update on Shadow

An update on my neighbor's cat Shadow, left behind when she went into assisted care last week. Shadow is now in the home of a hopeful adoptive couple, in the bedroom with a temporary food and litter setup. Their resident cat, Finnegan, "is hissing all over the house." Shadow is "trotting all over the bedroom, purring, rubbing up against us, stopping for a bite of food... in other words, instantly at home and full of love."

Let's hope these two can learn to get along! Readers, keep your paws crossed! Feel free to leave comments with your best tip on introducing a new and resident cat.

possibly injured black cat

A black male cat neutered TODAY has just escaped from its foster situation near 55th and Kimbark. He fell off a balcony. May be injured ... please keep your eye out. If you see him, email hydeparkcats@gmail.com.

found: tabby

We found a healthy, affectionate, scared, female, gray/brown tabby around Christmas day on Kenwood Ave. between 53rd and 52nd. She has gold flecks and white paws.

Reply to Joecheck@aol.com or call 773-216-9859.

Rodrigo, muy suave

Meet Rodrigo. He is muy suave, muy guapo, no? He is one of three unneutered toms who come around to the alley every so often ... the others are Qwerty and "big black cat," who needs a name (and his photograph taken -- we may have to name him Wile E. Kitty). Naming rights to the next donor!

Trib article

Army of cats hard to help
from The Chicago Tribune about Pilsen, a nearby neighborhood.

Please take a moment today to send an email or call your local paper and let them know you appreciate coverage of animal-welfare issues. Who knows who this article touches?

In the garden

It's a continuing group effort to feed "Mama Cat + 2 kittens in the community garden," who have been rechristened Mistletoe (mom), Holly, and Ivy. Feeders have heroically gone out in sleet, and snow, and dark of afternoon, and we've been rewarded with kitty prints in the snow. Then, yesterday -- a sighting! But not of the cats. I find this critter endearing and worthy of a little cat food ... although we're still trying to find Mistletoe and the kittens.

this time it's personal

This is Shadow, my neighbor.

I have just learned her elderly, recently widowed owner went into assisted care, and as of Friday, Shadow will be homeless. I cannot take her in. Can anyone help?

Shadow is about 5-7 years old, healthy, a spayed female, all black and very good-looking. She loves the people in her life. Her caretaker reports that she is "gentle, affectionate and well-mannered. (Very little clawing of anything, furniture, etc). Petting her is a pleasure, for this reason, she has never drawn her claws, and never scratched, even by mistake." An ideal placement would include the ability to go outside during the warm weather. She enjoys climbing trees and surveying her domain.

Please email me at hydeparkcats@gmail.com if you are interested in fostering or adopting Shadow.

black cat trapped

A friendly black cat was trapped two nights ago near St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Are you missing a black cat?

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.