Zahyeet

Adorable Zahyeet (Hebrew for "olive") was found in the early morning at one of our neighborhood parks, hungry and disoriented. She had a collar around her neck which, upon closer inspection, was actually the tread to a toy truck. Zahyeet did not have a microchip or identification and no owner has come  forward, so she is now available for adoption.

Her kind finders are fostering this little white cutie pie, and they have this to say:  "Zahyeet" is a very pretty, sweet young lady cat who is trusting by nature and wants to be someone's pet. She is well-behaved and curious and has easily adopted to our home with two children over the last few days. She purrs as soon as she sees you and can't get enough scratching and petting."

Spayed! Vaxed! Chipped! Adorable! Adopt her! Write to hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com for an application.

Big purry thanks to Mike H. and Kimberly M. for recent donations! Mrrrr-ow!

Bar Refaeli, continued

Bar Rafaeli, you may recall, was picked up on our campus a couple weeks ago. She didn't have a microchip and no owner has ever come forward, so we now offer for adoption this sweet, spunky princess of a cat! 

She likes seeing what fostermom is up to and following her around the apartment, but is also content sleeping on windowsills or grooming her adorable brown bunny coat (or your hand; if you happen to interrupt her she will decide you need to be clean as well). 

Bar is not one to cuddle (though this may change with time) but flops all over fostermom's shoes with happiness after she comes home from work or errands, and appreciates being brushed, chin scratches, and head nuzzles given in passing. She definitely likes fighting ribbons, but does not go out of her way to seek any amusement (besides the ribbons, she has rejected every toy in fostermom's varied arsenal).  

She's a delight to have around, and would do very well with another young cat she could play with (fostermom's resident cat is not enamored with the idea of any sort of rambunctiousness, unfortunately). 

In sum: she is a cat's cat--a sweet, playful personality without any sort of neediness: a content and darling companion. 

Ms Moustachio

I bet you can't guess why we call this little amber-eyed cookie "Ms Moustachio," now can you? Stumped? It's her moustache, silly! Ms Moustachio was found outside -- no collar, no microchip, skinny and very hungry. No owner has come forward to claim this little sweetie pie. She was found in an area of Hyde Park where I am beginning to notice increasing number of black and white outdoor/feral cats ... so I'm so glad we could take her in before she started some increasing of her own!

Ms Moustachio is, according to her fostermom, "totally adorable, very very sweet, gentle and tiny -- only 5.5 pounds right now, slender and delicate. She is also very bouncy and energetic." Sounds like a typical kitten to me. She is now spayed, chipped, vaxed etc. Apply to adopt her today by emailing hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com.

Miss McKayla Parker

This weekend I was out "enjoying" the "spring" here in Chicago, all nicely bundled up in my down coat and wool mittens and feeling lucky to be out of the elements, when I received a plea from the owner of our wonderful local independent pet store, Parkers. She'd received a phone call from an area person saying if the store wouldn't take her cat she was just going to put it outside. Nope, she couldn't be persuaded to even take it to an animal care facility ten minutes away from here. Nope, she couldn't be persuaded to hold onto it while we figured something out. She was going to drop it at the store in ten minutes or put it outside.

So of course Katie told this person to go ahead, and sure enough in ten minutes she had arrived, with a cat in a box. Gave the box over and left.

Inside was not really a cat but a kitten -- a sweet and adorable orange and white kitten.

Parkers staff set up their bathroom for kitty and I came to check her out; overnight it was decided she looked just like Parkers staff member Michael so she became McKayla.

Miss McKayla Parker is hanging out with the petstore staff now and is a snuggler. She loves snuggling and wants a family in search of a snuggly cat. She has excellent litterbox and eating habits.  We're sorry she had to be dumped at a petstore in a box but we can assure Miss McKayla Parker that things are going to look up from here.

Remy and Hennessey - Kittens!

Meet Remy and Hennessy, who were pulled from AWL along with their mother (now adopted) Marnier. Ms. Marnier, who was just a teen mom herself, actually adopted the younger Remy -- who was all by his tiny lonesome.  Now the two siblings are ready to find a home of their own. They must be adopted together.

Hennessy (approx 4 months) is a true middle child: patient, quiet, generous. She has a gorgeous, silky coat and striking green eyes, and a sleek body and long tail that curly-cues when she walks; we can tell she’s going to be a knock-out like her mother (whom visitors described as “fierce” looking). Hennessy is a little purr machine and loves to snuggle and give hugs.

