website

Just a reminder that we have moved to hydeparkcats.org.

Kittens!! Harry, Hermione, and Ron

Harry with his mouse

Ron and Harry in a box

Hermione taking a rest from her crazy brothers

Ron learning the way from permanent resident Tucker

Ron. In a tiny box. With tiny string.

KITTENS -- ADOPT OUR KITTENS! Several kittens were dumped at Hyde Park Animal Clinic a few weeks ago, and although some were taken home by staff (too cute), these three came to Hyde Park Cats and were lucky enough to find a great foster home with one of our long time volunteers.  She writes:

"The three orange kittens have been a blast! Everything they do is adorable, from trying to catch each other's tails to sleeping. Each has a distinct personality (kittenality?) Harry is the leader. He is bold in exploring, brave enough to play with our adult cat (Tucker, formerly Zimmerman), and is becoming a great pouncer, often at his siblings expense. Hermione is a small little lady but doesn't let her size keep her down. She is very graceful yet can also get into a lot of mischief. She enjoys playing with her brothers but will also happily curl up on your lap for a nap. Ron is at times brave and sometimes scared. He loves to be the center of attention and will get jealous when the other cats are getting pet. He enjoys pouncing on stuffed mice and attacking his siblings tails. He has become pals with the big cat and tries to emulate him as much as possible. "

Please email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com to meet these kittens today! And remember, our policy is to have kittens adopted in pairs or a single to a home with a companion. 

We're moving!

Dear Readers,

In March of 2008 I opened this blog to ask for help with a 12-member cat colony "South of the Midway": http://hydeparkcats.blogspot.com/2008/03/62nd-street-alley.html

Since then, I've written about 1150 posts.

But the time has come  to close down this blog. However -- you can still get plenty of Hyde Park Cats news, information, and community:

Please join us on Facebook

and bookmark our new website!

Love, Terren

Happy 4th of July

Chicago friends: Join us tomorrow for the annual FOURTH ON 53RD PARADE and OLD FASHIONED 4th of JULY event here in Hyde Park! This wonderful family-friendly event is a Hyde Park tradition. All our friends are welcome to join us as we march in the parade!

The parade kicks off at 11am from the corner of 53rd and Lake Park. Look for our banner and join us at any point along the route. 

Griffin

One of our core volunteers, Anna, received a call from the Anti Cruelty Society yesterday that a cat chipped to her -- that is, a Hyde Park Cat she had  transported for its original veterinary work, including microchipping -- had been turned in. We were able to identify this kitty as a South Side TNR case. However, Griffin "Grau" Kitty is much too handsome and friendly to be put back in an alley. We think he's done his time on the outside!

If you want to visit this gorgeous friendly fluffster he's hanging with the folks at Parker's, a Natural Dog & Cat Market while we seek a foster or furrrrrever home.

Huge thanks to Anna for her quick work retrieving this kitty, and to Thomas, who despite severe allergies allowed this boy to sojourn at their home overnight. Griffin is a lovebug of the highest order and has been calm in his cage. The staff at Parkers love him. He's verrrrry handsome! Write hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com to inquire!

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Huge purrrrrrs to Ginny L. for her recent donation to our spay/neuter fund at Treehouse BVDM Spay-Neuter Clinic. It's a great way to support our work. Learn more: http://hydeparkcatsfaq.blogspot.com/2010/10/tax-deductible-donations.html

Trevie

Trevie came to us from a North Kenwood location where we have an active TNR volunteer. This little cutie is just a kitten, and it shows.

Her fostermom writes: "Trevie loves to play. She especially loves playing with her laser. Trevie also enjoys joining me in the shower and playing in the water. She sleeps on the pillow next to my head and loves to cuddle at night. She is a very vocal little girl and will let you know when she wants something. Trevie is a little aggressive in her play style so she may not mesh with older cats but she plays very well with my 11 week old puppy."

Here is a video of puppy/kitten playtime!

Bar Rafaeli is waiting

 Bar Rafaeli is still awaiting her furrever home....  her new fosterer sends us a glowing review of this petite little lady:

Bar Rafaeli (aka BarBar, aka Barbarella, aka Barracuda, aka Bar Mitzvah, aka Bar Exam) is a handful! She's definitely still a kitten; it's hard to believe that she's already had a litter of her own. She's an absolutely beautiful cat: very petite, with unexpected red streaks in her gray tabby fur. She ALWAYS wants to play -- as I type, she is stalking my hands -- and will play with almost anything (including the brussels sprout that I dropped on the floor this evening while cooking). She's especially fond of her little stuffed fox, which she carries around the apartment in her mouth between bouts of trying to eviscerate it. She is fearless -- within half an hour of arriving in our apartment, she had explored every nook and cranny and was already trying to figure out how to reach the ceiling. She's quite clever and we've had to find more and more obscure hiding places for her jingly toys at night. She's very vocal, but rarely actually meows, instead chirping and loudly purring. And she loves people; she's always waiting by the door when my partner or I get home, and she likes to follow us around the apartment. She's not into cuddling, but she purrs when I pick her up and sometimes she'll fall asleep on our legs when we're lying in bed.

