Jake's New Blog & George

Meet George!

Jake's now the star of his own blog. To follow his story go to http://www.blogger.com/jakevando@blogspot.com for the rest of the story....

George is having an afternoon snack on the back feeder. Most of the food is in the lobby of their condo unit - a fancy way of describing their dwellings, for sure, but it keeps them warm and dry.

George was one of the first cat's I TNR'd out of my yard. One of 19 out of my yard! I think he and some of the others spent time on the enclosed porch before we got here, we being Bella, my Belgian Shepard Lab mix and I. The former owner's caretaker use to love the cats and she and a couple of the neighbors fed them (mostly people scraps) and watched them all grow. I think the porch is where the last batch of kittens, (now 4 years old) Tootie, Stella and Baby were born to George and Coco - a sweet little calico you'll meet Word is, when Mary (former owner) died, she took or got homes for as many as she could but couldn't take all the street cats. Because of his obvious contact with people, George is people friendly after he trusts you. He's really sweet and loves his lovin'. He's a regular at the back and front feeders but he doesn't live here. He lives a door or few north. George is headed to the vet on the 31st with a reoccuring eye problem. This will be George's first time at the vet - should be interesting! Aside from his eye problem George is a pretty robust cat who scales the cyclone fence with ease to come for a snack or to feed.

B.C.

This is B.C.. She's one of the street cats that feeds at the front feeder. She was one of my first TNR's, 3 years ago. She was pregnant at the time, her kittens were aborted. She's beautiful. Her name is B.C. for Basement Cat. While doing aftercare she slipped out of her trap and ended up living in my basement for a couple of weeks until I could retrap her. She's always the first to feed in the morning, usually waiting for me at the door when I do the 5am feeding of street colonies. She comes closer than most of the street cats but I've yet to touch her. This photo is taken from my front door. I have one of those storm doors that is 2/3'rd window and many times, I've come out to the porch and she's been on her back legs peering into the window waiting for me. I love her eyes. I don't know where she stays, she usually comes and goes from the north end. She's pretty much a loner but gets along with other cats in the area. I think she'll always be a street cat but she is up for Armchair Adoption.

Purrl & Jake Purrl

See Purrl's story on the last blog. Jake is another new addition - he's here for treatment to help him not get so excited, he bites! He should be ready for adoption in 3 months - he's a sweetheart and making excellent progress........... but that's another story for later.

Here's Purrl!

