Grady

L'shanah tovah, readers! For the New Year we bring you Grady, who is so happy to be inside that only "content-a-cat" photos, with closed eyes, are currently available. Grady has been living outdoors and being caretaken by Barbara J., who we've been working with on the outdoor-cat population on her block. Barbara just thought Grady was too friendly to be left outside. He was neutered, vaxed, dewormed, etc., and is now in Laura F.'s loving fosterhome. She says "He's doing great. He immediately scarfed down a big bowl of food after being let out of his cage. He seems a bit timid and tired, but extremely friendly and happy to be indoors and out of the rain. Right now he is laying in my lap, sleeping and purring." Thanks to Barbara J. for watching out for him; to Laura S. for coordinating his medical care; to Laura F. for fostermoming -- and also to Sarah and Jim and their kids, who recently adopted Tabe and Nero. Because Nero found a home, we were able to bring Grady inside.

A sweet new year to all!

Cricket

Cricket was trapped last week at the Brickyard Garden feral-cat colony south of the midway. He is no feral cat. He loves to nuzzle and even allow you to fwoof up his fwoofy tummy fwoof. Fostermom, who has three resident cats, reports that he is fitting in well. "He always greets me and approaches me for pets when I call his name. An this morning, he and Marlo (formerly known as Cat 233 were galloping around my apartment playing with each other." Cricket is neg/neg, neutered, vaxed, and ready for a forever home. He is FLOOFY and needs a companion who loves to floof the floof!

Cricket was the winning boy's name from the 57th Street Children's Book Fair cat-naming contest. Thanks kids!

Kitten at 65/Woodlawn

Over the weekend our medical-care coordinator, Laura, received a call from a woman whose neighbor had found a very small kitten at 65th and Woodlawn. The kitten was panting, felt cold, and was covered with fleas. She held it up to the phone and Laura could hear it crying.

We managed to get our special kitten-savin' volunteer Megg over to the kitten, and Megg took it home. Megg said "it was indeed cold and crying in a disturbing way (like the deeply injured kind of yowl), and extremely dirty. I warmed it up and started on sugar syrup, eventually got up to syringe and then bottlefeeding goat milk. It was happy to take up residence inside my shirt and seemed to be improving up til around midnight--stopped crying, etc. Then it started yowling a little and stopped breathing. Started breathing again when rubbed, but ultimately let go. It seemed to be three or four weeks old (standing ears, mostly open eyes)."

It seems that Mamacat was taken to or picked up by Animal Care and Control, and this little one was left behind. Sadly, it was found too late (or perhaps had an underlying issue) and had been cold and hungry for too long.

Thanks to Laura for coordinating care, to the caring finders whose names I never got, and to Megg and her son, who gave this tiny soul a last few hours of cozy. RIP tiny kitten.

UHaul was found! He was hiding out in a dresser/closet ... here he is on the way to a vet check-up this morning.

Adoptions pending: Oni (as a second cat)!
Nero!
Tabe!

And guess what, Nero and Tabe will be going home together -- to a home with two young boys. Good luck everyone! Happy lives!

Tonight: Zumba for kitties! 7-8 pm in Nichols Park, only $5, and all profit goest towards Hyde Park Cats. I hear there may be a Milli Vanilli song in the mix ...

Clark

This is Clark, TNRed from the Liliana Avenue last week.

On Sunday, October 23rd, we will be partnering with Trio Animal Foundation for the monthly volunteer day at the Animal Welfare League. This is a great opportunity to meet other animal rescue volunteers while cuddling/socializing with needy cats. The more attention these kitties get, the better their chances of being pulled by a rescue organization.

If you have already been thru a volunteer orientation at AWL, you can go socialize cats there ANYTIME. That's probably more important that going on the mass volunteer day. Pick one day a month and go with a friend -- snuggle and groom three to six cats each -- you will have truly made those a difference in those cats' lives.

Email hydeparkcats@gmail.com for more information.

Thanks to recent (regular) donors Mike R. and James M., and also to Mikki K.

