Cat and fence

Calico from the Champagne colony ... every time I drive by, there she is.

Eudora

Little Eudora came to us from PAWS via Animal Care and Control. She was slated to be sent to a barn that very day if a fosterer could not be found. ACC had picked her up from a feral cat colony, but sharp eyes detected some nonferal behavior in this kitty, like meowing at people and purring while eating in front of people. Fostermom Heather W. opened her door, and Eudora is already making great progress. Heather reports that Eudora spent the first day hiding out and "swatting like a tiny tiger" if Heather came near, but now she has decided she likes sitting on a lap and purring, yes she does.

Eudora will be available for adoption after more socialization. Updates soon.

Miró

Miró is an older (seven or eight years) gentleman from one of the many many alley colonies just a little bit south of our neighborhood of Hyde Park. He was trapped just a few days ago by trapper extraordinare Sandy K. and Susan R. from PAWS. Sandy has vowed to TNR (or TNA) 1000 cats in the year 2010. Here is one.

This long-haired brown/black cat has obviously known love before, but he's been out a very long time. He tested positive for FIV and is extremely matted. We were asked if we could provide a foster home for Miró while we wait for a space in the PAWS FIV program to open up (a four-to-six month proposition). Luckily for Miró, fostermom Louise has taken him in.

Here you can see Miró waiting patiently for his favorite treats (he got to try several, this one was the paws-down favorite). Also pictured is Lilah, our official kid-tester for Hyde Park Cats. She approves! And Miró approved of her, purring and purring and head-butting and even ... even ... even rolling on his back to expose his tummy fur, a mass of curls! Louise and Lilah and I spent a good long while grooming him. He loved it.

Miró is available for adoption.

Juniper

Juniper has, at long last, been trapped. Sadly she is pregnant again. Juniper will spend tonight in the trap while we search for a good foster home in which this feralish momma can have her kittens. A member of Black and White Cat World, Juniper is probably on litter number three now. This one will be her last!

Bella and Slim

We all know how some socialization projects don't go as planned. The woman who took these guys in a couple of years ago is no longer able to care for them, and now they have nowhere to turn. Please spread the word to help them find another safe place.

Shy Bella is beautiful and quiet...this pretty girl prefers to observe life from the sidelines. A former feral, Bella was brought indoors several years ago and vastly prefers the inside life. All she needs is a warm home where she'll be safe and well-fed. If you might be able to offer Bella a place in your home, we'd love to introduce her to you!

Slim is a handsome guy who in the beginning can be a little shy...but once he warms to you he will wind himself against your legs and show you his love. Slim is a young and active cat, who loves his toys and likes nothing better than wrestling with another young active feline playmate.

If you are interested in learning more about Bella or Slim, or know someone who might be interested, please contact Toni McNaughton at tonimcn@rcn.com or 312.855.1225.

PAWS intake, Hecuba update, calendars

Anna and Mireille are off to PAWS this afternoon to pick up a bunch of cats: three kittens from Clyde's Colony (Clyde and 67th); a white kitten plucked from ACC; two FIV+ older gentlemen who no longer want to be outdoor street cats. Thank goodness for our volunteers and fosterers! We'll have reports on these kitties soon.

We learned that Hecuba was adopted, with another black kitten, for twin girls! GOOD LUCK HECUBA!

A very limited number of our 2010 Hyde Park Cats calendars are now available. I can go as low as $5/calendar. Please write hydeparkcats@gmail.com to reserve your cut-rate calendar!

Adopt Hoppy!

From the beginning, Hoppy has surprised his foster parents with his smartness, his curiosity and his energy. He spends hours playing with his fake mouse, running after balls, jumping from a place to another one... he is teased by any moving thing, a fidgeting string or a wriggling toe. We have to be careful because he bites them with the same strength. No way to pet him when it's playtime, your hand is just another funny playmate. When Hoppy starts to be tired, well it's time to explore his environment: a dark closet, the inside of a deep box, a high shelf. At the moment, he likes spending time in the (dry) tub. All this activity stimulates his appetite and Hoppy loves eating. He is not picky for food. Sometime when he watches us having our lunch, he begs for food, sitting on his back paws and joining his front paws. It's so heartbreaking! Hoppy can also be very affectionate, purring and cuddling, when the fancy takes him. He has perfect litterbox habits. A home with a little garden would be heaven for Hoppy.

