Not the Prophet Elijah afterall

Yesterday afternoon I received an email from somebody looking for the cat pictured above. It's "Ellie" aka Elijah (see previous post)! "Vivian" had escaped on March 11th from an apartment just a few blocks from the MJK alley where she was found. It was quite a coincidence that our network managed to find her on Monday, and that her owner contacted me on Tuesday. Or was it divine intervention (I am struggling to hold onto my Elijah motif)? We're delighted that Vivan and her mom are together again.

Eliyahu Hanavi!

So you know how during the seder we open the door and invite in the prophet Elijah, the symbol of the humble wayfarer? Well here he is! He is furry, female, and likes toy mousies!

Blasphemy aside, last night Ellie here was found in the MJK alley by Marienne. Ellie jumped into Marienne's car and asked very kindly for some help. She is currently resting in Vicky's spare bathroom. Ellie is extremely friendly and cuddly; she is very bony and has conjunctivitis (pink eye). We will have her checked out, spayed, etc.,; she will be available for adoption shortly.

We invite Eliyahu ha-Navi (the prophet Elijah) into the Passover Seder in the hope that Elijah's presence in our hearts will inspire us to build a better world. Thanks to those volunteers last night who were doing cat-related mitzvot (good deeds) and making the world a more just and free place for all creatures.

A zissen Pesach!

Here, some members of Black and White Cat World enjoying their seder meal. A zissen Pesach and pesach sameach!

Thanks for all the donations, readers and friends, which enable us to continue to feed and care for the homeless ketz.

Kobi continues his awesomeness

Kobi is an adult (5-6 yrs) male cat (neutered, natch) who is being fostered with a Hyde Park Cats family (2 kids). He is awesome. I myself have a personal relationship with Kobi and enjoy the pleasure of his lap-sitting abilities; his clever way of pointing out he would like some more cat food, now, thank you; his playfulness with toys; his soft soft fur. Kobi is seeking a forever home. Since he came from a colony we suspect he will be fine with other cat companions. Please consider adopting this handsome man.

Thanks to William L. for the cat food/bed donation!

1:27 kitten video

Ester and kittens Yogurt and Pretzel just being themselves for the camera.

Monkeyface

Sweet Pea + four kittens making themselves at home with fostermom Mireille.

Thanks to Ruth M. for helping Vedanta the Roof Cat and to Ruth and Amado M. for the donation.

Vedanta

Vedanta, aka "Roofus" the Roof Cat, was spotted by a sharp-eyed friend of one of our members last week stuck on the roof of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society building at 54th and Hyde Park Blvd. By using our fabulous network of fast-acting volunteers (and with the brilliant help of John, the building's caretaker, who drove from the suburbs to open the building) we were able to get Roof Cat down. Vedanta is a young male cat with no chip or collar. He is neutered and vaxed, and tested neg/neg. He is a happy cat, especially now that he is in fostermom Heather's sunny apartment. Heather says Vedanta is a "very cuddly, klutzy guy. Slept in the sock drawer. Likes to roll around on the rug. He wouldn't stay still long enough for a good pic but I did my best..."

Vedanta is about 1.5 years old (approx), is velvety black, and has brilliant and gleaming white teeth. He is available for immediate adoption.

Louise

Beautiful tortie Louise was trapped last month by Heather S. in Pullman. She says Louise was in a colony that a neighbor had been feeding for a while in her backyard. "One day," says Heather, "a couple months ago, Louise just appeared as a TINY little kitten all by herself looking for food. My neighbor saw her hiding in her indoor/outdoor room trying to get warm but could not catch her. Finally a couple of weeks ago a slightly bigger Louise finally went into the trap filled with stinky sardines and set it off and we had her. She just seemed to appear out of nowhere originally all by herself when she was teeny weeny."



Luckily, we now have Louise safe and sound in one of our trusty foster homes, where fostermom Claire is loving her up. Claire says "We are slowly getting to know each other. After a while of petting, she purrs and relaxes. She looks interested in playing, though she is still very shy. Fortunately she is a gourmand of baby food; when she eats this, she forgets her fear and dares to come out." Louise loves playing with ribbons.