She uses the litterbox perfectly. She eats dry food but she LOVES wet food (but only the kind in gravy -- she turns up her nose at paté).

Here are some photos of her in action (it's tough to get a non-blurry photo of her, since she's always moving!) and here's a link to a video of her playing with her fox: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoFT8hBlD4 "

To meet this energetic young girl, email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com today!

Huckleberry

Huckleberry is a young female beauty who was brought inside with the help of a rockstar community member and the financial backing of Trio Animal Foundation, or TAF,  is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists shelters, rescues and individuals by paying the medical bills of homeless pets. TAF also promotes adoption and responsible pet ownership, including spay and neuter. We partner with this wonderful organization on cases now and then, and are very grateful for their support!

Huckleberry's fosterer writes: "She's doing great. Absolutely adorable, very affectionate, has a good appetite.  We've moved her to our spare room so she has more nooks and crannies to explore and more furniture that is inviting to humans so that we can sit (or nap) in there with her for hours and give her the kind of attention she wants.

Pretty much as soon as one of us gets in there, her purr motor gets going and keeps going.  She also has this adorable habit of flipping over onto her back to get belly rubs and then flinging her front paws out to the side like a scarecrow or maybe a bird spreading its wings.  Silly, but very cute."

To inquire about Huckleberry, email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com today!

Vladimir Fluffington

Vladimir Fluffington was found by a community member while walking his dog. The dog was none too happy with this new being, and so Vladimir Fluffington was brought to us. He enjoys the older male cat in his household, being cute as a button, and playing. Photo two shows relative size as compared to bed. The companions in photo one are not -- we repeat not -- available for adoption. To inquire about Vladimir Fluffington, please email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com.

* * *

Thanks to recent donors: Anna F., who wishes us all a very (belated) happy Mama Cat Day! Our sustaining friend Mike H. Ventzislav M., adopter of Topaz and finder of Violet, who wrote in to thank us (aka MJK) for responding so quickly, for taking in Violet, who wandered into his workshop, and "for everything else you do for the HP kitties." Donors you make all the difference!

  

Ishy, Michonne, and Darryl

 These little cuties came to us from Bridgeport, where our comrades at Throop Street Ferals are hard at work on the homeless kitty problem in their neighborhood. Here's some delicious pictures for you. We'll have more information soon on their particular purrrrsonalities!

Ishy

Michonne

Daryl (Daryl  Dixon like my boyfriend)

Gray Boy

Meet Gray Boy. After a year of being fed in a Hyde Park backyard, he finally allowed himself to be trapped. Despite taking his sweet time with coming inside, he's a friendly boy currently staying at the vet's office for a couple days around his neutering. Stay tuned for the next steps, when we unveil a real name and some handsome pictures.

Cello

Cello is a sweet, handsome boy who loves to play and relax with you. He's not a lap cat, but he loves to be around people at all times, and will follow you from room to room and snuggle up at your feet. He's a great self-entertainer (and a good people-entertainer, too) -- one of his favorite pastimes is madly trying to catch his tail. He's also a bug-destroyer extraordinaire; you will never find another fly in the house. He loves meeting new people and adapts to new environments very well, although he isn't a big fan of other cats. He's the opposite of picky about food and is very happy just eating dry food. Cello is a fast and constant companion!

Cello is chipped, vaxed, neutered, and looking for that purrfect furrever home.

Kittens in a box

Kittens in a box left at our local vet's office = special delivery for my kids!

Thanks to recent donors James M. and Juliet H S. and Paula S. -- we will keep up the good work, Paula!

Lucille is waiting

Lucille is a chatty, friendly, curious, darling young girl who was rescued from a hoarding situation.. she has been waiting a long time for a furrrrever home. Can you help us find one for her? 

Previously, on "The Lucille Show."

Whimsey

Described most recently by his sitters as "suspiciously friendly" and by the vet as "structurally sound", Whimsey is arguably all of this and so much more. Everyone says their cat is friendly, but Whimsey may actually have them all beat: he quickly acclimated to his new home with his new fostermom, greeting her at the door whenever she came home, then riding on her shoulders with a strange mixture of apathy and intrigue. When it gets cold, he sleeps by she pillow and would wake her up by nuzzling her face or rubbing her feet.  Loving enough to make you suspicious he's even feline and with a fluff BMI that's off-the-charts, Whimsey is a friend to anyone and everyone within a fifty mile radius.