Hoppy has tested neg for FIV and FeLV; he is neutered and vaccinated. He's ready to go to his forever home!

Email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com right away. Hoppy is a-waiting!

In a good-news update, Celia has found a home. Go to the PAWS recent adoptions page ... see the group of pix of recent adoptions -- go to the TOP row, FOURTH from the right -- Celia!!!! With a sister! And a mommy and a daddy! We are so thrilled to know that this super-loving boy has found such his family.

FOSTERERS NEEDED

Lots of trapping in South Shore recently. Many cats and kittens who need your help on their journey from the street to a forever home. We are seeking foster homes immediately as well as on an ongoing basis. We can supply you with a foster kit (litter box, etc.) and the vet bills are our responsibility. You bring a safe space, some time in your day, and the love. Please email hydeparkcats@gmail.com to learn more. The cats need you.

Rufus, Curly, Festus, and some good news

Left to right are three residents of the Parkview Kats colony (51st and Cottage). They all await their turn being TNRed by the persistent and determined Aimee.

Last Tuesday our Tiger Macabee went to his new home. Tiger Mac had been flying under the radar a bit due to a lack of photographic evidence of his sweet and friendly nature. Plucked out of the MJK alley, he was first fostered by Mary Jean and then by fostermom Louise. Then we heard from Sheila and Ken, who were looking for a male cat to be a companion for their female cat ... and for Ken (who is ignored by the female cat)! During the adoption interview Macabee totally ignored Sheila, making a beeline for Ken. What a smart cat. We expect a heartwarming update soon. Good luck, TIGER MACABEE!

Today Loki went to Treehouse for his neutering. He was picked up from his fostermom, Mireille by his finders, Seth and Stephanie. They wanted to give this little guy one last parting gift (the ride to the vet!). And he's being picked up by ... his new dad, Dustin! We expect to hear a glowing report from Dustin soon. Good luck, LOKI!

Thanks to all the people who care for our cats!

UPDATE: Borders Cat

Remember the cat found outside of Borders bookstore on a freezing night in early December? We managed to catch that cat and get her off the street.

We were afraid Borders Cat was pregnant. Renamed Emily Dickenson (a bookish name, after all), she was rushed off to the clinic by her fostermom for a quick spay. As it turned out, Emily Dickenson was not pregnant ... because she was a man, baby!

After a name change to Artful Dodger -- Artie for short -- fostermom Sue writes that kitty is "doing great, sweet and adorable, affectionate, but still freaks out when another person is introduced. He really needs to be better socialized with other humans. He likes to cuddle with my slipper. :-). He is so much fun, I can play with him for hours."

Shorty

Shorty was pulled out of a South Shore colony and is being fostered for PAWS by Hyde Park Cats fostermom Becca. Becca says "she came yesterday and was incredibly shy but has opened up so fast. She's been playing and purring and cuddling as much as possible and is a real sweetheart!" Shorty has a bad cold but Becca is giving her chicken soup and love and soon she'll be available for adoption at PAWS.

Creamsicle

Tiny Creamsicle (only about five pounds!) is one of the new bumper crop of feral cats at Parkview Kats, a colony at 51st just west of Cottage Grove. Aimee, the caretaker, has been busy feeding and trapping and fixing cats, and creatively trying to keep them all warm. If you are interested in donating towards heated cat beds for our freezing cold Chicago feral cats ... the cats do enjoy them!

