Kittens Growing Up in Their New Home

Smokey and Samantha are kittens from the Kitchen Colony that Patrice trapped before we met and started helping her.

 

She found a foster home for them, and is now happy to report they are foster failures! The fosterer decided to adopt them together. IMG_3872

In the meantime their brother, Crunchy, required surgery for his broken leg. He was then adopted by his vet tech.

 

Patrice fully vetted these cats. Even with discounts and the vet donating most of the costs of the leg surgery, her bills for these three kittens totaled $1186.03.

 

Here’s one of the vet bills showing the costs. Anyone doing rescue for animals off the street on their own like we do ends up having similar costs with full service vets. Patrice has been going to her vet for twenty years and so they have a mutual respect and trust between each other and for the animals. That is also very important – it reduces unnecessary stress while doing rescue trying to bounce from vet to vet while looking for supposedly the “best prices.”

 

And like every case, we did reach out to shelters, especially for help with Crunchy, the kitten with the broken leg. We did not get a response, and Patrice moved forward with the vetting as needed. Kittens especially require multiple vet visits as they are taken directly off of the street.

IMG_3706

If you’d like to make a donation through Paypal for help with their care, please donated through [email protected]

 

We are so happy these cats are safe, healthy and off the streets!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All Kittens Deserve a Professional Photo Shoot

Clara and Darren are kitten siblings, about 9-10 weeks old, that we’re getting ready for adoption. We trapped them from the Kitchen Colony.

 

My friend Mr. King is a professional photographer and offered his services. Thank you, Mr. King! Be sure to check out his site.

 

I can’t stop looking at these photos! The details are amazing. I will have more information about these kittens soon. They are in the middle of being vetted, tested FIV-/FeLV-, and after two weeks of foster care are pretty much socialized.

 

In the meantime, seriously, just look at those eyes, and the whiskers, and the fuzziness!!

 

Here is Darren. untitled-6494 untitled-6495 untitled-6502 untitled-6503

And his twin sister, Clara. untitled-6521 untitled-6514

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Thanks to Willow for the Cat House Donations, Buttons and Magnets!

Willow N. contacted me a few weeks ago, asking if anyone I knew needed outdoor cat houses.

 

Willow is amazing. She is part of the CACC Cat Transfer Team, and fosters for CARF: The Critical Animal Relief Foundation.

 

Joann and I went to her house together to pick up the outdoor cat shelters. We got a tour inside and outside of her apartment.

 

She was fostering a bunch of calico kittens and cats for CARF.  IMG_3329 IMG_3330

She also had a cat solarium for her window. IMG_3324 Isn’t that cool? It attaches to your window so that the cats can sit in it outside.

 

She even showed us the outdoor cat litter box she made for her feral cat colony. This one was pretty fancy, made out of a deck box used for deck supplies. IMG_3332

This is what it looked like on the inside with all of the litter boxes. IMG_3331

There are two entrances so that the cats don’t feel trapped inside. They use them regularly, and Willow said the neighbor’s complaints stopped as soon as she installed them. The Arm & Hammer Baking Soda helps with any smells.

 

She donated three large used Rubbermaid bin shelters. I cleaned them out along with the other ones that I had and distributed most of them to the Kitchen Colony and Chicago TNR for her south side colonies. IMG_3499 IMG_3603

Willow started caring for her cat colony as soon as she moved in a few years ago. The primary colony caregiver already TNR’d the cats. Over the years, the colony got smaller, and she doesn’t need as many outdoor cat houses anymore.

 

We were excited to see a few of those cats hanging out in her yard and alley. They stayed away from us at a safe distance. IMG_3334 IMG_3335

A few weeks later Willow gave me some buttons and magnets she made with the Cats In My Yard logo. She runs this business from her home, and said she loves our logo. 100715CatsInMyYard-3

I’m always so touched by people’s generosity and am glad that people are reading and responding to what we’re doing. It means a lot. Especially from people who are doing so much to help the animals as well. Thank you, Willow!

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rockstar Pets to the Rescue!

