Funky Rockin' Blues Catzzzzzzzzz

Funky Rockin' Blues Catzzzzzzzz

October 15, 7-10pm

FUNd Raiser featuring

Dawn O'Keefe & The Lucky Dogs

Underpass Restaurant & Lounge

9400 Grand Avenue - Franklin Park

Tickets $30 includes unlimited drinks and hor d'oeuvres

PROGRAM BOOK:

Like most animal rescue groups, we are at critical levels. Yard cats and pets are being abandoned as evicitions and foreclosures increase. We are having to sponsor the TNR fees for record numbers of cats. We are spending almost as much on medical fees for cats in dire need of medical attention. Our coffers are running dangerously low - and the cats keep coming. We're hoping you'll help us help the cats by coming to one of our events or by buying an ad in our Program Book to show your support.

We are selling ads in a beautifully designed Program Book to be distributed at our Funky Rockin' Blues Catzzz event. The Book will be handed out at our event, a placard with all sponsors will be on display at the event and you'll be listed on our website and blog. In addition, you will receive your own personalized copy of the Book.

Price & Sizes

$25 for business card size add, $50 for 1/2 page and $100 for whole page. Use to advertise your business or with a personal message of support, or a photo of your cat or cats!

$10 musicians, service providers, etc. Includes Name, phone number, service or band and music type.

Submit message, scan of card or digital photo along with size of ad to catvandotnr@yahoo.com , or by snail mail, CatVando, POB 851, Maywood 60153. Or, call us, if we're in your area, we'll pick up your card or photo. 708 829 6013

To Pay: click on donate button to pay by paypal, earmark your donation for 'Funky Rockin''. Send check to CatVando, POB 851, Maywood 60153. Please submit by October 12.

Juicy, Bittie & Tender need home by 7/2

Juicy Bittie Tender

or they have to go back the the yard..... They are three of the 11 we've trapped and clinic'd. They've lost their caretaker to foreclosure. Right now, we have a temporary feeder bringing food and water but the less cats we put out the better. These three are young and social enough to be further socialized and adopted BUT WE NEED A FOSTER OR FOREVER HOME BY THIS COMING FRIDAY, JULY 7. We have no place them and HAVE to put our focus,, energy and money on working the TNR Program to prevent babies like these from being born in our communities with no where to go and in this case, no home to go to.

The Cats of CatVando

We have some of the most wonderful cats in the world. Just like everyone does that has cats in need of forever homes. We love our cats and have treated them well. They've gotten the best of care, good food, lots of love and enrichment, veterinary care and good supplements and flower essences for their emotional health. Our cats are all healthy and happy. Some are very affectionate, some are shy. Some are lap cats, some 'lay next to your lap' cats, some 'across the room' cats. They need their forever homes NOW. CatVando is a TNR organization. We spend too much money on care for the cats up for adoption and not enough on paying TNR fees for those in need. 30% of the cats we TNR for people are paid for by their caretaker - that means 70% of the calls we get are from people who can't afford to pay TNR fees - even basic clinic fees. We pay for those cats when we can. Please help us find wonderful homes for all our wonderful babies so we can carry on with our work of TNR to prevent more homeless kitties from being born into the streets and to try to find homes for the strays we find on the street, and even to help those that have 'controllable' numbers of cats in their house. We can't do what we did with Henry's cats - as happy as we are that they are so much happier and healthier because we interceded, emotionally and financially, we can't aford to do that again. Henry's cats are healthy, happy and ready go to. Their lives started out so horribly, they need to have the last 1/2 of their life, or more, in their forever, loving home. Many of them are on our http://petfinder.com - under shelter type our zip 60153 or CatVando. We have other cats who are ready for homes, some last years kitties, some pets we've found in the streets. We don't take kittens any more - we currently have our last 7 kittens from two different litters. One, the Boo Boo babies, the last litter born at Henry's, and the Bunny Babies, born to two cats of an elderly gentleman who let 2 yard cats in last fall. Fortunately, his niece contacted us and they are now in their new inside/outside digs, steralized. Adoption fees are greatly reduced. We're just looking for good homes. Most we'd like to go in 2 or 3's. Like the 3 'Water Babies'. A couple could go alone. I know, most animal lovers are already maxed out but there has to be SOMEONE who would love to develop relationship with a special cat (or one little dog - Miles). Please ask around. SPREAD THE WORD! More kitties need homes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bliss

