Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Twinkletoes -- caught!

We caught Twinkletoes! Check back for more info after Twinkletoes has been to the vet.

Update: Twinkletoes is a boy!

Update two: Twinkletoes seemed much more feral than we had thought he might be. We released him back to the cat colony, but will monitor him for friendliness. Perhaps now that he is neutered he will calm down a bit and we can reassess in the future.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Update on Mammacat + 5 Kittens





A long update on our Mammacat and five kittens rescued from a backyard:

Today the kittens got vaccines for panleukopenia (feline distemper), rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus. The official word is that we have 4 boys and 1 girl (Pierrot). Everybody was pretty freaked except for Runty, who was such a curious little trooper. So the feline herpes is still rearing its goopy, crusty head, so we have more eye drops to administer, and he recommended an over the counter pill that we can crush up in food for them that will help keep it under control.

So everybody but Pierrot is at the ideal age and stage of development to be adopted out, said the vet.

As for Pierrot - she is, as the vet put it so kindly, "well this one's pretty feral." She needs to be taken to a separate home from the other guys ASAP and worked on individually (hand feeding, special attention, etc) for another couple weeks, then she can be adopted, but she's always going to be pretty iffy, and with special socialization needs. If anybody out there wants to take on this beautiful girl as a project, please let us know -- done! Pierrot is the tiger cat with a white blaze in the third photo down.

As for Runty - this is really sad. The heart murmur they thought they heard the last time he was in there is apparently really serious, and he should have surgery. Apparently this surgery costs thousands of dollars. The doctor was really concerned about this ... poor Runty is the happiest and most energetic of the bunch but, as the vet put it, could apparently drop dead at any second.

As for Mammacat, she went home yesterday -- to Evanston. She is going to be with a family who used to have a very similar-looking tuxedo semi-feral who died. We hope to have a photograph of Mammacat in situ soon.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Twinkletoes


She makes a lot of little "mrrp" noises when she eats. The outer toes on both feet are colored and the inner four are white! She may be a friendly ... not a feral ... she's next on our list to trap.

previous sighting of Twinkletoes

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Czarina




Czarina is a cat clearly of the aristocracy. This beautiful high-born noble lady is friendly! So she was rescued from the alley and Tree House has accepted her into their adoption program! If you are interested in adopting the Czarina of Hyde Park, please visit her at Tree House.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

kittenball (update on 5 kittens + Mammacat)



Feast your eyes on this delightful ball of kittens and cat. Soon we will split the kittens into "the shy two" and "the social three." We are seeking a foster home (or an adopter!) for Mammacat -- somebody who is cat savvy and who can work with Mammacat to socialize her and discover her true self. We are also interested in hearing from potential adopters for the kittens. Please leave a comment or email me directly at terren at uchicago dot edu to learn more. We need your help!


Monday, September 15, 2008

Swift



Over the weekend the black cat seen skulking around campus -- notably our very own Swift Hall -- was caught! As you can see from his portrait here, he's a handsome guy, but not particularly happy. He has now been "fixed" but showed no signs of friendliness. We released him back to campus, but we're setting up a crash pad and feeding station for this poor guy.

If you're a University of Chicago reader, this would be a great time to send us some loot. Some money. Some dollars. Help us help Swift, aka Campus Cat. Leave a comment or email me directly at terren at uchicago dot edu.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

UPDATE on James Bond

Update: "James Bond," as we knew him, was accepted into the Treehouse Foundation. Treehouse guarantees lifelong care, whether the cat gets adopted or not. At Treehouse, no name is ever used twice! So James Bond became ... Lebowski.

As a result of some hard time on the streets, Lebowski is FIV+. FIV (Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus) is a disease that can weaken a cat’s immune system. However, cats with FIV often live long and healthy lives. Lebowski is currently healthy and without symptoms. Tree House offers adopters a lifetime health contract to cover veterinary care resulting from FIV. So go to Treehouse and visit him! Even if you can't adopt, the cats enjoy your attention.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

ONYX



Lovely Ms. Onyx was just trapped & spayed. Isn't she a pretty girl? So far we've had twelve males and only seven females!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Handsome Man ISO Home




This handsome young man (probably around two) is in search of a home. The folks taking care of him say "he's extremely gentle, craves affection, puts up with dogs easily ... he's a great pet!" Blackie is neutered and was recently found free of illness or disease. He's been outside with his babymamma, but comes in to eat and rest and goes outside to play and be with the babymamma. His caretakers think he would do best in a situation where he could safely go outside. Since he is now neutered, the babymamma will shortly lose interest in him, and he will be all alone ...