Elissa, owner of Rockstar Petsa doggy daycare, has been fostering and socializing Clara and Darren, two kittens we trapped in mid-October.

 

They were very scared when we first got them and needed human interaction immediately so that they could eventually be adopted out. Elissa has lots of socialization experience and started immediately. I don’t know what we would have done without her. Elissa, you rock!

 

Patrice took them to her vet a few times because initially they had bloody stool that needed to be taken care of. They also received vaccinations, parasite treatments, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, thorough exams, and boarding until we found Elissa to foster. Clara didn’t gain weight as fast as Darren did at first so there was some concern about that. She is currently on compounded metronidazole. But at this point both of these kittens are doing well and are loving being indoors. As of now Patrice has spent $796 on their vet bills.

 

The kittens are bonded and love spending time together. IMG_3773

And they have their own unique personalities. Darren is in full-on kitten mode and loves to play and explore. IMG_3785 Clara will pose for you on her terms, and then roll over for belly rubs. IMG_3797

If you would like to meet these kittens and help socialize, please contact me at [email protected]

 

If you would like to donate to their vetting costs and for other cats that we are currently vetting, you can donate through Paypal at [email protected]

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Kitten with a Broken Leg

When we first met Patrice at her colony site, she already had a litter of three kittens in foster care.

 

She pointed out their mother, Sally, to us. We were able to TNReturn Sally later that week.

 

Patrice had taken Sally’s kittens to her vet, Family Pet Animal Hospital. Vetting and boarding cost $420.

 

Samantha and Smokey went into one foster home together. Last week Patrice told me their foster home turned into a foster failure! They are now in their forever home. IMG_0643 FullSizeRender-3

The third kitten, Crunchy, was more complicated. The vet discovered he had a broken rear leg. It was an old break, but he said that it could be repaired with surgery. We have no idea how his leg was broken in the first place.

 

Crunchy’s surgery was successful, and Patrice’s amazing vet ended up doing it for nominal cost. Not only that, one of the vet techs decided to adopt Crunchy into her home. FullSizeRender-3 copy

Hugs and thanks to Patrice and Family Pet for caring for this colony!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

43 Cats and Counting

We’re still not totally sure how many cats and kittens are within the Creole Colony and Danny’s house. Currently Heather and I have counted up to 43 felines that we know about.

 

But we’ve made a lot of progress the last two weeks. Six more adult cats were spayed/neutered, and ten additional kittens were pulled from the site. Before that we TNR’d 14 adults and admitted five kittens into Tree House. There are still a few more that we know about but have never seen. I don’t doubt there are even still more that he never told us about.

 

Last time I wrote about this hoarder situation, Danny was asking us to bring in three sick cats to the clinic. When Heather went to pick them up, he gave her two cats, Blackie and Big Yellow.

 

They turned out not be sick at all. They had fleas, ear mites, and some dental disease, but overall they looked great and even tested negative for FIV/FeLV. Blackie

IMG_1333

In fact, they were healthy enough to be neutered, but this had to be scheduled at another time. When Heather brought the cats back to Danny he was fine in paying the $95 exam fee and agreed to have the cats neutered the following week. Then he admitted that there were four kittens in his kitchen, about a month old. He hid that from us previously.

 

He also said he was going to “steal four cats from a bad situation,” and that we could bring them in for spay/neuter surgeries once he got them. We had no idea what that meant. Heather pleaded with him not to do that.

 

But Heather made six s/n appointments for the following week in preparation just in case. We were really hoping he would not “steal” any more cats. Danny obviously doesn’t need more cats.

 

The next week he did indeed have six cats ready in traps and carriers ready for our friend Tanya to pick up. Blackie, Yellow, and four cats that he did not steal. Now he admitted these four cats actually were already in his house, he just never told us about them. It is ironic that Danny keeps accusing us of deceiving him, when he is the one who consistently lies, telling us each different stories.