Bliss has been around a CatVando colony for a couple of months. Skiddish one who runs at the sound of an open door. He's been spoted maybe 6 times. We have housing under a front porch. It's walled in and has a door. We periodically check to see how things are under there. There are a couple styrofoam strawed houses and lots of straw instead of dirt for bedding. There's one resident and 3 visitors that have been spoted down there. Last Sunday, during a check, the usual cat, Casper ran out the hole on the opposite side and there was Bliss. He didn't move. I saw his eyes. Bliss is now in a crate, getting meds in his canned food and will be going to the vet for testing, evaluation and treatment on Tuesday. Bliss is feral - there aren't a lot of places to take ferals and the only place we can take him is closed until Tuesday. I'd hoped to clean his eyes with warm saline water but he (?) would have none of it. I did find out he has a missing canine through the process. Until Tuesday, he's as good as he can be and he has a nice warm place to stay with a constant supply of food and water. Sometimes that's the best you can do. How he got the name Bliss is beyond me...... it just came.

Henry's Cats The New Year

This post was typed on January 8th. Writing about this is harder every day. We've found no place for Henry's cats. Janet, Kallie & I have called numerous places in Cook and other Counties. We got a couple of bites, Tails in DeKalb offered to take the sick ones if they could handle them enough to test.... we don't know that they are. Some of the sick and healthy ones aren't touchable. House ferals. Six MIGHT be handlable, they came within about 10-20" of me when I was spoon feeding them canned food on the floor. But, we don't know how touchable they truely are. If we don't find places for them by Thursday, instead of being having their surgeries and shots, they will be killed. I know you're gasping as you should with such horrible news. That's what we've been doing since we took this on. It's a deep grasp; one that grips the heart and gut and stays there. It's been growing and tightening since this whole thing began. Knowing that we have the responsibility for cats no one wants and we have no place for. Shelters, fosters and individuals are full of cats no one wants or can have. Cats that are shy or may only be residents vs interactive members of the family, are even harder to find homes for. If you want to help and save some cats from being killed. Allow one or two of them your home or get a friend to share their home. That's the only thing that will save them from being killed because there's no place for them. BE SMART. Don't become a hoarder yourself. One of the issues involved in rescue is the tenancy to help when you see need and when it comes to animals, many people that start out helping, end up hoarding. They are sensitive to the needs of animals needing home or medical attention and it's hard to see animals killed or go uncared for. Hoarding isn't good for anyone, the caregiver, who's unable to care for them or themselves properly, and the animals. Overcrowding isn't natural to animals and they're stressed by it. This is incredibly difficult. It's weighed on all our minds, Kallie, Janet, Zarema, Sue and others who are involved in the project. Henry needs the cats gone. He's keeping 3-5 cats but the rest need homes. Knowing that the only thing I can do is kill them is killing us. It hangs over our heads and hearts. So many cats with no where to go. None of the people and shelters we've called have been able to provide homes, temporary or permanent. So far, Sue has agreed to foster and access two of them. She'll be moving soon so this home is only temporary. Last week Kallie and I went in for another assessment. We were suppose to be trapping but due to a scheduling snafu, we did another assessment. Henry'd gotten a new phone. The cats ate through the wires. He asked when the cats would be going. He's tired and he has no life. He cleans litter pans several times a day. He spends money he doesn't have on food. He pays $240 a day to keep his wife in the home. He still has hopes she's coming home. Maybe she can and they can both have a caregiver but not the way the house is now. Too many cats in the house. The remaining kitties we took from the house last month, Peter, Paul and Sister Mary Francesca, Isabelle and Lynx are all doing great. Their coats are thickening, they are playing like happy kitties should and they're getting more affectionate every day. Well, except for Sister Mary Franchesca. She's going to join Lynx (and Tigger from the VA) at Megan and A's wonderful fosters of the best kind. They love, cuddle and help them get ready for their new families and they let them go when they're ready. Many of our fosters fall in love with the kitties and wonderfully, the kitties have a good home but yuck, we loose a good foster home! Lynx, a sibling or cousin of Sister Mary, is now wonderfully friendly and very relaxed. He's ready for adoption and will be on http://petfinder.com soon as will Paul, Peter and Isabelle. Paul's eye continues to change, for the better, we hope. He's going to Visionary Vet on Friday, 1/15. . He's sweet as the dickins, playful and getting to be quite handsome. Peter is continuing to run but can be held for longer periods without squirming or wanting to bolt and he sure does like to play. Sister Mary is beautiful but still very shy. She'll play but forget any pets or hugs. Isabelle's recovery was miraculous. She went from a severe URI to cool (which is what happened to the others before they died) to recovery and lots of play and lovin'. We give them all good food and plenty of immune building supplements in addition to a flower essence blend for stress, changes and to release trauma, old and new. TO THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE SENT DONATIONS - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WITHOUT YOUR HELP, WE COULDN'T DO WHAT WE'RE DOING.

