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

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!!!!

Whew and News!

Cat Nap from the Heart of La Grange took all our 'delivered' kitties. 9 beautiful egyptian looking kittens and 2 beautiful mama's. If you're looking for a kitten that's georgeous, sleek and with that look.... Visit CatNap in LaGrange. And, Katrinka, the beautiful Seal Point with striped wiskers, visit Animal Care League of Oak Park, she'll be there on Thursday. We went trapping for a mama (already pregnant) and her 3 little cuties today. Mama moved them so we're starting over. We'll keep you posted! This is Nicki and her kits, Gracie & Cookie. They are all friendly and just waiting for a new home. Give us a call! They also need a sponsor! We got 2 more calls for TNR today. One from a woman who feeds cats about 15 minutes from her home. She's wonderful, she's been taking care of cats since 1991. We TNR'd 8 of these cats last year. One, a white one, was illusive, sometimes there, sometimes not and we didn't get them. She's been attempting for a couple of months, with no luck. The CM talked to a woman who feeds down the block and apparently, the white cat is usually there - along with a few more. They will be TNR'd next week, the 5 kittens from 2 different mom's may come here or go to another rescue who specializes more in adoptions. We like them! The other from a woman north of here who has 3 plus cats and kittens. She and her neighbor share feeding. We're conference calling tomorrow so we can give info to both, saving time! We love people who love their yard cats and who understand the importance of TNR!!!!!

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

CatVando at ACL's 2nd Chance Shop

Ellen Miles will be at Animal Care League's 2nd Chance Shop, 159 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park on Saturday, March 21, noon to 4pm to give overview and answer questions about street cats. What's a feral? What to do if you have street cats? What to do if you're feeding an outside cat. The importance and benefits of TNR (Trap Neuter Return) and street cat care.

Our TNR Season is Starting Soon!

TNR Season is just around the corner!

If you have yard cats, email (catvandotnr@yahoo.com) so we can get you on the list. At this point, we have 3 colonies and a couple of individual cats already on the list.

If you think one of your cats is in early pregnancy, be sure and contact us soon.

Weather dependant, we will be starting late March, early April. Males can be TNR'd now. Females have their bellies shaved, leaving them exposed to the elements and even tho we risk kitties being born, we wait until the weather clears a bit.

We're always looking for volunteers and foster homes for the kittens that are an ever present part of TNR.

Coco Mulch (A Killer!)

This is an article I found on a site listed below. With spring soon to arrive, we'll be sprucing up our yards - when choosing a mulch - read below for warning about: Cocoa Mulch ( a killer) Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that 'It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it.'This Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.aspCocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ' Theobromine' . It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of th eobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffei n e and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine. Posted by Colleen Del Bane~It's All about Pets Creator~ on February 12, 2009 at 11:16am in Animal Care Advice Back to Animal Care Advice Discussions A great site all about animals. To join go to: http://delbanese-abc.ning.com

TNR in the Winter

We don't do TNR during the Winter Months unless it's for inside ferals or male cats. A term we'll define at another date but for now, I'll explain why we don't do winter TNR. It's a matter of choice, some groups do, we've chosen not to. When spaying a female, their bellies are shaved. We usually hold her for 2 days after surgery for aftercare then return her to her home territory. During winter months, those shaved bellies expose bare skin to snow and the elements, leaving the cat more susceptible to the cold and illness without their usual fur for insulation. It usually takes 2-3 months for the hair to return. Much as we want to avoid spring kittens, our concern for the welfare of the female takes precedence. If you do have yard cats that are in need of TNR, and are in our area (within about 10 miles of Maywood IL) email us at catvandotnr@yahoo.com, to make arrangements for when the weather permits - usually very early spring. If you're outside our area, just google TNR in your area or ask your local shelters for a reference.

Check Your Salt!

Use Safe Salt rather than the usual type Sold under many brands, safe salt is salt that will melt the ice without drying up cats tender paws during the winter months. It's more expensive but you don't use as much. Regular salt harms the cats paws. They dry out, then crack and become infected and very painful! Bad enough that most people use the regular stuff but if you have yard cats, switch to the safe stuff. I get it at Walgreens for about $8. I've seen the same size at a local pet chain for $16

Shelter Photos

One example of a feeding station. This is the bottom 1/2 of a large plastic dog carrier. There's a slab floor but dirt would be fine.

A styrofoam lined rubbermaid shelter with 2 doors. Duct tape is used here but Gorilla tape doesn't break down in the winter. Some suggest a silicone caulk but I'd be concerned about the toxic fumes.

Some put the styrofoam outside.

This doesn't show the straw bottom.

TIP. To encourage the cats entering the shelter, sprinkle a bit of catnip in the straw.

This is an example of a shelter with plastic overhang. Rolls of heavy duty plastic can be purchased at places like Home Depot, Menards, Lowe's, etc.

The opening is pulled back for photo. There's usually a small opening for entry.