 

All six adult cats received full TNR packages, including Blackie and Yellow. IMG_1598

And the four “new” cats, including Mone. IMG_1596

Little Princess. IMG_1597

Sonny Boy. IMG_1599

And Yellow. IMG_1600

He also relinquished the four kittens from the kitchen. They were admitted to Tree House. IMG_1595 11206828_10153227992814098_8632979580816268043_o

Unfortunately they also tested positive for ringworm, so the shelter is currently (and understandably) unable to admit the other six kittens from the back porch because they are from the same house. This was a kick in the teeth for us because the longer Danny holds onto a cat, the less likely he will relinquish them. We did not want him to bond with the kittens.

 

Heather worked really hard and managed to find a foster for these six kittens. They will be tested for ringworm, although we are crossing our fingers that they will test negative. The process takes weeks.

 

Tonight Heather and I went to Danny’s house to pick them up. They are absolutely gorgeous. IMG_1608

Sadly our conversation with Danny was once again very disturbing. The cat that was born in the back porch and lived there his entire life is sick. Danny brought him to his vet and he is staying there overnight.

 

Danny also talked about the cats that have died under his care. It seems like he sometimes brings to the vet, but sometimes he doesn’t. He definitely loves them, but he is delusional about the care that he gives them.

 

I don’t doubt he loves the cats, because he is always talking about protecting them. And frankly they are all he has. Whenever he talks about anything else in his life that doesn’t have to do with the animals, it is clear he is extremely angry, stressed out and exhausted. He talked about moving away with his cats because it is so difficult to care for his sick mother. She needs full time care, and he is getting very little help with that. They argue constantly. There is another elderly man that lives there as well that he cares for. This man’s family needs to step in. Danny’s family needs to step in.

 

Danny does favors constantly for people on his block, and they take advantage of him. At the same time, he is letting them. He is not caring for himself properly, and as a result, has become extremely bitter. It is very difficult to discuss these things with him, but it is clear he wants to talk. He is letting it out on us, although I assume if we were to suggest any sort of therapy he would refuse. So we just listen, make suggestions if we can, and try to move forward. We’re also struggling with our own emotions during these conversations because our focus is on the animals. It is heartbreaking to hear about how they die under his care.

 

At this point it’s also clear how much he trusts Heather during these conversations. He looks at her mostly. I am more of the enforcer – I ask specific questions to peel back the layers of his story to get to the truth. He knows that, but he is also answering me, and we take it with a grain of salt. He chooses to forget some of the truth. He was horrified by the cardboard carrier box we brought for the kittens. He does not want them to go into any sort of “cage,” so we led him to believe that the kittens will be free to roam in Heather’s house. It’s the only way to get him to comply.

 

In the midst of this conversation, he also mentioned he knew where the outdoor mama calico cat keeps her kittens. They are now weaned. We are hoping to also get them admitted to a shelter, and to TNR the mama cat.

 

We also made appointments for the two remaining mama cats indoors with him to be spayed next week. We are hoping that the sick back porch cat will be well enough to be neutered as well. But we are also assuming that there may be more “surprises” and more cats to be fixed. We are taking it week by week for now.

 

 

Barb G says:

Wow, this is such a complicated situation… I wish we could trust that some “senior assistance” could be gotten from the City for him, but getting the city involved in anything can end badly. He probably could use “housekeeper” help. Is there at least a visiting nurse who looks in on the elderly woman?
We can only hope that keeping the focus on the cats may eventually get him to open up to the idea of getting some help, even if it’s only people giving him a hand with the housework and elder care…. God bless you guys for your good work!

Maryann Collins says:

You and Heather have achieved amazing things here. I am so impressed. If cats built things, they would make a huge statue in honor of you both. Of course, they would probably also bring dead rodents to place at its base as a token of appreciation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RIP Betty

I TNR’d Betty from the Jose and the Pussycats Colony in February 2012. Most of this colony feeds and hangs out on the front porch. Betty lived all by herself on the back porch, and I was told she was a mama cat many times before her TNR. In fact, two of her daughters were living inside with her feeders. We took her daughters to the clinic to be spayed as well.