Henry's Cats - And then there were 10

Sadly, we lost Z Saturday. He left feeling loved and in comfort. In the days prior to his passing he received and responded to a lot of love, it was beautiful. He loved being held, didn't even need to be petted, he just loved laying in someone's arms where he purred and nuzzled. His eyes looked better than he had in days but he just couldn't fight the infection. Its one of the rough parts of rescue, loosing them. We understand it's part of life. THe fact that these cats came out of such a sick home, if we save 1/2 of them, it's better than their previous fate. But it's hard. Neither of the photos picture Z - the red is Paul and the greys (yet unnamed - suggestions?) are 2 of the almost socialized and healthy ones. Gladly, a lot of the kitties are doing really well. They're learning how to play, responding to their meds and a routine is settling in. Playtime in the bathroom that now houses the cat tower - metal frame about 4 ' high, surrounded by netting with hammocks in the middle for extra fun. Some, like Paul, Peter, Emma, Cat # 3, 5, 7 (we haven't named them all yet). Others just sit and watch, like they're back in their cages but more of them are learning how to play all the time. Their coats are much healthier already and hey've all put on weight. Paul has his next visit with the ophthalmologist Dec 18. Where his lense should be is a pale mass encased in vessels. It could be due to a ruptured, necrotic lens being reabsorbed, or a congenital malformation of the lense or, unlikely, an intra ocular tumor. He's on opthalmic prednizone for the inflammation - we're hoping for the best. He's a sweetie. THe friendliest and most playful of the bunch. Depending on the outcome of the visit, he's ready for adoption. We'll post here and on our petfinder account. This picture is a few days old, he looks even better now. His picture is at the top of the page. Some of the kitties are taking longer to recover from their URI infection. 5 out of the 11 are really shy and 3 of them are questionable for socialization............. if they aren't socialized, then what. Emergency volunteer hours are needed to get these cats socialized. Volunteers can come as little as often as abailable, scheduling is a must tho. - no drop in's please. We'll be going to Henry's (sorry can't take it out of 'bold') this week to inventory for age, temperment, description to see if any are able to be socialized and adopted. Still no word on placement. No one has stepped up to volunteer to take any of the feral type house cats. We're having a difficult time thinking about what's going to have to happen if no one comes forward. Decisions and end dates are going to be set soon. Writing to one of the volunteers who's going to accompany me to the house, I spoke of deadline, end date. Never have those words been as appropriate and horrid.

