neighborhood strays
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| Sat, 07-24-2004 - 11:36pm |
The latest were from a woman who absolutely loved her cats, refused to get them spayed or neutered and actively promoted their getting pregant because she loved the litters - I know, becuase I was buying bags of food for her and saying they came from the local Humane Society's low income program, to lure her into giving them a call to access their programs. She got evicted, walked out her door and locked it behind her and abandoned 5 cats (1 pregant) and two litters on the sidewalk.
The neighborhood rallied around the cats and took them in, and over time have found homes for them. There are two half grown kittens still hanging around in my back yard that seem to have gone feral - I have teeth marks from where the smaller one broke skin on my hand when she let me close enough to pet her. There is also an older cat that's drifting through who has no hair on the 3/4 of his tail that is left and acts as though at some point he was also abandoned - I've seen him chase other cats away from their doors and cry to be let in. I'm one of a few people who have taken to leaving food out for them, but am looking ahead to the brutal winters of Wisconsin and wonder what to do for them then. The local Humane Society is not going to be able to place the one we've begun to call Mr. Stumpy, and I'm concerned that all three become one of the thousands of feral cats that are put to sleep by them every year if the H. S. is called to come and get him.
I have two cats of my own, and no room for more in the apartment I rent from an old friend. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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*WELCOME* to the board Blunote.
Hi Bluenote.
I have two, the older one being three and a half years old and named Echo, and he came to me from the Humane Society. I'm not sure how he picked up his name because he isn't much of a talker, but knows how to use facial expressions to express his definate opinions. He's a medium steel gray, with faint tabby markings around his face and stomach. He was afraid of shoes and children, and mine was the third home he'd been in by the time he was one year old. He likes it when I call him "Big Guy", and gets along with Mushu like they were litter brothers instead of a year apart in age.
Mushu is a two and a half year old brown tiger, with a chocolate colored nose. He was treated very well by the family he came from, and knows no ill in the world. I've had to be very careful in trying to eliminate some of his more annoying habits, because he used to cry when he thought I was anywhere near mad at him. Some things just had to be unlearned, though, like flinging himself at me from across the room to snuggle under my chin when he was about 2 1/2 months old.
They take turns bouncing up and down on each other, and being alpha cat. It pretty much depends on who wants it more at what time, though Mushu seems to have more moments picked out to be his.
I'll post some pictures sometime soon - not just yet, though, because this fall's tuition has to come before buying a camera!
I just posted to you on the rescue board but here is the link for the cat shelters
http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/wintershelter.htm
Would your local humane society lend you a few traps so you can catch them and get them fixed and than return them to their outdoor homes? Our humane society does that for a small deposit and will fix them for free if they are strays.
Good luck to you, it's awesome that they have you worrying about them....
Marybeth
Awww, Echo and Mushu sound so adorable and handsome too.
Thanks for the link! Our local Humane Society does have a catch and release program, and I've started talking to my neighbors about getting involved in it. It's going to be part of what will be discussed at the first coffee clatch, along with some of the plans suggested on the Rescue board for temporary shelters for the neighborhood strays to access in the upcoming Wisconsin winter. Boy oh boy, won't it be great if this all comes together! My neighbors also have been really positive about all of the suggestions from boards.
Would you like me to post an update, after the first meeting? It might not be for a few weeks, and I'm going to spend some time in between seeing if there is a way to subsidize the cost of materials for the shelters, and asking the local HS about the availability of their catch and release program.
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
I loves my cat guys! Enough to be able to make a few jokes at their expense, such as calling them "Ugh" and "Ugh Too", after a lyric in a Lyle Lovett song: "You ugly." response: "Well, you ugly too." Some of their other nicknames are Gorgeous, Spudley Men, Chunky Butt, and My Little Wierdos. And, my guys can belly dance, with a little help. How's that for over the top!
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