Whimsey was a past HPCat who was returned to us because of life's vagaries. He is eager and ready for a furrrrrrever home and has proven himself as the Cat of All Fabulousness. Apply to adopt him by emailing hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com.

Hall

Hall is a verrrrry handsome and playful playboy of a cat. He's young, he's hip, he's handsome, he knows it. He wants to play ... with you. And a string. Or a ball. He also wants you to gaze at him and murmur sweet nothings to him, like "does hims want to play" and "isn't hims hanpsom boy." Yes, I asked him and that's what he said.

Izzy

Izzy was rescued from an alley behind CVS on 53rd St. in Hyde Park in late April. Dehydrated and severely emaciated, she was admitted immediately to the vet. The vet estimated her to be 9 months old; she hit their scales at only a few pounds ... but with some vet care and lots of love and groceries from her foster mom, Izzy is making a comeback.


She is gaining weight gradually and consistently. She loves tummy and chin rubs -- ideally at the same time. She purrs and rubs and rolls, but can often be found just sitting on her pillow, smiling. She's so glad to be loved and cared for.

Izzy has tested neg/neg. She is a sweet and gentle little girl and very keen to play with her foster kitty sibs, so would be a lovely addition to a household with a resident cat. Please apply to adopt Izzy by emailing hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com.

Thanks to recent donors James M. and Mike H. (of COURSE) and also to Christine P., who sent in a donation to mark the two-year "gotchaversary" of Winston (once up a time, Templeton).  Thanks, donors. We do not receive any grants or any other forms of income. Your dollars go directly to veterinary care for our charges.

Ms. Moustachio is waiting

Ms. Moustachio. CUTE. ADORABLE. FUNNY. PLAYFUL. FABULOUS. Matches everything. Seeking a furrrrever home!

CATS! DELICIOUS YOUNG CATS!

WE HAVE CATS!

we have many wonderful 

and adorable

sweet and friendly

cats available for adoption!

Please help us get them adopted!

* * * * *

Giant, major, huge, enormous thanks to recent donor Che N. 

Che made a very generous donation to our ear-tipped fund ... oops, I mean ear-marked fund! ... at Treehouse Humane Society, where we have all our cats spay/neutered, vaccinated, etc. Because Treehouse is a 501(c)(3) organization, your donations to our special fund there (used only for the purposes of Hyde Park Cats) is tax-deductible! So donate your moneys!

Please read more, including details instructions on how to donate to this fund.

Cullerton

Cullerton was one of our many stray cats who just defy logic -- how can such a sweet and wonderful kitty find itself homeless? Cullerton was deemed "the best beginner cat" and "the cat for everyone" by his fosterparents, and immediately loved by those who saw him and experienced his incredibly loving and laidback personality--so it is no surprise that he got scooped up! He is already carrying out the part of being his new four year old human's first (and best) cat with aplomb. Have a life as sweet as you are, Cully!

Thanks to everyone for getting Cullerton from the streets to a new home so quickly. 

Diamond

 
 

If you are looking for a great companion and someone to keep you company, Diamond  is your girl. She is very quick to warm up to anyone who wants to give her some pets, and is very gentle. Although she came into our adoption program as a stray, she has done wonderfully as an apartment cat. She likes to talk just to say hi and is very content chasing around a mousie or shoe string to entertain herself. Her purr can be heard on the other side of a door most of the time and she accepts all the love you can dish out! Diamond (or Cassie, as her fostermom calls her) also does a few quirky things that never fail to make her fostermom laugh, like laying in the window sill for a long time with her tushie showing, or laying on her back and kneading the air. She is a wonderful friend!

Monika and Bond are waiting

Monika and Bond are a bonded brother-sister pair awaiting a furrever home. These sibs are about a year old. Fostermom writes that they are sweet, enjoy petting, and are quiet and well-behaved kittehs who enjoy the company of other cats. They must be adopted together and promise you a lifetime of attractive and sweet kitty love!  Please email  hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com today!

Brian is waiting

Brian's superstar fostermom writes:

"Brian lives by a play hard, purr hard philosophy. He is a very active teenage boy, who loves running around, chasing after toys, and watching birds from the window. He's recently begun playing fetch, dropping his toys on my lap and then, after I toss them across the room, he'll take off to retrieve them. He's super curious and always finds a way to amuse himself. And while he is an intelligent, independent cat, Brian is very social and loves to have a partner in his mischief. When he is done playing and chasing after things, he will jump up on my lap and nuzzle me. I never can say no to his adorable requests for affection (sometimes he'll pull my hand in toward him with his paw to prompt an ear-scratching). Afterward, he'll cuddle up next to me on the couch and sleep. 

Brian's got it all: supermodel looks, kooky cat antics, sweet temperament. He's a total catch."

Email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com to adopt Brian today!