Henry's Cats

Another part of working with the kitties is really crappy.............. as in litter, and lots of it! They are a lot of work. Changing and filing water and food bowls, changing bedding, sweeping and washing the crates, changing and cleaning the litter boxes, cleaning the litter boxes and dishes, clearing and cleaning the playroom after each session. Times 11. This is about a 3 hour job. Meds are 2 or 3 times a day. Vaccines, de-worming, de-fleaing, topical application for sores. During the day, pans are cleaned as needed, as are water bowls, and any litter on the floor messes, sometimes, mixed with water - mmmmmmmmmm. Nice clay. Then there's placement. Where can these kitties go? Calls, emails and inquiries trying to find foster homes. People willing to take them, care for them, socialize and love them. Checking with shelters for placement or fosters. Then, when we are fortunate to find someone to agree to homing, socializing and caring for one or 2 of Henry's babies, there's training and prep and packing for the move. Then there's the paper work keeping track of them all, the visits to the vet, the wonderful 'kitty buddies' that come to help socialize the newly formed team to help care for Henry's cats. As I've stated before, we're a TNR group. Our specialty is working with cats living in the streets, to help get them sterilized and cared for. To help people who feed the cats take care of the cats. We aren't equipped to care for these or any kitties............. but we do, because no one else will, but I digress. This is only the kitties. There are still 16 cats and 3 young kittens at Henry's. We've yet to find homes for them. A home for them is a place that will take them in, let them live there, care for them. The cat may or may not become friendly. They won't attack. They're use to having people around but they haven't had much individual attention. A yard would be considered if the conditions were right. A heated garage, to come and go. Good food, TNR, vetting as necessary.......... the relocation process essentially means they have to be confined in a space (to be discussed, not a crate) at their new home for 4-6 weeks before they're let out. If cats are just moved to an outdoor shelter, they bolt in search of 'home' and live miserable lost lives. Colonies are well established and not always welcoming. If you have a good home you'd like to offer, please contact us asap. Like those that have yard cats, that can't touch them, they love them anyway. We'll be putting a deadline on the house cats soon. Henry needs them gone. We have no place for them. We do have 2 kittens going to foster care tomorrow, 2 on Tuesday and we heard back from Treehouse, they are having their biggest event of the year this weekend. THe admissions committee will review our request to take some of the kittys next week. We requested they take Peter, Paul & Z, plus Emma, Earl Grey and Ellie. The 'eye' boys, because Treehouse is better able to care for their needs and Treehouse cares for cats and the three grey/grey tabbys because they're at a crucial time in their socialization. They're really skiddish and need more individual TLC if they're going to be adoptable - because if they're not................................. then what. We need volunteers until the kitties are all placed!!!!

Donate Part of Your Yard Sale Proceeds!

Last year, Jennifer Wolfe of Wolfe Photography in Forest Park donated part of the proceeds of her garage sale to CatVando. Thanks again, Jennifer! This year, think of us when you're having your garage sale. Or if you just want to make a donation, we could really use it. A growing number of our TNR's depend on funding from CatVando. With the increase in Strays and kittens, we're really stretched. Thanks to Chicagoland Stray Cats for their generous donation of $200. It paid for Katrina and 3 of the 2118 Colony cats last week and will cover another 3 this week. 2118 is an example of what we run into. 2118 is comprised of cats that have been multiplying in a house for years, decades, actually. Grandma had cats and kitties too. Every once in awhile, when there were too many in the house they'd open the door or call Animal Control. When Mom died, Daughter let the cats out, unsterilized. Shortly after the cats were left out, she left. So, the cats have been put out with no food. Numbers are unknown. These cats are in an area where 90% of the cats have been TNR'd. It's an area about 4 blocks long and 2 blocks wide. In 2005-6 about 70 cats were TNR'd. Now there are about 30 in that same area - plus the new ones. I've been feeding since I found out, hoping the cats won't spread and can be TNR'd on the spot. The 3 so far were male. When there, I've seen 2 others, both pregnant. Neighbors said, there are a lot of cats but couldn't give actual numbers. We'll be working to round them up with food and trapping for a couple, three weeks or more, then, they will be one of CatVando's sponsored colonies until we can find someone to sponsor them. We'll keep you posted on numbers. Remember, think of us next time you have a barbecue, birthday party, any time people are gathered! We'd love to provide you with a donation jar all about our mission and work at CatVando. We'd be happy to provide a receipt and would love to post your donation on our Blog! Yes We Can - we can ride through these tough economic times and come out the other end better for it! Let work together to solve today's problems.

