Friday, October 30, 2009

Shakespeare's Garage Kittenz wrap up





Good news! The first four Shakespearean Kittens (Toby, Andy, Curio, and Valentine) are disease free! Feste, pictured here, hasn't been tested yet. All these kittens started out life in a garage and now they're on their way to being adopted ... and breaking the cycle of promiscuous kitty procreation. Go Hyde Park Cats go!

It takes a village:

  • Ainat and Anna and Vicky and Lilah and Ma'ayan (and others?) all trapped ...
  • Cliff helped cat pre-socialization in all three cases--climbing ladders and extending a hand to a hissing, hiding cat ...
  • Mireille chauffeured the first four to PAWS for their initial intake assessment
  • Kristen, Heather, and Ruth all fostered, and Kristen helped with the trip to PAWS
  • Ellen and Kartik donated food and a litter box and helped with Curio's socialization
  • Parker's Pets donated a box of wet food and a discount on flea meds

    So there have been lots of helping hands in getting these kitties to where they are-- now safely ensconced in foster homes. We're going to do a switcheroo this weekend and put Feste with two of his siblings into a new fosterhome. Now we only have been Olivia -- Mama Cat -- still to go.
  • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

    Battlestar Galactica kittens: now with insideness









    Four Battlestar Galactica kittens, obviously of two different litters, inside. Orange kitten: Ronnie. Browner tabby: Terry (confirmed female, spayed). Greyer stripes: Moggy. And black/white older kitty is Magee.

    Foster-mom Diane was shocked and appalled, yet delighted, to find that little tiny Magee was actually the mommy cat to these kittens and had started to nurse them again. That is ... until she realized that Magee is a boy. This sweet older sib was letting the younger kittens comfort themselves on his tum tum! Awww ... ewww ... thank goodness that's over now.

    Monday, October 26, 2009

    Prince



    Prince is a gray and white young male cat, neutered, about two years old. He's microchipped and has all his shots, FeulK and FIV negative the last time he was tested. He's litter box trained, sweet and cudddly. His owners have moved and left him behind; he's currently in a foster home. He needs a forever home! Can you take him in and share your home and heart with him? Email Britni at britni.ratliff@gmail.com for more info.

    Sunday, October 25, 2009

    Maggie the Homeless Magnificat



    Sweet young black-and-white female haunting a yard around Ingleside and 65th. Very sweet and friendly! We'll try to take her on our Thursday outing to Treehouse. Her finders can't adopt her, so we'll be seeking a forever home for this kitty after her medical vetting.

    Thursday, October 22, 2009

    Calvin


    Calvin is a neutered male cat found on Monday by an American Animal Rescue Society representative. He tried to nibble her hand, he was so hungry. He is FIV/Leuk negative. And his tail is dislocated! We'll update later on that. Seeking a foster (or, of course, a forever) home!

    Other updates: All kittens at Battlestar Galactica are now trapped. In Shakespeare's Garage we're still short one Mama and one elusive kitten. Will the person who picked up Cupid please contact us? And thanks, yet again, to Mike H. for his generous sustaining donorship.

    Tuesday, October 20, 2009

    Tapioca seeks forever home







    Tapioca, our Bubble Tea Cats Mama, is still available for adoption. She is a sweet and loving young female, very pretty, a good companion. She's a snuggler and enjoys being petted, groomed, and waited upon. Catnip is her drug of choice. She is FIV+, but healthy. (We can provide you information on FIV, a chronic condition that does not prohibit the cat from contact with other cats and is not transmissible to noncats.) Tapioca took great care of her four kittens at serious cost to herself; she was skin and bones when we found her. All her kittens have been placed in forever homes ... but Tapioca is still waiting for hers!

    Monday, October 19, 2009

    Shakespeare's Garage updates

    As we reported, Shakespeare's Garage held at least two adult cats and five kittens. One adult cat (male) tested positive for FeLV and was euthanized. By going out every night in rain and sleet, etc., four of the five kittens have been trapped. We now have Toby (pictured below), Andy, Curio, and Valentine inside. Mamma cat (Olivia) and the acrobatic black kitten, Feste, continue to elude us.

    We are in need of foster homes! If you have a safe indoor space and want the joy of helping move a kitty from the street into a home, contact hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com. We also desperately need help transporting these kittens to vet appointments! Do you have a couple hours to donate to the cause? We need you!



    Viola and Sebastian, now Leonard and Cohen, who were taken from the same alley as Shakespeare's Garage and are now happy indoor pet cats:

    Saturday, October 17, 2009

    Black and White Cat world and Porchcatlandia









    Our latest TNR cat from Black and White Cat World was Daisy Mae (called Kennedy in the last post about her). She was skinny, had a messy underbelly, and had a runny nose when she was taken to PAWS. The vet cleaned her up a little and said she had a UTI and conjunctivitis. The imposed post-surgery seclusion was probably really good for her, and now she hops out with the rest of the colony when the food van drives in.