 

Betty was very feral, very old, and very deaf. The feeders think she lived in their backyard for the last fifteen years. She would not interact with any of the other cats in the colony. IMG00700-20120202-0926

Because of her deafness, I was able to get up close and see that she was sick. And that she had the most AMAZING amount of fur.  DSC07148

It took me three days to trap her. I spent hours in her feeder’s kitchen, watching the trap. This is a terrible photo, but this is what she did most of the time while I was waiting. She just hung out on top of the trap. It made me laugh so much, even though I was so desperate to get her, because she was so sick and congested.  And her coat is so crazy looking – it made her look huge, like a raccoon. mobydick_ontropoftrap

When I finally trapped her, she was on antibiotics for over a week before her spay surgery. She looked much better afterwards. Her tongue was always out, so obviously she needed a dental, but she tested negative for FIV/FeLV, and seemed to recover fairly well. DSC07253 I had grand plans of adopting her inside because she was so different looking, and her deafness and age made me think she was too vulnerable to be outside. Plus, frankly, the conditions she was living in the back porch were filthy, no matter how much I talked to the feeders, or offered to clean up. In fact, a lot of things about this colony were a mess, but I want to tell Betty’s story now, and not dwell on things that can’t be changed. When I brought back Betty after being recovered for two weeks, the feeders did not want her back. They had thought I took her away permanently. It was actually kind of a fight, but there was nowhere else for her to go.  It was so strange, though, because they immediately brought her food. They really do care about these cats, and allowed me to vet all of their indoor and outdoor cats without objection, and would even try to help with trapping. They fed wet and dry food multiple times a day, provided shelter for the colony on their front and back porches, and would never accept cat food donations from me. I would periodically bring clean outdoor clean shelters for her. But Betty was very feral, and would even snub the shelters I brought for her preferred old blankets.

 

This is the time of year where I clean out all of the shelters for the feeders. When I cleaned out Betty’s shelter two weeks ago, I could see she was very matted and congested again. I wasn’t sure if I should start trapping her immediately for treatment, because at this time of year she could not be shaved. She needed her fur for the winter.

 

I just stopped by the house today and the feeders told me they found Betty dead outside last week in the backyard. They always answer the door when I go there, but I can never get them to call me, even for something like this. I would’ve taken her immediately to the vet had I known, but who knows if she would have wanted that. I hope Betty died peacefully on her own terms, as a truly feral cat.  DSC07301

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Adopters and Fosterers Needed for Animal Hoarder Home

This week I was alerted to a hoarder home less than five blocks away from me. I counted up to 16 cats (the owners claim there are up to 19 cats), 2 birds and a chihuahua. The entire house looks like the photos below.

Renegade is checking out the birds.


Gidget is looking for food in the kitchen.

This is not just a hoarder home – there seems to be other problems as well. For now the couple that lives here are cooperative with me and want most of the cats adopted out. The best immediate help I can offer is to take the cats to a clinic for spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations to stop the breeding, and return the cats back to them inside. I need help finding foster or forever homes for 16+ cats.

So far we have fixed eight of the cats and returned them to the house. The majority of these cats are completely socialized. They seek attention and are quite playful.

This tabby cat wants belly rubs!

Renegade grooms himself on a cage.

The cat tower is still in use.

The cats are big, appear to be healthy, and get along with each other, even during feeding time.

They are litter trained. They still try to use the litter boxes that were originally there, even though they are dirty and filled with sand, not litter.

We brought new litter boxes and clay litter. The cats used them immediately.

We used traps to bring the cats to the clinic. The cats were calm and curious once inside the traps. Here are just a few of the cats and they are all available for adoption.

Mattie

Toby

Tiger

This is what would be considered an “indoor TNR” project. I am naming this group the Stealers Wheel Colony because I found a sign in the backyard with the lyrics from their song “Stuck in the Middle With You.”

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you.

These cats are stuck in the middle through no fault of their own. If anyone has any leads for adopters or fosterers, or any ideas on how to help, I am all ears.