Kittens, Fresh Kittens

Kittens, fresh kittens: Tinker's kittens Turbo Chief Waffle, Prince Albert, Princess Freckleface. Email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com for fresh kittens.

HPC at 4th on 53rd

Join us on Monday July 4th for the Hyde Park 4th on 53rd Parade!

In this annual event, a parade of citizens and community groups "marches" a short route through HP and ends up in Nichols Park, where family activities are held. This annual event brings out folks from all corners of our neighborhood--and beyond. This is a great opportunity for us to get our name out there, and, we hope, bring in new volunteers, new foster families, new adopters!

We're looking for a good group of volunteers to march, and afterwards, we're hoping to do a little socializing at Nichols Park. If you march with us, you get one of our nifty new buttons to wear--free (design is the image above)! (We're going to be selling them later for $1). To march, you just have to have a good attitude and help us pass out our cards or bookmarks to people on the street.

It's really a fun event. Kids decorate their trikes and bikes, and anybody can and does march! There are also floats, horses, decorated dogs, etc. The route is not too long and then Nichols Park has music, games, a bouncer, food for sale, and just good old-fashioned community fun. Popsicles! Ice cream! Excitement! Coma-like afternoon nap!

DETAILS:

Show up in the parking lot behind the Hyde Park Bank Building (53rd off Lake Park) at 9 am (or find us while marching. Bring a water bottle.

RSVP to hydeparkcats@gmail.com so we have some idea of who is coming. Last-minute marchers are very welcome!

Be prepared to walk, scooter, powerchair, or roller-skate (etc) about a mile. Dogs and miniature ponies welcome (no cats).

A big PURRY THANKS to BROOKE at United Fulfillment for the fantastic design for our buttons!

Roger is the Man!

Roger. Is he a man's man or a ladies man?

Man's man:

Loves Cameron Diaz

Enjoys horseplay and frisking around

Likes dogs

Has a bit of a tough-guy look to him

Ladies man:

Follows fostermom around the apartment

Likes to smooch and cuddle (perhaps after a romcom)

Enjoys grooming and self-pampering

Nougaty-soft personality inside that tough-guy exterior

Verdict: CAT. Roger is seeking a forever home and will accept anything on the masculine-feminine spectrum.

Zumba for kitties tonight

Zumba tonight at 6pm at Nichols Park: this is the last Monday of the month, so Kim, the instructor and our Volunteer Coordinator, will donate whatever she earns beyond the facility rental fee to Hyde Park Cats. It's only $5! Get out and Zumba for cats!

Shayna

This beautiful calico is as sweet as can be. We picked her out of the Liliana colony to be spayed, but then we discovered she's probably only about five or six months. She's just gorgeous and so darling ... we'd hate to put her back out in her alley (where she has a food source). I'm hoping somebody looks at that shayna punim and steps up to foster her. Email hydeparkcats@gmail.com please. We will bring her for her veterinary-care package on Monday or Tuesday.

Kenwood

Handsome Kenwood was found hiding under a bush, hungry and scared, in an urban (for Hyde Park) yard where two big dogs lived. He's now neutered, neg/neg on virus, and looking for a home. He sometimes seems to limp a bit. This young stripey man is VERY affectionate and loves people. He would love a home of his own and promises you all the love you want, if you will only give him some scratches and pets. It sounds like a bargain to me.

Maryland readers? Check out my sister's fosterkittens. Hideously uncute, require loving homes.

Otho

What a great email I received:

Dear Hyde Park Cats,

A few weeks ago a loud mewing interrupted a night of TV watching. A can of tuna and a lot of coaxing later we finally got Otho out from under a car near the Kimbark Plaza. He was pretty oily at the time but he has cleaned up really well and now can't stand to be away from his human parents (his photo is below). Otho received a clean bill of health from the vet and will be returning later in the summer to be fixed. After looking at your website we found that Otho wasn't the only Roman Emperor in the neighborhood (Nero made us smile). We will be on the look out for any mamma cats or kittens in the area and you will be the first people we call if we find others.

Thanks for all the great work!

Emily

Thank you, Emily! And mazel tov to you, OTHO!

We're happy for Otho, but what about all the cats we have available for adoption -- please consider one or more of our older kittens, like the COWTENS, their sister TALULLAH, or WEDNESDAY! We really need to find some adoptive homes for these wonderful cats. Please write hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com and we can make a match.