Louise is about five months old, negative for FIV and FeLV, and fixed. She is available for adoption.

Sweet Pea and kittens -- trapped!

Yesterday at lunchtime I received an email "invitation" to a surprise trapping event on campus -- a beautiful black and white mama cat and four teenies (two weeks old) in one of the campus construction sites. Construction workers had found the four kittens in a construction ditch!!!!! Within mere minutes Hyde Park Cats had mobilized several members to the site, along with a trap, a towel, and some temptingly stinky wet cat food. Kittens were removed and placed into the trap, and from there it was only a matter of time until Mama -- now named Sweet Pea -- was also in the trap. The family is now safe inside, but we are seeking a foster placement and, of course, future adopters. We will also need moolah for everyone's vet care. Thanks to Nadia for emailing us right away and to everybody who helped out this family! And just in time: today it's snowing.

Click here for a photo slideshow

is it cute yet?

Is it cute yet?



How about now?

Pretzel and Yogurt. Four weeks old. Get yer application in now. Furrless kitten already spoken for

Midgie

What more, really, do I need to say, after you've seen these pictures of the adorable Midgie? I could mention that Midgie is young (no more than two years), fixed, negative for FIV and FeLV, and a fun and easy-going companion, friendly and sweet ... and seeking a forever home. Email hydeparkcats@gmail.com with your adoption inquiries.

Washington Park: Dogs need your help

Dear readers, Dog Day!

Washington Park is the large park, maintained by the Chicago Park District, West of Midway Plaisance and Cottage Grove Ave to King Drive, 5100-6000 South. It's a large slice of park with an island in the middle. And dogs. DOGS. Living by themselves in the middle of the park. Dumped dogs, abandoned dogs, lonely dogs fending for themselves. And now we bring you a project to help these dogs.

Eevie, our special guardian angel of dogs volunteer, is working with another resident dog-lover named Joe on this project. These pictures capture Red (the red shepherd) and Fawn (yeah, the fawn-colored one) playing with Joe's two pet dogs. Eevie says "Joe's little reddish female was born on the island a couple years ago. He found homes for all the others in the litter except for Fawn, who wouldn't be caught. She was alone outside for a year until Red showed up. I have seen the two of them around the park for nearly two years. They sun themselves on the traffic island near 55th street where it divided the two sides of the park. Someone (besides me) feeds them regularly, as there is a huge trash can on the island full of empty dog food bags. Both dogs are reasonably well fed, but Fawn appears to have been hurt recently. Maya and Joe noticed that she has a lump on her side and has been acting a little bit down.

The dogs are a bonded pair. Red has a more outgoing and bold personality, while Fawn hangs back. They are very dog-social. Both ate from my hand yesterday afternoon, and Red quietly followed me off the island for about 50 yards as if she was testing out what it felt like to walk beside a human. Both of them trust Joe and his dogs quite a bit. In a perfect world these two could stay together forever, or at least until Fawn learns that humans are awesome."

Joe and Eevie are working on getting these two inside, where they will be fostered with Joe, at least short-term. This is happening as we speak! Think positive thoughts.

Readers, we are seeking donations (to cover vet bills, primarily, but also to defray dog-food costs) to help our neighbors with this important and wonderful rescue. You may donate via our paypal button (please specify "dogs") or send direct inquiries to hydeparkcats@gmail.com; I will forward your email on to Eevie.

Photo credits to Maya Moody Photography.