    Next, we introduce you to Porchcatlandia! Porchcatlandia is in an alley off Ingleside, close to but distinct from Black and White Cat World. The tabby pictured here is Carmen, mom to Fred (peeking up from the bottom of the picture), Ethel and Lucy--the actual porch cats. Carmen has an interesting overlay of brown. Lucy is the most skittish and has not been trapped yet. You can see Fred has made his peace with the trap, having already been caught and neutered. Diane, B/W cat world tender, says "this reminds me of DH's grandfather's saying, 'He's not afraid of hard work, he'll lie right down beside it and go to sleep.' "

    The marmalade tabby is also part of Porchcatlandia--that is, besides the actual porch cats there are more cats.

    Friday, October 16, 2009

    National Feral Cat Day


    Today is National Feral Cat Day, as it has become known internationally by animal rescuers, thanks to the committed efforts of Alley Cat Allies. It is a day to recognize the growing problems of feral cats, and their place in our lives whether we are aware of it or not. National Feral Cat Day is more than just thinking about the problem, though. It is a day of action - where veterinarians throughout the U.S. offer their services to these felines.

    Come join us tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Backstory Cafe (61st and Blackstone). We'll be offering a brief presentation, a demonstration of a humane trap, and the opportunity to talk and ask questions about feral, stray, and outdoor cat management. The workshop is free and open to the public.


    Feral cat Management article: National Feral Cat Day

    Thursday, October 15, 2009

    Battlestar Galactica (redux)



    Battlestar Galactica the vessel is no more, but there are still lots of cats in this alley and at least one colony. I'll keep calling it B.C. even though some of our trappers (you know who you are) are not giving imaginative BG-themed names. (This same trapper had to be dissuaded from naming cats with a letter plus a number -- love you, DH, but really!) Trapping last night has yielded more cats. The white cat is Celia (a boy) ... TNRed! He went in every baited trap last night and even tolerated being picked up and moved around. Another cat, possibly Mom, is still out; she has an abcess on her cheek so when she's caught she'll go to Treehouse for her surgery/check-up.

    Celia checking out the grub:



    Ronnie and Moggie:




    Here is Ronnie entering the trap:




    There's room for at least one more kitten under this bed! We'll catch that Moggie soon! (The third cat pictured here is Terry who was trapped the first time around in this colony the other night)

    Thanks to Ginny for the recent donation.

    Wednesday, October 14, 2009

    Butterscotch

    With regret we report the death of Butterscotch. He had evaded traps for a long time, wily old tom that he was, but was trapped recently and taken in to the vet. He tested postive for FIV and was in bad shape, with a lot of deep wounds. It was deemed more humane to let him go. Oh Butterscotch! Brave warrior of the streets and alleys! We salute you!

    Thanks to Scott for watching out for Butterscotch and providing a humane end.

    In other news, Cupid has been picked up and is en route to the vet.

    Thanks to Anna F., Margaret B. (Chicago), and Joan for the recent donations.

    ****HELPING COMMUNITY CATS WORKSHOP THIS FRIDAY****
    National Feral Cat Day
    October 16, 2009, 6:30 pm
    Backstory Café (61st St. and Blackstone Ave.)

    Come meet us, learn more about what we do, and how you can do it too! Free and open to the public.

    Tuesday, October 13, 2009

    A busy night in Hyde Park

    Last night Hyde Park Cats was out in force, trapping in two separate locations, socializing cats and kittens, and feeding our regulars in their alleys. At Battlestar Galactica, redux (61/Dorcester) one young cat and one kitten were trapped, rather inelegantly, but still. At Shakespeare's Garage (55/Drexel) one more kitten was trapped and was added to the pot with his brother of the previous evening's trap.

    At Battlestar Galactica, at least three more kittens remain to be trapped, two friendlies, and Lt. Dualla. And maybe another dozen cats! Or hundred cats!

    At Shakespeare's Garage we have three more kittens and Mamma cat to trap, plus the friendly with the bad ear; now called Cupid (s/he loves us).

    Sadly, the adult male cat trapped from Shakespeare's Garage the other night tested positive for FeLV and was humanely euthanized. We named him Sonnet and wish him the cushiest afterlife possible.