If you're interested in meeting Blackie, leave a comment or email Susan at ssoric@gmail.com.

Monday, September 8, 2008

what's next?

We're enjoying the cool-down after a hot summer, but thinking about the cats in the winter. We want to trap, neuter, and release (TNR) as many cats as possible before the winter -- to help them stay healthy, and to avert more kittens being born next spring.

We've caught sixteen nineteen cats from the alley so far, and four of those were friendly. One, James Bond, is currently at Tree House -- adopt him! We've also helped rescue Pants from a backyard and, from another backyard, Mamacat and five kittens, all of whom are going to be looking for homes. We have plenty more cats to try and TNR, both in "our" alley and in other neighborhood hotspots.

We're also trying to trap "Swift," a black male (?) seen skulking around Swift Hall ...

If you're interested in learning more, fostering, transporting cats to and from surgery, hosting them overnight before and after surgery, or donating cat food and/or money, leave your name in the comments field!

TNRed: Aida, Bobby, Chandra, Dana, Emilie, Felix, Gino, Harper, Jules, Kerry, Luka, Mona, Nino, Onyx, Pixie
Rescued (awaiting adoption): James Bond
Adopted: Bessie, Mimi, Isabella (and Pants)

Sunday, September 7, 2008

El NiƱo!




Here is NiƱo, the last of Mimi's known progeny (the name means 'boy' in Spanish). Trapped! Neutered! Released! Yay!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

UPDATE: 5 kittens + Mama


All five kittens rescued! Mamacat ecstatic to be reunited with wayward progeny. Progeny ecstatic to be with family. Kat and Rob, fantastic job on this rescue!!!

The kittens and Mamacat will all be fostered together for the upcoming week or two. A furry thank-you from the bottom of our hearts to Lauren and Peter for volunteering to foster. After that, kittens will be weaned from Mamacat, and potentially split into two groups while awaiting an opening at PAWS Chicago.

Of course, if you are interested in fostering these or other cats, or adopting these or other cats, leave a comment in the comments field with your email address!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Rescued!



"James Bond," a handsome black-and-white male, was just admitted into Tree House! Here are some pictures of him after being trapped, just hanging out in the bathroom, relaxed and happy. He's a lover, man, not a fighter. He's all about the luuuuuv. He is seeking a home to soak up the luuuuuuuuuv in.

Check out Treehouse if you're interested in adopting James Bond or another kitty.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

UPDATE: Mama + 5 kittens



Mama cat and three kittens rescued from the outside! Two kittens still being naughty. Raccoons at large ... rain ... hope to trap two remaining kittens tonight!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Five kittens + Mama



A young black-and-white Mama cat and five kittens have been living in a backyard near 55th and University. All the kittens are cuuuuuuute, and Mama cat, pictured here, is adorable. It appears that the mama cat is a throwaway or stray, not a feral cat. She is cautious of people and protective of her kittens, but goes right into that kennel and awaits feeding. The kitten seen here was caught yesterday and is very handleable. It is the second-smallest of five cutiespies. We are hoping that all these cats could be pets.

Seeking any help ... particularly foster parents to socialize. If you can help in any way, please leave your name and email in the comments field.

UPDATE: The kittens and Mama cat are now on a waiting list to get into the PAWS Chicago adoption program. The wait time is approximately 3-5 weeks for the kittens, and 12 weeks for the mother. So, if you are thinking of fostering these guys, know it's not forever (unless you want it to be!). The sooner they get into a foster home, the more social they will be. They will not be taken in by PAWS or any other agency if they are not socialized. Please consider fostering for a few weeks to give these cats the chance at a life.