Apple

This is Apple. This sweet young (about six months) female cat is from the Champagne-Furbana colony. Her colonymates Judah, Rosie, and Sparkle have all gone on to become indoor pets, Judah (now Baxter) right here in Hyde Park, but Apple remains in her finder's sunroom. We are seeking her forever home. Apple is very sweet and gentle, with a charming, friendly personality; she loves being held, and likes nothing better than curling up on your lap. She is very calm, especially for a kitten, and extremely affectionate. She handles time on her own quite well, but is happiest with company and attention. She is extremely cute, with pretty soft golden coloring and an intelligent, expressive face. Apple has tested positive for FeLV. She must be in a home without other cats or with another FeLV+ kitty ... see the posting on Shorty just below!!! Please email us at hydeparkcats@gmail.com to discuss adoption specifics, including our special pricing for these loving and lovable cats.

Thanks Heather S. for the donation!

Shorty

Slideshow of Shorty, a young and adorable gray and white kitten from one of our South Side colonies. Shorty is truly the cutest. She tested positive for FeLV. Please email us for specifics on Shorty.

Patches and Sachari

Patches (darker) and Sachari (lighter) are some very lucky feral cats. This bonded pair (sisters?) are the last two microchipped cats from Adrienne's Maryland Avenue colony -- she of Solomon, Elijah, Ashton, and Ori. Patches and Sachari were turned into the Animal Welfare League, by whom we do not know. As previously reported, the colony is no longer tenable; we needed a place for these lovely lasses pronto. And wow ... they are now on a farm in Indiana, where they have been reunited with another cat from their colony, Aslan. Their new caretaker is a loving cat (and dog) mama; she and her husband have a barn and an outdoor cat habitat built around an old willow tree that she couldn't bear to cut down when it died. Now the cats are loving it. Our most sincere thanks to Adrienne for caring for these cats until now and for Shirley for caring for them from now on, and to Mary Jean for schlepping them around. It's really a labor of love to care for feral cats, who after all don't give you so much in return. Ladies, you are truly doing a mitzvah. Thank you.





Thanks to Judith D., my cat-loving former neighbor extraordinaire, for the donation!

Willie and Lily

Lily and Willie are a bonded female-male pair who are seeking a forever home. They have been in limbo for quite a while. I feel sure that somewhere around here there is somebody who would love to have these black-n-white cats decorating their home--they are fixed, vaxed, etc., and they are DECLAWED. I feel these would be the perfect pets for life in a fancy high-rise. They must be adopted together.

Lily is the adventurous type. She always wants to know what is behind doors, on top of tables, behind curtains, etc. She is constantly sticking her nose into everything, quite literally. She is assertive and insists on first dibs when food comes out, intimidating poor Willie Bun. She's not afraid to meow when she wants something, and when she learns what she can get away with she tries to push those boundaries.

Willie is more self-contained. He loves squeezing into tight, dark spots despite his large size. His favorite place to sleep is the bed---on the mattress but under the blanket. He is a softy and loves getting his belly rubbed.

Please send adoption inquiries to hydeparkcats@gmail.com.

Lord Scratchnose

I don't know, he doesn't look like much of a Lord to me. Fostermom Heather W. is calling him Mickey. She says "he's very chilled out and likes to cuddle." This handsome young orange man is the first of our Minerva Colony Cats, having come in from the cold, on his own accord (no trap necessary), just last week. Fostermom says "he likes to follow me around asking for attention and comes to greet me when I get home. He will happily purr in my lap if I'm working at my desk and sleeps in my bed at night; otherwise very chilled, just dozes on the bed or the rug, not rambunctious at all. He's not an overly curious kitty, he just wants company. He's not shy or scared or defensive at all. I think he'd make a great cat for a family because he's so lovely and laid back."

He is available for immediate adoption! He's neutered, vax, negative for FIV and FeLV, and ready to go! Please email hydeparkcats@gmail.com for inquiries.