I've been upstaged!

When Fosterers Take Things Into Their Own Hands

April

Beautiful and easy-going April was abandoned with her five kittens at the high-kill animal facility in NW Indiana from which we occasionally rescue death-row cats.

The kittens and April are now all spay/neutered, vaxed, and ready to go to a HOME! Three of the five kittens have been adopted, which leaves two kittens still available for the perfect home, and April too! This long-haired lass is cool, calm, collected and confident. She has a bit of a 'nip habit. She's been great with her kittens but would be fine as a single cat too.

Thanks Leslie for the carriers and the scratching condo! Thanks James M. for your continuing donations.

Tinker has been found

Tinker escaped from her perfectly lovely foster home on April 13, 2011, apparently in a bid to get away from her pack of kittens. Local blog readers have probably seen the posters seeking her. Well over the weekend she was found -- quite close to her escape location -- and pregnant again! Rotten cat! Two of her seven kittens have been adopted but there are still adorable kittens left to adopt ...

Thanks to Matt, Jennifer, Vicky, Ruth and especially Nancy for keeping the Tinker search alive. Readers, please help us out by taking down Tinker posters.

Cantor Evan

Fostermom Laura writes that "Evan has settled into his new fosterhome. He likes to walk around and purr and occasionally whine if I don't feed him exactly on time. He is a very cuddly cat and one who loves to lay around all day. Everyone thinks he's adorable and he has been a perfect gentleman to all guests. He's a real sweetie. I've taken to calling him Cantor (currently he doesn't respond to either)." The question is, is he Evan surname Cantor or is he a Cantor -- Cantor Evan? I'm going with Cantor Evan. Shabbat shalom!

Evan was living rough around 62 and Cottage Grove when his caretaker asked us to help him. He has a chronic but very manageable disease (FIV). He has become very sleek, look at this picture! He is good with children and is seeking a forever home of his own ...

Update: TJ and Samantha

We TNRed Samantha and TJ back in January. I remember sitting in my car while it snowed around me trying to arrange transport of an outdoor shelter for these two! Caretaker Janet sent in these pix of these two just relaxing, secure in their shelter and food source (thanks Janet!) and their inability to add to the outdoor-cat population.

Ingram and Babette

Ten-week-old kittens for adoption! Ingram is an orange and white male; Babette is a dilute tabby. These kittens were born outside South of the Midway. Their family won't accept our help in getting the Mamacat spayed, unfortunately. But at least these two have been spay/neutered and will not add to the cat overpopulation crisis. Babette and Ingram must be adopted together (special pricing applies). They are regular kittens with energy to spare who will also konk out for deep sleep after a round of play. They promise to give a lifetime of fun and love to their adopters.

Breaking News: Dogfighting bust

BREAKING CHICAGO NEWS via Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue. Six dogs taken in from a dogfighting bust.

This picture illustrates how dogfighters get pitbulls to fight: they keep them starved, secluded, tortured. I know it is hard to look at. Please look at it.

Pitbulls are pets. Dogfighters are monsters.

There are six dogs in total from this bust where this girl was found.

CBBR is seeking donations, but they first have to find some foster homes, one or more of which must be willing to commit to long-term rehab for one or more of these poor dogs. Two dogs are just puppies. This red girl may not make it.

Please visit CBBR to donate or to get a foster application. CBBR can't rescue dogs if they have nowhere to put dogs.

Itchy

Itchy, a young male from the 82 and Dobson site. TNRed!

Yasher koach to Martha B. Sometimes your vote of confidence my way is what keeps me going for another day.

Sitwell

Gorgeous Sitwell, requests--nay, demands--that you adopt him.

Fluffy and the Gus Bus

PAWS had their spay/neuter van--the the GusMobile out so we thought we'd try to get some ferals TNR'd from the Barbara Bunch at 68th and Langley.

Our medical-care coordinator, Laura S., went out the other Saturday evening and set three traps on Barbara's front porch. Because of the rain, only one cat--perhaps the most important one at this site--took the bait. It was Fluffy, a cat who is well known to Barbara. Fluffy's owner died of cancer 5 or 6 years ago and Fluffy, who seems to be a long-haired Siamese mix, was put out on the street. He's become pretty rough, has developed a pronounced limp, and has managed to father quite a few kittens in the area. Barbara has done her best to help the neighborhood cats, including this one, and has been very happy for our help.