    The first Shakespearean kitten, Toby, is apparently a perfect cat and garnered high praise from our halfway-house mom: "Although he has lived his 10 weeks (?) of life on the streets, he has already let me pat him all over, hold him and kiss him. I've loved many cats in my life and cared for many displaced ones, but Toby is one special little guy. It amazes me to think that his experience of humans is being trapped, removed from the only world he has known and separated from all other cats. Yet within less than 24 hours, he is purring and cuddling - he even licked me twice. He has hissed once or twice on my first approach (each of my two visits with him today has lasted about an hour) but I haven't seen a claw or tooth and he will even come out from whatever corner he has taken refuge in is in for more stroking."

    In other news, we report the homing of Teddy, the kitten found out on the lakefront last week. Teddy's finder has decided to keep him. Yay for Teddy!



    We still have cats available for adoption and will have more soon, as we continue trapping at Battlestar Galactica and Shakespeare's Garden

    Monday, October 12, 2009

    Friendly cat requires vet care





    While trapping kittens in an alley last night off Drexel near 55th St.,this friendly and beautiful cat approached. Didn't seem tooooo hungry but ate everything we gave it. However, this cat desperately needs veterinary care for its ear, which appeared to be very swollen (you can see here the ear has flopped over). Can you help us identify this cat--is it a stray? Do you recognize it? Any info would be very helpful.

    "Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps"

    "Love goes by haps; Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps"
    Much Ado About Nothing - Act 3, Scene 2







    Five kittens, one gray Mamma, and Mamma's identical-twin brother (?) living in a garage in an alley. One kitten is a Siamese, fancy that! Last night we trapped Sonnet (the twin, not the mamma) and one tigerish kitten, Toby. Tonight: more trapping! Tomorrow: more trapping! We're going to get this whole family.

    Sunday, October 11, 2009

    Megiddo -- now adoptable!



    Remember Megiddo, a cat TNRed south of the Midway?

    Well, he's back, and he's adoptable!

    Now known as "Mr. Cat, this neutered young male is social and very comfortable around people and has adapted quickly to life indoors. He likes to be scratched on the head, but is still deciding whether or not he's a lap cat. What he really loves is TO PLAY, to chase, to rough house, to explore.

    See more attractive pictures of this blue-eyed marmalade handsome guy.

    Friday, October 9, 2009

    Multicolor Cat Family Awaits Homes







    Tortoiseshell teen mom Jersey and her lovely kittens are presently being fostered in a Woodlawn home and are available for adoption inquiries. Jersey has tested negative for FIP/FIV/FeLV (we have not tested the kittens yet but this basically means they are also negative).

    The silver girl, Lady Jane, is a bundle of pouncy, bouncy energy and the most outgoing to the three kittens. The orange tabby is Tiger, the most laid-back and cuddlesome of the trio; the calico beauty is Marigold. Marigold may be a long-haired kitty; her foster mom says she has the floofy, silky, every-which-way kind of fur. She's also apparently "a master at the art of the sideways-backwards, back-arched-poofy-tailed kitten retreat, which she does with a perfectly serious expression despite the crowd of giggling humans and chorus of "awwwwww....!"

    The kittens are being treated for pink-eye and everybody has a widdle cold. Please send your adoption inquiries to hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com. Hurry! Kitten season is almost over!

    Thanks to everybody who responded about our fund after Cornflakes' vet bill: David K., Margaret B., the other Margaret B., Regina, Helenmary, Ruth, William, and Veronica and of course my mommy Marilee. If I've left you out, let me know.

    Thursday, October 8, 2009

    Cornflakes

    Cornflakes (see two posts below) was euthanized in the wee hours of Thursday morning at the emergency clinic on Belmont and Clybourn. In the early night he was coughing up mucus and appeared to be in respiratory distress; by 2:30 a.m.; he was gasping and wheezing and flailing about, unable to walk at all, but desperate to do so. The volunteer who took him to the clinic writes that when she saw him "he was sprawled weakly in a corner looking like he was clinging to a sinking raft, panting and making choking noises." The veterinarian who saw him says he likely had lung cancer and congestive heart failure. He had fluid in and out of his lungs (a pleural effusion) and a heart murmur. They put him on oxygen in a warm soft incubator. They recommended euthanasia once they saw an x-ray.

    The vet did say he had a full stomach, and good, happy final week.

    They made a clay cast of his paw and we have it here in Hyde Park, where he spent that happy final week, a final week with regular meals of delicious stinky wet food, fabulous snuggly naps in a real bed, and a bevy of cat lovers watching over him from near and far.

    Readers, cat rescue is by its nature unpredictable. We know, however, we will have to do things we don't want to do, things that are uncomfortable, sad, scary, disgusting even. Caring for some of our rescued cats is very difficult. Cornflakes is not the first cat we have had to euthanize, but he had a humane end. How thankful I am he died the way he did instead of alone on the street, afraid, cold, hungry. How grateful I am that the people in Hyde Park found him, cared for him, did the right thing by him even when it was unpleasant to do so.

