Stella and Pond

These two gorgeous kitties are Stella and Pond, a mother and daughter. They were found by Erin, U of C grad student who lived in Pilsen. Just as she was about to graduate and move away, here were these two kitties in need! Did Erin just ignore them? No! She worked her butt off to get these two inside, and now we need forever home or homes for them. Gorgeous Stella the teen mom (she's probably only one year old) is a Russian-blue type who is very friendly and particularly enjoys ear rubs. Black kitten Pond is a playful type who enjoys the cat dancer toy. Although we would prefer to keep this mommy-daughter duo together, we will consider separating them for the right homes.

Many of our fosterparents are going away for the holidays and we are scrambling for placements for our cats. If you're staying put at home over the holidays, this is a great time to welcome a feline companion into your home -- a wonderful gift for yourself and the cat. (However, we do not adopt out cats as gifts for others -- only for yourself/your family.) Please also consider being a foster parent over the holidays! This can be a one-time commitment to help us out as our fosterparents travel. Email hydeparkcats@gmail.com to ask about adopting or fostering!

Marcie and Langley/Oscar

Last week Diane H., a long-term TNR person and caretaker of Black and White Cat World, made two interesting catches.


Diane called this black male Oscar ... Oscar turned out to be Langley, neutered in March 2011. He was TNRed as part of the Liliana Colony, which means he roamed from 62nd and Cottage Grove to around 61 and Ellis (crossing Cottage, a very busy street). Diane reports that he has taken over a back-stairs carrier shelter so perhaps he'll stick close to Diane now.

At the same time, Diane finally trapped and spayed Marcie, the last hold-out from the Peanuts gang (around 62/Drexel). Marcie tested neg/neg and had an ovarian cyst which the kind veterinary staff at Treehouse removed (with, you know, the rest of her hysterectomy). Past Peanuts members who were TNRed include Mamico and Naru (he of the funny "Narboo?" video) and Peppermint Patty and Linus.

Diane has been working on this group since the summer of 2010. Marcie had at least two litters of kittens we know of, evading us humans and our silly traps all this time. Here she is with a litter last summer. Diane couldn't catch the kittens and chose not to remove Marcie at that time.



This all goes to show that sometimes TNR is a long-term process. It's also interesting to see cross-over between the colonies! Mazel tov and yasher koach to Diane for sticking with it!


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Thanks to Maia F. for the litterbox! We do accept donations of pet-related items and if our fosterers/feeders can't use the donation, we will share with another organization.

Roger ... the foodie

Roger is an adorable spunky and frisky young male cat, removed from the Liliana alley, who loves the inside life and who loooves food (cat food, dog food, mangos, burritos, sushi...really anything he sees people eating seems to be fair game0. Besides food, his other love is playtime. He loves playing with string and acts like a feisty, overgrown kitten during playtime. He's also generous with kisses when in a snuggly mood enjoying chin scratches and the occasional tummy rub. His love for food makes him easy to train -- it took him exactly 5 minutes and 5 treats to figure out that the scratching post is waaaaay cooler than the rug. He will also roll on his back and grab your hand and vigorously wash it :) Roger is FIV+, but can lead a long, healthy life in a stable forever home. He's neutered, up to date on shots, and ready to bring the fun and excitement into his furrever home! Roger just had his first Thanksgiving inside, in his loving fosterhome. Wouldn't you love to share the rest of the holidays with this handsome and festive man? Previous Roger posts.

Shamu

Shamu is an adorable tuxedo gal. She was living outside slightly with her mother ... who, sadly, just failed to appear one day and has not been seen since. Madalyn Z., who had been feeding the duo, picked up Shamu and brought her inside to one of our fosterhomes. Fostermom Ayn says "this cat is, to put it simply, amazing! She is playful, but not mischievous. She has tons of personality and loves to get right up close to you and cuddle. If you talk to her, she'll talk back (actually she just likes to talk in general). It took her a little while to get adjusted, but once she did she became a lot less shy . She will now even allow my friends to hold and pet her. She loves loves treats so if you want to curry her favor, this is the way to do it. She is not moody at all, and would be the perfect cat for a house with children or for students who want a spunky little kitty around the house. This truly is the perfect kitty!" Shamu would be so thankful for a home of her own this holiday weekend. Maybe with a few bites of Thanksgiving dinner?

Siamese cats at AWL

A recent volunteer trip to the intake facility of Animal Welfare League, at 62nd and Wabash, turned up some gorgeous Siamese and mixes. Everytime we visit this facility there are various "fancy" cats, just proving that any type of cat can end up in "the pound." These cats pictured are all very friendly and affectionate and would love a home. The AWL facility does not do direct adoptions. If you are interested in fostering or adopting one of these lovely kittehs, or to learn about joining us one a volunteer trip, write to hydeparkcats@gmail.com

Facebook album of some of the cats at AWL.

Clark

Clark is a sweet cat who was rescued from the Liliana colony near 62nd off Cottage Grove. He spent the first week inside thinking he was supercat, sitting on top of the linen closet, flying up there any time fostermom came by, and flying down to eat when no one was looking at him. However after another week, he decided people are his favorite play toys and grabs sneakers and hugs them every time fostermom comes over. He's very conversational as well and loves to chase his jingle toys. Just toss them and he's leaping right after them. He is also very curious and even managed to turn on the faucet on the sink. What a smart little guy! He's still not totally comfortable with being picked up and, like many cats, is initially nervous around new people. Once you give him a chance to see you're not a big meanie, he'll be hugging your shoes too and demanding pets and playtime. He's neutered and ready to go home today!

Thanks to Mike H. and James M. for their regular donations!

Grady video

Grady caught on video

Grady is a handsome orange and white rapscallion seeking a furrever home!

loose dog alert

Alert: small brown dog running around 53rd and Drexel. Friendly, has been sighted for about a week. No collar, harness, tags.