Today's New Kitties

These babies are new today. Someone delivered them and their friends, another mom with kittens all black or black and white. They're all skinny and a bit scared but friendly. A little good food, some good supplements, and they'll be ready to roll. Actually, they're ready now. We'd let these babies go with a deposit to assure return for spay or neuter and suggestions for proper nutrition to assure a healthy life. They're not even named yet! Mama needs a home too. Someone had to give up their cats and their kittens. You can tell, aside from food, these cats had a lot of love.

More and better photos of both soon.

The advent of new kitties is stretching our coffers! We need donations to cover the cost of these kitties. They all need not just food and supplements, but, deworming, flea treatment, spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping - then there's the extra litter and laundry. Oh my! 12 more mouths to feed!

The New Face of TNR

More Strays, Faster Pregnancies

seems to be the way it's going with our TNR this spring.

So far we've spayed 2 mamas with 5 & 6 week old kitties. Both were pregnant already, while still nursing. That's frightening!

We're trapping more strays this year than in the past. It's one of the delimas of TNR. It's always been our belief that if a cat has a good feeder, someone who has their cats TNR'd and provides food, water and shelter while monitoring the colony for new cats or medical needs, that that cat is pretty lucky. However, when there's a recent release who's sweet, scared, and used to being a pet, the lines get blurred. Not being a shelter, we can't house the cats for any length of time. We have fosters that will do temporary care but with the number of strays we're finding. Shelters are besieged with people giving up their cats and dogs and often can't take another. Many of the areas we cover have been heavily effected by the economy, release of pets is unfortunately, inevitable. If you have a solution to offer, please do.

Out of 5 cats last week, 3 were pregnant, 15 kittens were prevented. One of the mom's, with 6 in her belly was still nursing 2-6 week olds. Two out of 5 cats today were friendly strays.