    The vet bill for Cornflakes' visit was rather high. As always, we are grateful to our donors who allow our cat-rescue and TNR work to continue. We would be so grateful for any donations to cover such emergencies in the future. Please email me at hydeparkcats@gmail.com for an address to send checks or use our paypal button. We thank you, donors.

    Thanks to everybody who responded to Cornflakes' story. Special thanks, of course, to his foster parents, Dani and her boyfriend whose name I embarrassingly cannot find; and hugs and kisses to Vicky for driving Cornflakes to the emergency vet in the middle of the night by herself and caring for him in his last moments. To Nancy for plucking him off the streets in the first place. To Katherine, Leah, Claire, and Joah for the wet food which Cornflakes relished after a long period of hunger. To Mary Jean, Ainat, and Norah for their donations towards covering Cornflakes' last vet visit.

    And to Cornflakes, for opening our hearts with love and compassion and reminding us about being grateful for life's gifts when they come our way. To have the knowledge that an abused and starving cat was cherished and was able to cherish back--after all he'd been through-- this is Cornflakes' gift to us.

    Tuesday, October 6, 2009

    found kitten, found dog, need wet food!

    FOUND KITTEN:
    Tuesday morning: found four-month-old kitten on the lakefront between 51st and 53d streets. He is a white and gray-striped tabby (patched) and has a sweet, delicate face. He has been fed recently, he is fat, and his coat is in excellent condition. Presently at HPAC. Have you lost your kitten? He has no microchip, he's not neutered. Be prepared to show a picture if you think this is your cat.

    FOUND DOG:
    Thursday (Oct. 1): young male husky running down Cottage Grove near 58th St. near the U of C DCAM. He did not appear neglected, starving, or afraid of people, but had no tags, just a choke chain around his neck. No microchip. Be prepared to prove it with a picture if you think this is your dog.

    NEED WET FOOD:
    Cornflakes (see post directly below) can't eat dry food! Can you donate wet food for Mr. C. Flakes?

    Monday, October 5, 2009

    Cornflakes







    Meet Cornflakes, a perfect gentleman available for adoption. Readers, Cornflakes has had it ... rough. It appears his front-paw claws, and his teeth, were removed in what our vet described as "a barbaric fashion." The tendons on his front paws were cut in the process, so he walks splay-footed like a kitty-duck. However ... and thank goodness there is a however ... he is a sweet and darling cat, undaunted by his travails. He has perfect bathroom habits (very very clean) and he purrs all the time. He loves nudging you to pet him, and he sleeps next to you. Very calm sort of a lap cat. He's just really gentle. He also loves being held like a baby and carried around.

    Cornflakes needs a home where he will be an indoor only kitty, for real. Any other companion animals must be gentle.

    Cornflakes is a neutered young man, and has tested negative for FIV and FeLV. He is very skinny right now but is recuperating well. He needs a wonderful cushy home. We know it is out there waiting for him! Please send your inquiries to hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com

    Other cats available for adoption

    A giant thank-you to Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue for the recent donation of cat food and to Yvonne for getting her tuchus out there to get it!

    Sunday, October 4, 2009

    Maya, nee Connie, with Jane, nee Moe

    Two unrelated rescued kittehs have ended up together in a forever home: Jane, nee Moe, who was one of the Parkview Project cats at 51st and Cottage Grove, and Maya, nee Connie, our maggot-covered construction kitten. Have you ever heard of a happier ending?







    Maya and Jane together. Their Forever Mom, Helenmary, reports that "Jane often licks Maya when they wrestle, but yesterday, as Maya went in to pounce, Jane hooked a paw around her neck and dragged her down for a thorough washing. The grooming/cuddling went on for an hour. Maya tried to leave a few times, but Jane just swatted her in the face until she submitted and curled up close."

    Friday, October 2, 2009

    Blessing of the Animals

    Join us this weekend at Rockefeller Chapel for the second annual Blessing of the Animals!

    Every Sunday during the academic year, Rockefeller Chapel hosts a communion service with music of choir, organ, and carillon. On October 4th the Chapel will celebrate the Feast of St. Francis/First Choral Sunday/Welcome to New Students.

    Music will include:
  • Mass for the Quiet Hour – George Oldroyd (1887-1956)
  • Antiphon (Let All the World) – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
  • Selections from the African folk mass, Missa Luba

    Followed at 12:30 pm by the annual BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS – all animals welcome! With a celebratory lunch for people and animals alike!
  • Thursday, October 1, 2009

    tabby catdom







    More heart-melting tabbycatdom from Tapioca and her kittens Coconut and Avocado. Send adoption inquiries to hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com.