Elphie

Purr machine Elphie came from Tanya's tribe on 67th and Cornell. While she doesn't enjoy a party of strangers, she absolutely adores her fostermom and loves sitting on top of her purring non-stop. She enjoys exploring and quickly found a way to the top of the closet and other exciting places to perch. She's only six or seven months old, spayed and up-to-date on shots. She's sure to delight her lucky adopter and is ultra decorative besides. This gorgeous little girl is seeking her furrever home and promises the right person a lifetime of purry companionship.

Ako

Ako was the winning girl's name from the 57th Street Children's Book Fair cat-naming contest. How apropos, because as you can see Ako loves her some Domo (Ako is a Japanese name; Domo is ... well, he's Domo. Ako is a loving and affectionate adult female who enjoys petting, scritching, sitting on your lap, and sleeping on your bed. Previous post on Ako.

Ashland

Ashland was trapped by MJK in the Liliana colony on Wednesday. He's inside while we monitor him for friendliness. He seemed slightly peeved by his change of venue -- ingrate!

Thanks Mike H. for the donation. You are our ongoing hero.

Zumba for kitties tonight! Nichols Park from 7 to 8 pm.

New MJK Alley Cat

This very friendly lap cat was trapped in the MJK Alley two nights ago. MJK says "She yelled the whole way home. She yelled the whole way to Treehouse. When I got to Treehouse this afternoon, I could hear her from the waiting room. Tonight I figured out what she was complaining about. She is a snuggly lap cat and wanted a lap to snuggle in."

This kitty needs a name! Please visit our table at the 57th Street Children's Book Fair on Sunday to participate in our cat-naming contest!

Thanks Michael H. for your most recent donation.

57th St Children's Book Fair

Super Nero! Superpower: ability to kill bugs with a single swat.

Join us Saturday Sunday from 1-6 for Hyde Park's great 57th Street Children's Book Fair. You don't have to have or be a child to enjoy! We'll have a table there with kids crafts and info about what we do. You can meet some of our volunteers, who are happy to chat with you if you've been thinking about volunteering, fostering, or adopting. This year's Book Fair theme is "Superheroes, Comics, and the Joys of Childhood."


SuperBaby! Superpower: ability to hear food preparation from a mile away.
(this photo was submitted by a HPC volunteer and he is not available for adoption)

U Haul

"U-Haul" is a stunning, large, long haired, neutered male cat who was abandoned at a Hyde Park vet clinic last Tuesday. His owners said they were moving, and just left him in the clinic's waiting room. The clinic staff affectionately named him U-haul as a result of his unfortunate circumstances. U Haul appears to be a healthy, indoor cat, about five or six years old. He will receive veterinary treatment courtesy of the veterinary worker who reached out to find him a home, and we will transfer him to a foster home within a day or two.

Tabe

Tabe (tah- bay) is a gorgeous--and playful--little guy whose friendly curiosity always wins out in the end. He loves to curl up nearby you -- he especially enjoys beds. He loves his older cat fosterbrother, Gus, and their introduction was quick and easy, so Tabe would be a great addition to a household with a resident cat. In addition Tabe has also cohabitated with ... a chicken. So rest easy, you Hyde Park chicken people, we have the perfect cat for you! Previous post on Tabe.

Thanks for your donation, Anna F.

zumba for kitties

Zumba for kitties resumes tonight!

Zumba at Nichols Park on Mondays, 7-8pm, for only $5! The last Monday of the month all profit is donated to Hyde Park Cats by instructor and cat-volunteer extraordinaire Kim. Kim's Zumba blog.

Nero: lovah

Nero's main goal in life is to love you. He will greet you at the door, snuggle with you while you are watching a movie, and wait patiently for you to play with him. Can you believe such a great friend was abandoned by his previous "owner"? Great at self amusing too, he will pass his time (very usefully!) by capturing the bugs around your apartment. He would love to find a home with a cat friend or with a lot going on, so he is entertained. If you're looking for a cat who will snuggle in bed, he's happy to oblige. He's one and half years old, neutered, neg/neg, and up to date on shots.

