Amos and Alfredo updates

For those readers who astutely noticed Amos and Alfredo (or "Fredo") statuses wavering in our adoptables list, please know that A & A, the "dynamic" duo (looks pretty nondynamic in these pix) are together forever. Amos' finder, the brave and powerful MJK, decided to keep him after he was returned from a potential adopter because of illness in that family. She was also long-term fostering FIV+ deaf cat Fredo. Now she'll keep them both. Amos has been renamed Cherubino ... or Beano. That's funny if you've ever met the farty little guy. Happy endings! Mazel tov ALFREDO and CHERUBINO!

Still life with cat and pumpkin

Cato's fostermom Lakshmi bought Cato her own punkin. Happy autumn, cats!

Some notes:

Thanks to Desi and Paul for the food donation!

Check out our new Facebook page!

Rockefeller Chapel's annual Blessing of the Animals, this Sunday at 12:30

hungry firefly

Readers, do you have any information about this hungry orange-and-white cat who has been seen outside A LOT over the last several weeks in and around a parking lot at 52nd and Dorchester? He has a flimsy collar, but is very skinny, and desperate to get inside. He didn't need to be trapped, because he'll crawl into the lap of anyone who shows him any attention. We have him stashed in a bathroom for now and call him Firefly.

CTA cat: Kalla

CTA Cat enjoyably ensconced in her favorite basket. Kalla, who is about one, hasn't been spayed yet so will be available for adoption in early October. I spent a large chunk of Saturday with her fosterfamily and can report that Kalla will sit in laps, jump into laps, sit next to you on the sofa, play with toys, play with kids, look extremely decorative, and, yes, leave some white hairs in her wake.

Thanks Desi and Paul for the food donation!

orangey updates

current picture of baby orange cat Rosetta, not ready for a forever home yet. We think Rosetta is a boy.


current picture of senior orange cat Harper, still seeking a forever home. Harper is just a mellow, passive, friendly guy. He would do well with another cat, a mellow dog, or by himself. Please consider adding him to your household. He is very chill.

Orangey cats: we haz them in a variety of formats! Goooo orange!

Pothole

This gorgeous cat was found in a pothole on the street at University and 61st Street. A pothole! She was taken in by some folks who work at the Law School and brought to the vet. From there we were contacted and kitty is now in Laura's loving fosterhome. Laura and partner have named her Ilaria, and say "wherever the people are in the apartment, that is where Ilaria likes to be." Update in a few days. Thanks to Mary D. and Maureen C. who took the time to help this beautiful kitty find her way inside.

Mama feral

I see you, Mama feral. I see you. I will get you eventually.

Thanks to some donors: to Paul and Jessie C., Lorraine Y., Juan G., Christine S., thank you! To Teddy's Mom Veronica, purrs. To Timothy Q. at the behest of Meng, thanx! To Mike H., whose generous support continues to wow us. To Norah O'D., to Margaret B. in Chicago, to Rhonda, to Patricia H. -- donors like you who give repeatedly over time keep us going. The cats thank you all.

Apples and Honey

Perhaps my earlier post was unclear. Apples and Honey, three-month-old kitten siblings, are available for adoption -- now! These two little cuties are very soft. They smell fantastic. They purr a lot and snuggle and are so friendly and sweet. They are better behaved than my own children (one of whom is pictured here with her new teddykitten). They're also very playful and will spend lots of time chasing balls, playing with wands, etc. Apples is a black-and-white boy; Honey is a tiger girl. They must go home together and promise you a lifetime of love.

Shofar

I love the first pic -- it's so very meta! Remember this photo of Istria on the blog?

Shofar is a VERY energetic and loving kitten who came to us from AWL. He is extremely energetic and playful and adores children. He is delighted when company comes over and is sure to greet every visitor. He follows Fostermom Tameka around all day long and likes to be "where the action" is. Shofar is very affectionate and loves to be held and rubbed. He shows his appreciation by purring very loudly.