Spectacular Spruce Up - date

What an incredible weekend! A wonderful outpouring of energy, hard work, friendships forged, similarities shared and lots and lots got done. We had about 10 people each day, some of hours and a couple for both days. It's amazing how much we got done. No pictures now - waiting for the before and after but here's a glimpse of the weekend's events. The first to arrive at about 9:30am were Chuck and three students from Lane Tech. They came for Ellen's Winnebago. It's going to be a Lane Tech student project! Unfortunately, Ellen doesn't get it back all spruced up and road ready ..... but it's going to a good place for it's new life. In trade for the Winnie, Chuck and the boys (sorry guys, I don't remember all your names), moved all the lumber and limestone tiles for the cat houses from the driveway to their new home. They did a great job. Remember Chuck, I want a photo of the finished product! Candy then Christina arrived next and started working on getting the crates ready for kitties. Clean, sanitize, then attach 1" fencing so the kits don't get out of the bars. Linda started when Candy left and she and Christina did a great job finishing 4 crates. Good thing. A mama and a 6 week old kitten arrived the next day and now occupies one of them. Thank You Candy, Christina & Linda!!! Nice to have a fail safe place for the kitties! Can't remember the time frame of who came next but suddenly there were people taking on projects and getting things done. It was great, everyone worked independently and as teams. Some had met before, some not. Sue, holy mackeral, Sue is a powerhouse; she took charge of the back porch project. She started about 11am and worked until 9pm. Then came back the next day and worked another 6-7 hours. She took on the project with relish. The porch was cleared, walls and ceilings were vacummed, primered and painted. Janet joined in on Sunday adding her flair to trim. It was fun picking colors from all the donated paint. Barbara brought 2 of the kids from Maywood Youth Mentoring, Darrian & Kquanis joined in the clearing, cleaning and vaccumig. Barbara brought food too. Elaine had the worst job of the day, rolling paint on an extension from a ladder in a stairwell on a wall with paint peeling off on the roller. Sorry Elaine, I know how frustrating that was - still haven't figured it out but I think the trick is in the sealant too. Ah, there's always mulch (last year, Elaine helped move a huge pile of mulch)! The room looks fabulous. I laid the vinyl today. It's amazing how well it goes with the multi-color room colors. All the paint was donated by Karen, Georgia & Ellen . Jeanne & Linda preped a piece porch furniture for paint. Jeanne painted it a beautiful shade of green. T painted an old enamel topped cabinet the same green then went on to paint an old metal cabinet in 'camoflage' - it looks so cool. The Cat Man came and lent a lot of great tools and painting supplies and helped Kquanis and Darrian tighten the aftercare rack, then K & D primered it. Sheila (who held a kitty for the first time in her long life heald a CatVando kitten last fall and loved it. Quite the cat woman now, since falling in love and sharing gleeful stories about her 2 yard cats) She ripped sheets for traps - we use a lot when trapping. We get sheets donated by Animal Care League and sometimes CatNap from the Heart and they need to be torn by the dozens. Eric did sheets for awhile and even Kelly took a turn with them. Darrian came back Sunday and was a tremendous help filling in wherever he was needed whether it was playing with Bella or bringing things and messages from room to room or filing in on a project or helping lift. He made lunch! The first meal he ever prepared. We had beans with cheese, salsa, cilantro and sour cream and he put it together. It was excellent! Kim brought delicious roll ups on Saturday and worked for a couple of hours. Her huge contribution was during Pre-Spruce Up, Spruce Up. Kim is wonderful - not only incredible with the critters (Bella loves her so much her eyes almost drool) but she understands the complexities of running CatVando out of a home and is always there doing things I ask and doing things she sees need doing. She was back on Tuesday, played with the critters, vacummed and straightened. She's definately one of the spirits of CatVando. I, Ellen, worked here and there, painted a bit on both porches, worked projects, answered questions, took pictures, even painted with Sue until 9pm, and took wonder in the events and changes. It was pretty great. Thank you all for being here, for taking time, for working so hard and so communially. BRAVO!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, You ALL ARE GOING SAILING! Watch for dates and times to pick from. And... the Spruce Up continues. CatVando is expanding at a rapid rate. Cat populations are expanding at an alarming rate. Because of the economy, cats are being abandoned at increased rates, most unsteralized rapidly adding to the already high numbers. Some communities are more saturated than ever but all communities are experiencing an increase. Education is becoming almost equally as important as TNR with the community, the feeders and municipalities. TNR is at it's best when it's community-based, when everyone's on board and understands it's effectiveness and how the whole thing works. At this point, there's a lot of misinformation that needs to be clarified. So........ we're busy with more than TNR & Kitties & Adoptions these days. We're dealing directly with municipalities and you know how much red tape that can involve! Plus, our wonderful VA Hines Project.

The Spruce Up Continues!!!!

Sundays May 3, 10th (Mothers Day), and 24th

11am - 5ish

Lunch at 1pm

Bring friends

Join us for a couple hours or a couple Sundays

just email or call

catvandotnr@yahoo.com

708 829 6013

Love to All

Big News! Really Really Big News!

Really Really Really Big News!!!! We are so proud to announce our news! CatVando, Animal Care League and Hines VA Hospital are partnering in a Community-Based TNR program an a program where Veterans build and maintain 'cat houses' to help the cats on the campus of the VA Hospital. We are sooooooooooo excited and proud to be part of this project. More on the history and doings of 'The Cat House Project' (ya gotta love it!) later. I've got to get busy. We're having a Cat Vando Spruce Up this weekend and have to spruce up for the spruce up, gather tools, clear space, etc.

Join Us!

CatVando's Spruce Up

April 18-19

10-3 or thereabouts Saturday and Sunday

bring tools, extra paint, lumber and munchies

we'll provide Yerba Mate ice tea & Limeade

lots of natcho's with beans, cheese and salsa

Campfire Weenie Roast

Saturday late afternoon

bring something to roast over an open fire

We'll provide roasted potatoes

And as a treat for you! A chance to win a

Sunday Sail on Lake Michigan

One hour's work is one chance.

1 hour = 1 chance

9 hours = 9 chances

5 Lucky Winners!

P L E A S E - RSVP - P L E A S E

CATVANDOTNR@YAHOO.COM

email to plug into Project List