A purry thanks

Thanks so very much to our readers who chipped in over the last month. We had a goal of raising $1000 towards TNRing cats in our South Side neighborhoods and we almost made it -- we were just over 90%. Fantastic! To Martha B., Daniel B., and Hannah B. -- a sheynem dank for the mitzvah. A purrrrrry thanks to Margaret B., Anna F., and Katherine A., for this and your support over time. To Marilee W. ("Mom") and Chelsea L., a familial thanx! To HPC members Ainat M., Mireille D., Norah O., Ginny L., Diane H., and Heather S., who gave their money as well as their time -- thank you beautiful ladies! To my friend Julian H., aka "Man," purrs to you. To catlady Robin, a noncarnivorous thanks. And to Pamela C., Curtis S., Judie M., and Desislava P., thank you for joining us in our efforts.

We have two specific colonies we are going to be TNRing in the coming month. Stay tuned to see our efforts at new colonies "Minerva" and "Luella." Go sterile!

Solomon

Mary Jean writes in: "Solomon is a little cat that I brought in from the street (67th and Cornell) early this morning. He is in rough shape -– malnourished, an old wound on his back, a malfunctioning back leg – and is filthy. His long hair is matted. But he is the one of the sweetest cats I have ever met. He clearly was a housecat once upon a time, but he seems to bear no bitterness toward people despite having been abandoned or dumped. Even after everything he has been through, he purred and rubbed against me constantly after I brought him inside. He kept purring, even when he was at the vet having blood drawn." Solomon has been tested and is negative for FIV and FeLV. He has a place at Tree House Humane Society ... unless he has a place in your home?

Kobi

Kobi the ultra-family cat helping on a play date. Kobi is a player and a snuggler. He is available for immediate adoption. Email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com to find out more about Kobi or our other adoptable cats.

Adoption Event

Join us for an adoption event at Parkers Pets, a local independent pet store. Parkers opposes the selling of live animals, and they've been good friends of our rescue efforts. Please come out and support the store, and if you know anybody even vaguely thinking about adopting a cat, send them our way! Parkers is right next to the bike store with the giant birds in the window. Can't miss it.

SATURDAY MARCH 13 (NOTE CORRECTED DATE -- sorry!)
12 noon -- 3 pm
Parkers Pets, 1342 E. 55th St. (off Nichols Park)

We've got a herd of cats available for adoption, and even if none of our current cats catch your fancy, let us know what you're looking for, and maybe your dreamcat will appear in our pipeline. It's happened before (just ask Baxter, a former Champagne-Furbanite whose new owner was literally dreaming that an orangey male would waltz into her life).

Leif, pictured above, is available for immediate adoption and may make an appearance at the event (our specific cat lineup is a state secret).

Baby

Here's the new and improved Baby. The last time we saw Baby, he was a feral kitten who wouldn't come out of his little den no matter what. Fostermom Emily persevered ... Baby's companion Prima became so friendly she was admitted to PAWS and almost immediately adopted ... Emily continued persevering ... and now it's Baby's turn to find a forever home! Emily reports he "won't stay out" of her lap now. Oh, what a terrible problem!

Update: Apollo

Do you remember Apollo, the pittie mix we learned had been abandoned at our local veterinary office? Apollo has a home!

Apollo was rescued from his cage at the vet's by Lynda S., who says "I want to let you know that my rescued sweet pittie mix Apollo was delivered him to his new home in Indiana last week. You may recall, his dad came back from the war and died and after being shuffled around by family members, he was dropped off at a vets office and abandoned--well can you believe his new dad is a soldier who was injured in Iraq. Apollo gets a new sister Daisy who is a 9 year old black lab mix, two brothers who are 5 and 9 and a sister who is 11 and lots more family kids to hang out with. Lots of countryside and a giant field out back to play in. More importantly, a dad who has lots of time to spend with Apollo, getting him trained, into a routine and showering him with love. It was very sad for Kat and I to say goodbye but I can't think of a more perfect home for our sweet boy. I got a text on our way home-- Apollo and his new dad took a nap after we left and he was woken up by Apollo's slobbery kisses :))

Thank you to all of you who expressed an interest in fostering or adopting Apollo and everyone who was interested in his well-being and had a part in his life along the way."

You know what I think? That Apollo had Original Dad looking out for him. There couldn't be a happier ending. Good luck APOLLO!