Remy (approx 3 months) has come a long way from the scrawny, needy baby who was rescued. He has an adorable round face, poofy fur, and green eyes that have two modes: huge or sleepy. His cute little tail sticks straight up when he walks, and he likes belly scratches and is learning from his sister to purr all the time. He loves to sit on shoulders (he’s overseen several meals prepared by foster parents) and will sleep on a person for ages (when he’s not playing).

 

Together the kittens are a wonderful pair! Very playful (they make toys out of all kinds of things and love to play with people and each other), extremely outgoing and friendly (they don’t seem scared of anyone), and also incredibly affectionate and snuggly, they are wonderful pets and companions. They are particularly adorable when they are sleeping/snuggling together, and they are a joy to have around!

EMAIL hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com today to apply to meet and adopt these darling matched kittens! 

Kitten Season

Well crap, it's Kitten Season again.

Kitten season is the time of year when cats give birth, flooding animal shelters and rescue groups across the nation with homeless litters. Kitten season is really three seasons in one, starting in spring, peaking in late spring or early summer, and ending in fall.

Kitten Season typically brings a twofold problem: first, lots of kittens are available for adoption, and so adult-cat adoptions drop. Secondly, there are a lot of pregnant momcats, orphan kittens, kittens with their mom, etc., who start showing up and needing help.

If you find young kittens, it does not automatically mean they have been abandoned by their mother. Wait and observe from a distance for at least hour or two. Kittens have the best chance of survival with their mother. On the other hand, we do want to limit the number of cats out there procreating, so if we can grab kittens who do not need to nurse, we do so. We also want to get momcat spayed whenever possible. Please write to hydeparkcats@gmail.com or post to our Facebook page should you find kittens, a pregnant cat, or want to get trained up for Kitten Season volunteering!

Please keep in mind that if you bring the cats inside you should keep them separate from your animals until evaluated by a veterinarian. 

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Thanks to Sarah W., who donated some supplies after the death of her beloved Poppy. Sarah, we're sorry for your loss. Thanks to James M. for his continued monthly support, and to Juliet H. for her TNR and for covering the TNR! Thanks also to Trevor and Emily for their support of Iris and May's recent surgeries.

Bar Refaeli

Received several emails this morning about a friendly pregnant cat on the UC campus today. She was not hard to capture! Tonight she rests in a bathroom. Tomorrow she visits the clinic! We hope to offer her for adoption soon. She is lovely, brave, friendly.

Bear with me on this one ... she decided to seek help by approaching people in front of the Harris School -- the IRVING B. Harris School of Public Policy. Irving was my grandfather's English name; his Hebrew name was Israel. And guess what, tonight begins "Yom Ha'atzmaut," Israel's Independence Day. So her name must clearly be Bar Refaeli! So, politics aside, thanks to some helpful campus peeps who alerted us to her, tonight this kitty is inside.

Spring Wildlife

It's "spring" in Chicago. As a New Yorker I have fond memories of spring, of warmth, of flowers, of blue skies. Here in Chicago we only get "spring." But one thing at least remains the same: "spring" is the time when baby animals are born. 

Baby Squirrel pictured here tumbled down the chimney of one of our local adopters and his mom/nest was not findable; our Veterinary Care Coordinator took care of him over the weekend and brought him and his magnificent fluffy tail to a baby-squirrel rehab specialist. We will update if we can.

What should you do if you encounter baby wildlife this "spring"? The folks at Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation have all the info you need on this site: FOUND AN ANIMAL. Action steps and advice on everything from "my dog found a nest of baby bunnies" to "I found a bird's nest that fell." Please consider sending this page to everyone you know -- the key to saving wildlife in these situations is generally fast action. 

Thanks to recent contributors, Mike H. -- our BFF -- and Ginny L., who donated to our Tree House Clinic  fund. 

Lucille is waiting

Lucille: A long-form prose poem by Fostermom.

She has the least pretentious attitude towards toys I've ever encountered - everything is entertaining, and she does a good job creating fun for herself. 

She has excellent household manners - uses the scratch post, impeccable litter box etiquette, etc. 

She absolutely loves attention - simple eye contact will make her do tons of belly rolls trying to tempt you into massaging her. (You have to succumb. It's too cute). 

Great appetite -- she was very thin when she arrived but looks less emaciated no. She loves wet food and dry food -- not too picky, but takes her time eating. 

Would do fine with a household of any ages and with other cats. She is still getting comfortable with us (very reticent to be picked up, doesn't like any fast movements), but never shows any aggression. She resents Henry-the-cat's curiosity with her, but nips his intrigue in the bud with a quick hiss or paw swipe - nothing that would do him any damage in the least. 

She's a good kitty!