Foster failure: Sufi

Foster failure. This is the term in the animal-rescue world for a fosterer who has fallen in love with their foster animal and ends up "failing" as a fosterer (becoming an adopter instead). It's true, our fosterers can have a pretty tough job. They have to live with all sorts of wonderful cats, and be strong enough to let them go when their furrever family comes along. But some kitties have the ability to break even the most experienced fosterer, and this is what happened with Dan Ryan and Nusrat. After Nusrat had a string of successful fosterkitties who all found great homes, Dan Ryan came into Nusrat's world--you can read his amazing story here. After fostering him for a few months, Nusrat just couldn't let him go. Here he is enjoying a stroll outside his forever home. Now he is Sufi. Nusrat, thank you for your past and continued service to needy cats. Mazel tov Sufi and Nusrat! Happy life!

April

April is a young gorgeous long-haired mostly black elegant lady with some white detailing. This friendly and affectionate girl was abandoned with her darling litter of five kittens! She has been an excellent mommy to her kittens--who have all found forever homes. It's now April's turn to be adopted. Fostermom says "she is the sweetest, most gentle cat. She never hisses or withdraws away from people, only hiding when she sees the vacuum cleaner come out. She has a very calm disposition that makes her the perfect cat to have around kids. She has a soft purr and she usually begs for attention in the morning by rubbing against your legs. Other than that, she behaves like a lizard: loves to lie in the sun all day! However she will give up her favorite spot for a good ear scratching in a heartbeat." She's spayed, up to date on shots, neg/neg, and ready to go home today.

Previous April post

Kitty

Beautiful Kitty was the beloved pet of a senior citizen, J., who just moved into assisted living. She could not keep Kitty, and turned to another local volunteer organization, Hyde Park Village. They turned to us.

Poor Kitty spent one night at the Animal Welfare League facility before we could all connect on this case. When we went to retrieve her she was so scared! We're very pleased we've been able to keep Kitty, who is six or eight years old, from spending even one more moment in a shelter. Kitty is a pretty and soft cat who likes to hang out in something comfy, but who comes when called and is attentive, neat, quiet, and sweet.

Thanks to Sarah B., Susan A., and Linda W.-I. for their caring and their help. It takes a village!

We have promised Kitty's former owner, J., that we are going to find a loving home for Kitty to spend the rest of her life in. Please write to hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com to apply.

Odin

Odin is an affectionate, 9-12 month old, yellow male tabby. He was rescued from a brutal life as a submissive outdoor cat; he has injuries in both of his eyes due to not protecting himself from aggressive feral cats. Lara J. noticed him quickly in her South Shore outoor cat group and brought him to the clinic for treatment. We were contacted for help and luckily a foster space opened. He can still see--his eyes are on the mend and he is curious and likes to explore. He makes friends quickly and is definitely a lover, not a fighter. He is quiet and loves being petted. He is also calm when being held, and likes to look around from the comfort of your arms. He loves to be where people are and especially loves laying in your lap soaking up love and affection. This beautiful young boy is looking forward to a new life of leisure--with you?

Adopt Kittens -- in twos!

The adopter of two of April's kittens recently sent in pictures of her cuties and the following note:

"Hi! I wanted to send in some pictures of our kitties (Sirius and Loki- formerly Nantucket and Mattie of April's litter) being super adorable in their new(ish now) home :-) Thanks for all your help in finding them! Having them in our lives has been even better than expected and we're glad we adopted the two together - they're constantly playing and snuggling together, which I think made the transition into our home an easy one."

This is why we are pretty stubborn about our kittens-in-pairs policy. Not only would it be denying kittehs a lifetime companion, but it would be denying adopters this kind of cuteness and adorable cuddling! We're doing it for you, adopters! Also--April herself is still available.

Please visit our adoptables page and visit Parkers (1342 East 55th Street) Sunday from 12-3 p.m. to see some of our adoptable kittehs in the furry flesh!