normal for his breed, age, activity level, and size.

02of 08

Cats Love Grooming and Being Groomed

Did you know adult cats spend approximately half of their waking hours grooming? Clearly, grooming is an important part of a kitty's life!

There are a few reasons cats dedicate so much time to grooming:

1. It keeps them clean. Not only does grooming help cats remove dirt and grime from their coats, but it prevents predators and prey from detecting them. How? Licking their coats removes any smells it has absorbed.
2. It keeps their skin and coat healthy. Regular grooming disperses the oils naturally produced by a cat's skin and fur, keeping her coat healthy, shiny, and hydrated.
3. It makes them feel relaxed. There's nothing more relaxing than a massage, right? Well, cats feel the same way! Rather than visiting a masseuse, they simply groom themselves to reduce stress and calm down.
4. It helps them bond with other kitties. Cats groom each other—and their humans!—to develop and strengthen their bond. You'll often see cats grooming each other in hard-to-reach places.
5. It cools them off. Humans sweat. Dogs pant. Cats lick themselves. When it's super hot out, cats dampen their fur with saliva to cool off.

Not every cat loves to be groomed by his humans, but if yours does, try brushing his fur with a natural bristle or rubber brush. It'll remove any residue from his fur and feel super relaxing, too.

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Cats Love Fresh, Nutritious Food

It's unlikely that you'd want to dive into a big plate of spoiled food at dinnertime. The same goes for your cat. Stale and spoiled food doesn't just taste bad, either—it can grow mold or host multiple types of bacteria, like Salmonella and Staphylococcus, too.

Whenever you serve your kitty's meals, be sure to check the expiration dates on both wet and dry food. This will ensure you're only feeding her fresh, nutritious, and safe meals.

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04of 08

Cats Love Running Water

If you have a cat, you know they'll try to drink water from running faucets whenever the opportunity presents itself. Fortunately, there are tons of drinking fountains—designed especially for cats—so they always have cool, fresh, running water available.

Believe it or not, some breeds of cats also like to play in the water. If your cat loves to splash around, try filling up the bathtub or a kiddie pool with a few inches of water during her playtime. This activity will help her get a little bit of exercise and cool off on particularly hot days.

 The 7 Best Cat Water Fountains of 2022, Tested and Reviewed

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05of 08

Cats Love Scratching and Clawing

 

@woocy_woo / Instagram

One of the cats' basic instincts is to sharpen their claws by scratching and clawing different surfaces. They also happen to get a ton of joy from it, too.

In addition to sharpening their claws, scratching can help relax and rejuvenate cats. Think of it as the human equivalent to a nice, long stretch when your muscles are tired or achy. A quick scratch session on a cat tree or scratching post can wake a tired kitty up immediately.

06of 08

Cats Love Daily Playtime

Playtime is a serious business for cats, all the way from kittenhood to their senior years. It doesn't take much to keep a cat entertained—she'll play with anything from lint to tricked-out cat toys—but it is a vital part of their health and development. Not only does playtime hark back to their days in the wild when they had to stalk, hunt, and capture their prey, but it keeps them exercised, engaged, and happy, too.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of cat toys on the market, but your cat may like playing games, such as hide and seek, too. No matter your cat's choice of play, it's important to sneak in a few minutes daily.

Cats Love Watching Birds

 

@adventures_in_catland

not uncommon to see cats curled up on windowsills. Why? It's a prime bird watching location! Whether cats love to watch birds because they're prey or simply because the movement captures their attention, some cats can spend hours observing birds every day.

If your cat loves to curl up in windows, be sure to protect her skin from the sun's harsh rays, especially if she has light-colored fur. Try to limit her hours next to the window when the sun is strongest—between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.—and talk to your vet about kitty-approved sunscreens.

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Cats Love Their Humans

Although cats are often depicted as solitary animals, they need love, attention, and companionship—and love to get it from their humans. The ways cats say "I love you" are just a little bit different than we humans.

Some signs your cat loves you include purring, bunting (or putting her head on you), sleeping on or near you, meowing, licking, and even sticking her butt in your face. Yes, really.

Now, have a great day!