Lazarus

THIS is the miserable-looking cat from the previous post, who was huddling outside a building at 53rd and Greenwood. Look at that happy punim! Alexis and her husband just picked the boy up and brought him inside. Alexis said "He seems to be okay, hunger aside. It's hard to get a good picture of him since the minute anyone goes into the room with him, he wants to curl up on their lap and purr and knead them to death. To our great surprise, he also let us clip his front claws without much of a fuss!

We're calling him Lazarus for now because my husband is fussy about names and I said he reminded me of that poem from the statue of liberty, "Bring me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses..." and that we should name it after whoever wrote it; turns out her name was Emma Lazarus and it seemed just too fitting." [editor's note: I totally knew that!]

That poem is, of course, "The New Colossus."

Thanks to our recent donors Gwennan I. and Carol K., and to Anna F. and her friend for the hilarious kitty pirate ship.

Greenwood/53rd

Alexis writes in to report a cat on the corner of one of the stairwells at 53rd and Greenwood today. He did let Alexis approach him and pet him a bit, while meowing. She says "he seems old, cold and hungry." Any info appreciated.

If you see this cat please feed him, try to assess his condition, keep safe, and if you can get him inside, he'd probably appreciate it!

Sparkle

Sparkle's fostermom Kristen says "Sparkle is doing great--she loves belly rubs, neck rubs, and even just cuddling up next to you while you work. She sometimes gets a little jealous and climbs onto my book or laptop to get my full attention (smile). So far her favorite game is trying to figure out what the mouse on my computer screen is- if i push it to the side she investigates the sides and back the comp to try to find it! so cute!" Sparkle came from Champagne Furbana is on track to get into the PAWS adoption program.

Hanover Park

From Treehouse

For the past two years, Tree House has been in Hanover Park educating residents and officials about TNR, trapping cats, and helping both official and unofficial caretakers properly manage colonies. We are extremely proud of the progress we have made in Hanover Park. Not only have we trapped 35 feral cats, but we have also trapped several friendly cats, which we placed in loving adoptive homes. Many Hanover Park residents have expressed their gratitude for the work we have done in their community, and we are happy to have gained many new TNR supporters. Unfortunately, not everyone in the community is on board with humane feral cat management. Due to a few continuing complaints from one individual, Hanover Park officials have decided that the majority of cats in Tree House's sponsored colony will have to be relocated.

We have until April 15th to relocate 23 cats to new territories. After the 15th, not only will the colony caretaker be forced to cease feeding and sheltering the cats, but the Village may hire an exterminator to trap and kill any remaining cats.Tree House is committed to saving the lives of these feral cats. We are looking for barns, stables, backyards, warehouses, or any place where the cats will have regular access to food and water, adequate shelter against the elements, and a person to supervise them regularly. The cats are all young adults and have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for parasites, virus-tested, ear-tipped, and micro-chipped. Ideally, we would like to relocate the cats in groups of four or five, but we will consider any offer.

If you have any leads or questions, please contact us at tnr@treehouseanimals.org or call our TNR line at 773-784-5488 ext. 234. Thank you for your help!

Monday

Ori in his foster home, recovering nicely. Seems to be giving the photographer a bit of an evil eye?

Monday, time for a little non-feline news. I wanted to point our readers to the Free Brindi blog. Brindi has been on death row in Nova Scotia since July 2008. Please take a moment to read about Brindi. Also, my cat- dog- and horse-loving friend Julian pointed me to Fugly blog when our cat-rescuing work got him thinking about horse rescue.

Loki update

Fostermaman extraordinaire Mireille reports that "Loki loves to cuddle and he has never ending fun with a ribbon that was left over from a Christmas present of mine. Oh how fun it is when it springs back! He is also very affectionate and gives me lots of nose-to-nose kisses, which I return in kind and by petting his super soft coat."

Thanks Heather J. for schlepping that special food all the way from MD for our cats! Feh.

champagne, anyone?

Brushki and Rosie right after being taken in from the Champagne Furbana colony; both girls are currently at PAWS and available for adoption! Thanks PAWS.

We're in the media again! Read "Kittens and curbsides: the state of local micromedia over at A.V. Club Chicago.