Purrl came to us in early November last year. When I went out to do the 5am feed, I heard crying somewhere on the street in front of the house. At first, I thought it was an injured cat (crap) but when I followed the sound, there in the bushes was a kitten I thought to be about 6-7 weeks. From the moment I picked her up, all her little black self but for that small white tuft of white on her chest, she started purring, hense, Purrl. I figured she'd be at Animal Care League in Oak Park within a few days and find a nice home. However, it's March and she's home. It happened by circumstance (like my TNR activities - it just snowballs). First, she had the worst gas of any little critter I've known. She had dirreah. She had small sores around her neck and head with a hot spot developing on her face. That says horrible digestive problems and possibly allergies and a depeleted immune system. I started her on my Flower Essence blend for street cats, to help them release the trauma of the streets, rejection, fear, to help them accept love (tho she didn't need that one), change, assimilation into group issues and a few other things. It's a good generalized blend for rescues. I got her tested for the usual feline diseases The vet confirmed my suspicions on allergies. I got to work. I gave her Florify, a really good probiotic for her digestive system, her dirreah stopped immediately and a few days later so did her gas. I gave her ProVex, grapeseed extract, to help her inflammation, strengthen her connective tissue, and strengthen the mast cell walls, to prevent oversensitivity to allergens, and I also changed her diet, completely. I emailed with Lais, a cat partner, about a good cat food, she suggested Evo. I went to a specialty shop and chose Orijen, a wonderful food that helps to build the immune system. A couple of weeks later, I heard about a new place in Oak Park that makes and markets an excellent choice of healthy food and their own marvelous completely balanced raw blends . What wonderful fortune!!!! Purrl needed a good diet, rich in nutrients and enzymes. (A bit on animal food * - see below *) It's Sirius Cooks on Harrison & Lombard in Oak Park. http//siriuscooks.com Not only did I find an excellent selection for Purrl, I found Julie & Harriet, they are great! They're nice, they're fun (and pithy) and they really helped with food for Purrl. If you're in the area, it's well worth the trip. They have food, treats and supplies. They have the coolest cardboard furniture for cats. Because of Sirius Cooks, I have the food I need to help Purrl to become the healthy little critter that is now nuzzled into my lap, purring away. The hot spot that took about 1/3 her face, the seeping pinhole sores on her neck and head, the gas, dirreah all gone. Her hair, once thin, is filing out. By building her health, not just treating her symptoms, she's growing into a healthy little being who won't need a whole lot of medical care. So that's Purrl, she's the house CatVando cat. She's an expensive one. Her food is about $42 a month. And of course Tootie, the other CatVando house cat, from the backyard colony. She's in because of an eye problem that needs daily drops - but nore about him later - he's a story! Totally different story. He also now costs $42 a month for food (his eye is actually getting better after 3 years of drops and ointments). And so is Frankie and Jake - by good fortune. But that's another story for another time. Aloha! *in my opinion most of it is crap. Cheap ingredients, synthesized nutrition. Food is suppose to give our bodies what it needs to function. Most food, animal or human, for a number of reasons like corporate agriculture, pesticides, processing, picked too soon - even in it's natural state, food isn't what it use to be. I believe the FDA did a study and found 1 c of spinach in 1949 is the equivilant of 7 cups of spinach today. And that my folks, is why we need vitamins. As to most cat food on the market, the companies that manufacture them have to use the cheapest ingredients to satisfy the bottom line of profit. Without it, stocks would plummet. I've heard 50% the cost of most products we buy is spent on advertising to get us to use those products. Add stockholders, employees, warehousing, store profit and there isn't much left for ingredients . Most dog food is filler. Orijen isn't.

Street Cat

This is Frankie. I first saw him 3 years ago and think he was a year or two old at the time. He use to come to my back feeder and munch. He had a flea collar on at the time. Since then I've found out his owners moved and left him behind. Last winter I TNR'd him and healed his wounds. He had a split on his head from ear to ear and several bite and scratch bites around his neck. Because he was a stray, he was pettable but with caution - he'd turn and he had the biggest fangs I'd ever seen. Frankie is now back in my bathroom with severe wounds. I think he's a target. I'm going to redomesticate him and put him up for adoption. He's too much of a target on the street. There's a new male out front, yet to be trapped and neutered. One day, I heard the fighting yowls, looked out the window and there was Frankie and Todd (the intact male). Todd was howling and yowling and hunching his back. Frankie just stood there looking at him. Todd howled on. Frankie sat down. Todd howled. Frankie layed down. Todd looked puzzled, howled a couple more times, then layed down next to him. However, I guess that doesn't always work because Frankie has a huge wound in his chest and scratches on his shoulder. I found out why he has those big looking fangs - he has a periodontal disease that appears to push his teeth out. He's a very affectionate cat but as I say, he can turn in an instant. This morning, when I went into the bathroom, Purrl (a kitten who I found in the bushes in November when I went on my 5am feed run and who started purring the moment I picked her up, hense the name) slipped in - she's a fast little bugger - and Frankie immediately pounced. Bella (my Belgian Shepard Lab mix - I think) was right there and I was holding a large jar. I put down the jar, went into the bathroom and picked up the hiding behind the toilet Purrl, Frankie jumped straight up about 4' and swipped at Purrl. Yowza, that was scary! She missed, fortunately. He's going to take a lot of work. More later on how I'll accomplish his re-domestication, now, it's time to take Bella to the Forest Preserve then pu some trapped cats to take them for s/n clinic.