Curly

Curly is an ultra-friendly kitty from the Pullman neighborhood (to our south), where we have a TNR partner. He is very, very happy to finally be inside! Curly has been fixed and vaccinated and is FIV+. FIV+ cats can live long contented lives and can be integrated into a household with FIV- cats with no problem. He is extremely sweet and vocal and has a curly tail which curls up tightly like a piggies - so much so that we almost wonder if he is some sort of curly-tailed kitty breed -- these photos don't quite capture it. Curly had to belong to someone at some point as he loves people, but has been on the streets for at least a couple of years. He is about four years old and ready for a furrever home. If you've been looking for someone special, Curly is here for you!

Thanks Elke for the food donation!

Lucy

Lucy is a darling young girl, about nine months old. She was found by the same caring community member who found Heartie, and I have to wonder if they're related. Lucy is the most petite little thing and when found she was very pregnant, poor baby. She's neg/neg, spayed and vaccinated. She loves to cuddle in a basket and flop around for petting; her favorite thing is to hop into her basket and make a batch of biscuits and purr. Purr purr purr.


Meanwhile, Heartie, pictured above left, is still in a foster home. She is really in love with her orange companion there, who doesn't reciprocate. She should be placed in a home with another cat, preferably a people-friendly older male cat.

Thank you Gretchen for watching out for these kittehs.

Paxton

Paxton is the cat who was in the crate with Duke a cat I wrote about last month. We're not really sure how this happened, but Duke and Paxton had been put out in a yard in a crate and abandoned there. Poor Duke was in very bad shape and had to be humanely euthanized after a last day of love. But in the silver lining, his cratemate Paxton turned out to be a healthy and active male. Paxton loves playing fetch with the teddy bear; he also loves to snuggle and purr loudly with his fosterparents. He loves not being in a crate!

South Chi Mama and Kittens: part II

PART I

Over the past week, Mercedes found one of the kittens and then the last one shortly after. All four kittens were placed into a trap, but the mama cat just sniffed at the kittens and didn't want to come home with us. Fostermom Erika says that "the kittens are super cute and super rambunctious! I named them Marcus, Octavia, Livia, and Marcus. Each of the kittens has their own distinct personality already. Aurelia is always the first to run up to me. Livia, who started out as the grumpy one, has turned into the cuddler. She always wants to be held or is trying to perch on my shoulder. Octavia likes to be pet, but she's still rather aloof and prefers to chase her brother and sisters and wrestle with them. Marcus is a bit of a bruiser! He loves to wrestle with Octavia and Aurelia, but always jumps on/climbs up my leg when he wants cuddles. All four of them love to have their bellies tickled and will roll over on their back so you can tickle them. They love to play and are like a mini herd of bison, thundering around their room!"

Sadly, the wily mama cat still eludes the trap but we are very happy that the kittens are safe and warm as winter approaches. Apply now for kitten satisfaction later!

Lola (dog day)

Dog Day Thursday post. Stop by this Saturday (11/5) at Parker's from noon til three to meet beautiful Lola and a few adoptable puppies. Lola, pictured above, is a two year old cutie pie who fits in very well with the urban life. She is unfazed by city noises (traffic, sirens, trains, etc) and isn't a barker. She likes other dogs but really LOVES people and would do best in an active home that would give her plenty of both active and mental stimulation. Lola is spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, heartworm tested, and ready to go home today. She likes to give stealth kisses! To find out more about adopting Lola or another pibble, visit Parkers for this adoption event or see Chicago Land Bully Breed Rescue.

Happy ending update: Talullah

Talullah as a foster kitty


Talullah as a forever kitty

Talullah was my very own foster kitty ... I had her from March until right before Rosh Hashanah (several weeks ago). In my home she went from being a kitten to being a cat. Even though she is so beautiful and funny, no potential adopters showed any interest in her at all.

Then the right adopter came along. Julie's older cat had recently died and her younger cat needed a playmate. Julie understood the special needs of the shy cat and even though Talullah was not particularly cooperative on Julie's first visit ... Julie took her home. It was a bittersweet day in our household.

Julie writes that "Tallulah adjusted very quickly to our home! Within the first week she was out and about and investigating new lounging spots and our other cat, Ernie. After almost a month, "Lulah" and Ernie are the best of friends. They chase each other through the house sounding like elephants, nap together, and wrestle and groom each other too.

Tallulah is also a big softie for belly rubs and chin scratches, and has become a lot less shy around hands - we can usually reach down to pet her and after an initial jump she'll sniff fingers and then purr LOUDLY for a back scratch. She goes crazy for catnip and loves the laser pointer... We are so happy that we can give her a forever home! Thanks to her fostermom for keeping her with love for so long until we found her :)"

You're welcome Julie! We are so happy that Lulah found the perfect home and we know she'll being you years of happiness. Happy Life, TALULLAH!

Grady

Grady is a friendly and independent cat, yet a bit timid from his time outside--he would do best in a calm home that is willing to give him time to adjust. Fostermom Laura says that "Grady likes to be in the same room as the people in the house, but is not a lap cat. Instead he prefers to be watching what's happening from the sidelines. I can pick him up without problems, but he usually does not like to be snuggled for too long. Grady occasionally will approach me to ask for a few pets, but then goes about his own business.

Grady is very playful and humorous to watch. He is often rolling and chasing his ball around, doing laps around the apartment, and jumping from one piece of furniture to the next. He is extremely energetic!

Grady is great for someone who does not want a lap cat, and prefers a cat who is very independent and easy to take care of. He has no problem with the litter box and entertains himself." He's a sweet little guy who took a chance on coming in from the cold. He's neutered, vaccinated, neg/neg, and ready for a furrever home!