Lots of updates coming: we've had five cats show up recently at Parkview Kats, cats who will be TNRed over the coming week (we hope). Loki, Ori, and Sparkle are all going to start the PAWS intake process tomorrow. Judah has found a home! Hoppy is still seeking a forever home, as are Tiger and Bella.

Thanks to Martha B. and Daniel B. in Pittsburgh for the donation!

Brushki

One of the Champagne cats, already at PAWS and awaiting a forever home. When we got her she was about five months old but under three pounds.

Thanks Jill for the donation!

Champagne Furbana

I couldn't stop myself from calling the new colony on our radar "Champagne Furbana" -- it's a ginger-champagne-marmalade hotspot, with a bit of brown thrown in.

Several weeks ago I was contacted by a resident of North Kenwood/Oakwood, 41st Street near Lake Park. Apparently several years ago a female cat was kept, unspayed, outside, and surprise, surprise, kittens ensued. The next summer, more kittens. And so on. Now the residents have a cat colony on their hands! We're going to try and speak to the newly formed Block Association about TNR, find out how many kitties might be friendly, and help the residents get a handle on these cats.

We have two cats from the colony actually available for adoption, and will post about the cats here more during the weeks to come.

Thanks to Pam for getting in touch about Champagne! And thanks to Ruth both for the donation towards Ori's care but also for fostering the Champagne cats, and for even driving cats to PAWS.

Updates, thanks, and available cats

Readers! It's 2010! Time to get some cats adopted!

We have a number of cats currently available for adoption, with several more on the horizon, including kittens. Hoppy, LOKI, Macabee, Judah & Sparkle, Bella, Ori, Max ... these are some of the cats we'll be trying to find forever homes for in the upcoming months. Email our adoption coordinator, Ainat, at hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com for more information. Pictured here is Hoppy, doing his male model routine. Strongly suggest adopting Hoppy for increased handsomeness quotient in your home.

Three cats went to PAWS on Saturday to enter the adoption program: Hecuba, Rosie, and Brushki. Rosie and Brushki were members of our newest colony; full report coming soon. Adopted: Celia/Cecil has been adopted from PAWS, and Valentine was adopted by her PAWS fostermom. Yay!

Thank you to our recent donors: Seth and Stephanie (the rescuers of LOKI), Judith and Mick, Julien D., and Veronica W.. Our work is funded entirely by donations.

oy gefilte!

Diane, the caretaker at Black and White Cat World, writes that "Costco had the institutional size can of gefilte fish on sale for 97c -- my husband is the one who suggested this would be a good deal for the wild cats. So we stocked up.

Packed in oil, there are enough patties in each can for a couple days. I cut them in half, trying to spare the kitties' digestive systems, but the cats don't care about that. They hop from treat to treat, gorging themselves on as much whitefish, carp, mullet, passover wheat, etc, as they can getbefore another cat pushes them off. I'll save the oil, congealed with the cold (I store the opened can on my enclosed porch), for after the fish is gone, to mix with their Meow Mix."

Ha ha ha ... love it! I think the cat with the white blaze looking longingly at the gefilte fish is Rachamim. Many of the cats at B & W Cat World have Jewish names, so the gefilte fish is quite apropos. But Diane ... where's the chrain?

Readers: yes, we are open to donations of cases of gefilte fish!

Loki

My friend Seth wrote me last week: "We drove to my parents' in Ohio for Christmas, and they live on a farm with a ton of barn cats. My parents feed them and have had some of them fixed to control the population, but there are always more and they live very short lives. On Christmas Eve (have to set the scene...) we scooped up the littlest kitten (vet estimated 11 weeks), when there was a 10-degree wind-chill and he was all by himself (his sibling, we're told, has already died). We took him to the vet in Ohio -- he's been tested for feline leukemia and FIV and is all clear. He has a respiratory infection, for which he gets antibiotics twice a day. "

He's now in a tender loving hydeparkcats foster home. We call him LOKI --Little Orange Kitten, Inside.