Shofar is only one of the many wonderful cats and kittens for whom we are seeking homes. Apply today!

CTA CAT

This face with the big eyes was brought to AWL by a CTA worker. Apparently this kitty had been living at a CTA depot (no specifics) and being taken care of by at least one worker there. A manager insisted she be removed. The worker brought kitty to AWL in tears. I wish we could find this woman and let her know that this pretty kitty is now in a loving fosterhome, where her Fosterboy has named her Kalla -- bride -- for her lovely white coat. She is very calm, very friendly, one of those cats who is hard to photograph because if you get any closer she wants you to touch her. She is very very cuddly and affectionate and has a sheep-like meh instead of a meow.

Cato swallowed by armchair!

Cato being swallowed by a Comfy Chair at fostermom Lakshmi's abode. Cato is almost over a rhinovirus (aka cold) but will be available for adoption soon. Fostermom is in love, writing often of Cato's irresistibility, cuteness, and charm.

TODAY: 57th STREET CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR. If you're in Hyde Park, come by our table!

Vania

Little Vania was found by the colleague of one of our active members in the woods behind their home in Indiana. Vania has coasted on his connections all the way to Claire and Olivier's fosterhome; he is four-six weeks old and will be available for adoption after some veterinary work-up and time getting to know Cato (foster sibling). We strongly promote adopting kittens in pairs.

Thanks to Robin S. for the carrier and towels!

Wildflower

Not even Rosh Hashanah keeps my kids (in the matching dresses) from their dedicated work as cat-rescue volunteers. Here they have spotted "Wildflower," an unfixed black juvenile who is out and about in the Nichols Park wildflower garden and environs. He is friendly and his coat is shiny, but he seems a little undersocialized, maybe b/c he's still intact.

A special thanks to Sam, a recent UC undergrad who recently sent in the contents of his pushke. Have a great time in China, Sam!

Apples and Honey

This is the scene in my house right now: my older daughter fast asleep next to our two new foster kittens. Honey (tiger) is a girl and Apples (b/w) is a boy; they're almost 11 weeks old. "Apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah!" (this is a song). These two kittens are the product of a unspayed cat around 53rd and Woodlawn who was allowed out. Mamacat was spayed today at PAWS and will reproduce no more.

HPC at AWL

Some Animal Welfare League cats who we are partnering to adopt out: Shanah, Shofar, and Sepia. Oh and some people too. Ainat also could not resist "CTA cat" -- pix and story to come. Next we will have pix of all these cats in situ in their loving fosterhomes!

Thanks to James for his monthly support! Your donations go directly to our work helping homeless cats like these.

Bubbles

Bubbles appeared on the streets of Pullman a couple of weeks ago when her family moved away ... without her. She looks and sounds like a kitten but is probably a year old -- she is just a very dainty and petite kitty with a tiny voice. She is VERY cuddly and lovey and extremely friendly. It's hard to photograph her unless she's sleepy because she gets really wormy and twisty and won't stop moving when you are talking to her or paying attention to her. She is vaxed, spayed, neg/neg, and ready for her forever home.

Calico

This kitty is behind bars no more. Today representatives of Hyde Park Cats went to the Animal Welfare League to do some volunteer work like cleaning cages. Of course we couldn't leave without some cats, four cats to be specific. We will be offering these beautiful cats for adoption in partnership with AWL. This beautiful young calico is about five to six months old and very petite. She is currently relishing a non-barred environment with fostermom Nusrat. Thanks to Ainat, Ruth, and Zarinah for helping the kittehs at AWL.

Peppermint Patty

Peppermint Patty in the trap ... Peppermint Patty free (she's part of the Mamico clan and the orange cat in the other trap is Linus).

one hundred ... and one! a gut yuntif!

A gut yuntif and l'shanah tovah to all! Hyde Park Cats has now done one hundred adoptions -- no, one hundred and one! (We've sent about an equal number of kitties to PAWS, Treehouse, or other shelters to find their forever homes.) Tashma (pictured above) and Minou went to their forever homes just in time for the (Jewish) New Year.