Courtesy of Hyde Park Cats, Fluffy was neutered, treated for fleas and ticks, dewormed, given some penicillin, given rabies and FVRCP vaccines, eartipped, and his wounds and ears were cleaned. Fluffy had a bad case of earmites and had been scratching his head and neck raw. Getting rid of those earmites will make life much more comfortable for him. Fluffy's right hip has crepitus (grating, crackling, popping sounds) possibly due to arthritis or an old injury, and probably is the reason for his limp.

Fluffy was very groggy from the surgery and eager to get out of the trap. He stayed the night in Barbara's garage where he has a safe, warm place to sleep and lots of food and drink.

Good luck, Fluffy.

in the news

Hyde Park Cats volunteer in the news

Thanks Leslie S. for all your postering! Hey, you probably can't poster as heroically as Leslie. But if everybody reading this blog could put up one poster or perform one other act of publicity for Hyde Park Cats, we could probably get our current crop of foster cats adopted into forever homes.

Tabe

Tabe is a young male cat, about a year old. Recently neutered and virus tested, he's a slender fella who is pretty quiet and, while he loves exploring, is a real cuddler and lover. Tabe was rescued from the street by a community member, Antonia, who agreed to foster him while we look for a forever home. That's the best way to help a homeless cat, readers -- agree to foster the one you found!

More pix of Tabe in our Facebook album of adoptable cats (you don't need to be on Facebook to view it).

Thanks to Anna F., Angela J., Mike R., and Martha B. for their support of Freddie, who has lost his life-long place as a therapy cat in a home for mentally ill adults. We have not received any adoption inquiries on him. Readers, spread the word!

Dorcester at 57

One of our volunteers saw this cat between 57th and 56th on Dorchester. It is pretty dirty and its nose is scratched up. Didn't care at all about the can of food being opened in front of it (because of course our volunteer has a can of cat food with her). Readers, any information?

Thanks much to Paula, who gave a donation in memory of her kitty Bella. Paula specifically asked that we use her donation to spay some street cats. What a lovely tribute to a beloved cat--the gift of fewer unwanted cats.

Joplin

Another young cat from the 82 and Dobson site. Residents do feed them and some of them even go inside.

Thanks to recent donors Rhonda S., Yoko K. (for Cornelia), Mike R., and Mike H. We're going to spend your money on making fewer kittens!

Pudgy kitties

Thanks to Megan and to Aw Yeah Pudgy Kitties! for posting two of our chubby adoptables, Domino and Buckley.

Yes, this is a tumblr dedicated to catpudge. And look who's pudgy now! It's Sophie ... yes that's right ... SKINNYMOM is a pudgy cat now. This makes us so satisfied and happy--Skinnymom is pudgy!

And also thanks to Danna, who was Sophie's original fostermom. Danna is finishing her studies in Hyde Park and selling her stuff--and just donated her earnings. Thanks for the donation, Danna, but more than that, purrs and biscuits for and from all the cats and kittens you have personally helped save from death or a life on the streets.

Afikomen and Oni

I feel I only need to say three words about Afikomen (gray and white) and Oni (tortie), an adorable girl-girl kitten pair: AVAILABLE. FOR. ADOPTION.

Tough cat

Tomcat at the 82 and Dobson site. Local residents call him Tough. These poor guys have to be tough to survive out here.

Nero

We were contacted by a woman who works for our local vet's office. She wrote that "a few days ago when I returned from vacation I found this beautiful and lovely cat hanging around in the common area of my apartment building. I brought him to the clinic and I found that he had an Animal Control microchip. I tracked the number and found the owners who I called. Unfortunately they moved out of Illinois and they don't want the cat. He is a very friendly, healthy and playful cat who needs somebody."

Nero is a healthy and beautiful 1.5/2 year old neutered male. He's been virus tested (neg/neg) and received his shots. He is staying in boarding space at the vet's office, but that is a very temporary solution. We have no foster spaces. Would you like to foster or adopt this handsome man who has found himself abandoned? Please write to us if you can help.

Thanks Anna W. for the cat tree!