Do you have a Hyde Park cat?

Do you have a cat rescued from the streets or alleys or parks of Hyde Park? Send us a picture and your story!

Hyde Park Cat: Pfeffernusse

Pfeffernusse is the gray beast pictured in the middle of this delightful menage-a-trois below. He was found in an alley off Cornell and 54th St (near CTU) in 2004, yowling his head off in the middle of the night. Food was put out for him on a balcony. He ate it. After a while, he allowed me to watch him eat it. After a while longer, he allowed me to sit with him on my balcony while he ate his food. One day, I reached out and touched him. He fell over. In delight. That night he stayed on my balcony all night, and was still there in the morning. I said to him, "Cat, if you get in this carrier and let me take you to the vet and fix you up, you can come in my house and have a name and be a housecat and I promise you your bowl will never be empty." He took the risk, and we've been together ever since. The black blur on one side is his older sister, Dreidl; the tiger cat is his wifecat, a PAWS foster-turned-adopt called Itty Bitty Kitty. Pfeff, now called Fuhfuh by my toddler, loves his rocking chair, his foodbowl, his wifecat, his catnip, and most of all, his people (grown-up only, though). We love you Pfeff!

Swift at play

Swift playing with his catnip toys in his safehouse. Look how cute!

poignancy

Mama Cat and two kittens in the community garden are still around -- witness the poignant pawprints in the snow, and the extremely empty tin of cat food. Their feeding-person is moving away tomorrow -- thank you so much, Briana, for caring. We are working on a schedule for feeding and trapping! If you can help, please leave a comment or email me at hydeparkcats@gmail.com.

Hanukkah cat quick update

Neutered. Disease free!!!!! Inside. Warm. Tummy full. Full of love.

THANX!!!!!

Thanks so much to Mary D. for the giant Ikea-sized donation of cat food and to Ginny L. and Mike H. for their recent donations. We thank you and the cats thank you! Purrs ...

Hanukkah Cat?

Here is a verrrrrrrrrrry friendly and sweet white cat who was found crouched in the snowy bushes near 59th and Stony Island. He desperately wants company and will let you hold him like a baby. He's thin but seems healthy -- no tests yet. I think we should call him Hanukkah, or Menorah, or maybe Latke.

Afternoon Update:
Dr. Wake at HP Animal Clinic says Hanukkah Cat looks healthy and is 3 or 4 years old, based on the condition of his teeth. Dr. W is running all the tests and is keeping him overnight ... if he tests negative, he’ll be neutered tomorrow morning. He was good as gold at the vet – didn’t fuss, purred, etc. etc. No surprise there. LOVEBUG!

seeking help for Mama + 2 kittens

We are seeking somebody to feed and watch out for Mama Cat + 2 kittens residing in or near the Community Garden at 61st and Dorcester. Earlier we tried in vain to catch Mama and her two tiny kittens. We've been feeding her so at least she and her kittens have a regular food source as it gets colder and colder, but her feeding-person is moving away next week.

previous post

Do you live near this area, or work in the Backstory Cafe, Experimental Station, or Blackstone Bicycle Works? Do you know anybody who does? Please help us find somebody to be Mama Cat + 2 kittens' guardian angel!

We want somebody who can commit to feeding at least every other day, keeping alert for signs of the cats, helping us trap them if possible, and, finally, we really really really want to build the cats a little shelter.

Please email me at hydeparkcats@gmail.com if you have any leads on help.