Benji

Benji is a two-year old "dairy cow" boycat: white with black spots. He is very playful and loves to use a scratching pad and is so happy to just sit with someone and curl up next to them. He is quite interested in curling up in a nice lap. He loves feather toys and chasing yarn and hunting and attacking fake mice. He always eats like it is the last time he will ever eat but is getting much more trusting that he will receive food every day. He has a minor limp in his front left leg, a souvenir from his time on the street, but he has been thoroughly vetted and is in good health.

He looooooooves to roll around and get his tummy rubbed and is constantly falling over on his side to wrestle with some toy. Sometimes he just collapses on his side when fostermom walks into the room and starts rolling around.

Benji was rescued from an alley in Pullman by Heather S.. Heather, you go with your TNA self! He is neutered, up-to-date on routine vaccinations, FIV and FeLV negative, and litterbox trained. He really wants a loving forever home and promises that you will never regret adopting him.

one more cat ...

Readers! Achilles and Istria went together to their forever home this weekend. That means we have reached ninety-nine cats adopted directly through Hyde Park Cats into forever homes. This represents a ton of work on the part of all our foster parents, drivers (to and from the clinic), adoption counselors, posterers, adoption-event coordinators, the folks at Parker's Pets, and of course our Adoption Coordinator, Ainat. Thank you all!

This weekend we approved two more adoptions: Tashma and Sophie both have chosen their new people but haven't taken over their new homes yet. Who will be lucky 100?

Pictured here is Martha, who also went to her forever home this weekend. And p.s. ... Istria is a boy.

Marcie

Marcie (of the Mamico clan) NOT in the trap. What do you think she's saying?

Rosetta update

Fostermommy Eudora reports that she is really enjoying taking care of Rosetta; you can see from this photo that Rosetta's resemblance to an orange puffball is growning.

Hiccup

Hiccup is a young (9-12 months) all-black beauty who was rescued from the streets of Chicago's Pullman neighborhood, where Heather S. is chipping away at the street-cat numbers. Hiccup is very friendly and sweet. Playful too! She is spayed, vaccinated, FIV and FeLV negative, litterbox trained, and ready to hiccup hiccup hiccup all the way home! Fostermom Meredith did a great job with these pix -- it's so hard to get a good snapshot of a black cat.

Rosetta

Rosetta can be seen as one of the little fluffy heads in this Englewood mama post. We are not sure what it going on with Mama, but she left Rosetta out by herself for long enough that it seemed better to take her in than hope Mama was returning ... especially considering the rain. Windy and her daughter, pictured here, took Rosetta in and kept her warm all night and made some emergency kitten glop. The daughter named the kitten, and she should be very proud of her role in saving this little life. Rosetta is just two weeks old.

Cato

Cato walked right into the home of a friend of our adoption coordinator, perhaps seeking food. She is only about six weeks old and was all alone in the world. Fostermom Lakshmi is heroically getting antibiotics down Cato's throat for an upper respiratory infection (very common in street cats) and doing the slow work of getting this grey-and-white cutie to be a real housekitten. It's not a glamorous job but our fosterparents do it and we thank them.

Mazel tov to R & C

Mazel Tov to one of our most active volunteers and her cat-loving partner. A little birdie told us they tied the knot.

Pictured here are another married couple -- Baba and Kobi, two black FIV+ ex-street cats adopted through Hyde Park Cats. Lookit how their paws are touching. Awwwwwwww.

WGN News story on Chicago's Animal Care and Control

Overcrowding, understaffing at Chicago's Animal Care and Control

WGN's lead story last night was about questionable conditions at Chicago's Animal Care and Control. The above link is a seven-minute video. It contains some images which may disturb some of you.

Istanbul

When HPC volunteers go on vacation what do they do? Why, they take photographs of eartipped cats and send them in! The top photo is a kitty on active duty guarding the antiquities at the Archeological Museum. Thanks MJK and hope you're having a wonderful time.