This one is a styrofoam cooler (turned upside down - for more body room) lined with Reflectix. It got 7 layers and is easy to work with. It reflects 97% of radiant heat. It can be purchased at Menards (and other home stores) in rolls. 16'x25' for $1975 and 24' x 25' for $27. This caregiver made 4 coolers and one large rubbermade with a roll of Reflectix.

The townhouse version (behind a garage)

This is two examples of 1/2 a plastic dog carrier with straw insullation combined with styrofoam insullation on the top with tables in front with straw to provide a veranda for 'paw wiping'. The one on the left is covered with heavy duty plastic, the blue on the right is solar pool insullation (see link on Winter Care for Outside Cats for ordering info)

This is the beginning of a project of several houses for a colony of 16. There are about 7 shelters. It's under a back porch. When completed it will be covered for further protection. Pictures of completion to follow.

These are a few samples of shelters and feeding stations. We'd love to display yours - send us a digital photo and a bit about it to: catvandotnr@yahoo.com and put "shelter photo" in the subject line.

Winter Care for Outside Cats

An Overview on Winter Care for Outside Cats

If you,feed street cats, or a cat or two in your yard, thank you. Without you, street cats, would suffer and starve. (If you haven't had them spayed or neutered - contact us and we'll help). If you don't feed but you know someone who does, please pass this on to them.

All cats need food, water and shelter, all year round. Winter is especially difficult. Shelter is almost more important than food. With rain and snow, their coats become wet and loose their insullating abilities. Their tender ears can get frostbite. Water bowls freeze and unless food is under a cover, it too can freeze. If you feed wet in addition to dry, there are steps that can be taken to keep it from freezing too. Here are a few simple steps that can be taken to help. In addition to these basic steps, there are links at the end of the article to resources and further instruction.

Food needs to be sheltered from the snow and rain. Make sure they are in a safe area, sheltered from any public harm. If you feed somewhere like a porch or natural shelter, great - if not, here are a few suggestions: 1) a bucket turned on it's side (rectangle litter buckets work well), 2) the top of a litter box, 3) a dog or cat carrier 1/2ed and inverted (link below) for visual), 4) a leanto against a garage, porch or house. 5) a beautifully construted platform with a shed roof. Anything that keeps the snow out when necessary. Water is very important during winter months. In addition to dehydrating, cats drink lots of water during the winter and with all their sources frozen, it needs to be provided, free from ice. Heated water bowls can be purchased at places like Walgreens, WalMart and PetCo, PetSmart & Pet Supplies Plus. They take little electricity and are necessary during freezing weather. Water bowls can be put into styrofoam coolers, with a whole for entry. There are also solar units available. See link below. Shelter can be provided a variety of ways. 1) A Rubbermaid box, enough for however many cats you have, lined with styrofoam insullation, with about a 10" layer of straw (not hay) for flooring. In addition to adding insullation and providing a 'nest', it doesn't hold water walked in on paws. Never use material, blankets or rugs, they get wet and stay wet. , 2) an Igloo can be purchased at a local pet store 3) inverted 1/2 dog houses with straw or styrfoam insullation (see photos on blog) 3) small insullated dog house. Or, 4) purchase one on line - google cat shelter (and watch for CatVando's feral shelters next year). Get creative! Shelters have been made like a lean to with plywood, insullation and straw with heavy duty plastic or a tarp covering the openings assuring an opening for entry and exit. See link below Face the opening away from the wind (don't face north) and cover the opening with plastic (gorilla tape and double overlapping plastic work well).

Reflectix is a foil insullation that's 7 layers thick yet easy to work with because it's thin. It provides 97% of radiant heat. It can be purchased at Menards and other home care stores. Don't put fiber on the bottom of the shelter. It gets wet and retains the moisture. The best flooring is straw (not hay). It provides comfort and insullation. If possible, put straw outside the shelter with an overhang. When things get wet, the cats carry snow and wet into their bedding, the overhang and straw provide a place to wipe their paws. See picture on blog.

SEE "SHELTER PHOTOS" BLOG FOR PICTURES

And, of course, all cats should be spayed or neutered, and vaccinated. CatVando NFP Corp is a grassroots organization of animal lovers joined together to help care for, control and reduce the population of street cats in our communities. We work with individuals, communities and municipalities to teach, assist, perform, and coordinate TNR (Trap Neuter Return) efforts while teaching the basics of colony management care. TNR is the most effect humane method of feral cat control. We believe that cats provide a vehicle to teach respect for life and work with local youth groups on various life enriching programs. If you have cats and need assistance with trapping for spay and neutering, or have questions about outside cat care, give us a call or an email and we'll explain how it works. Kitties are born as early as February, then those kitties can have litters by the following fall.

http://www.urbancatleague.org/Shelters.html - Shelters and solar housing ideas http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/nycfci/CatShelter.pdf - skematic on to build a basic shelter

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/preventing.htm keep water from freezing

Berwyn's Colony of 18!

The Adventures of TNR

We got a referral from Animal Care League about a couple of fellas who just inherited a colony of cats from their neighbor. An older woman had been feeding cats for years, but like so many people who are compassionate and feed rather than let them suffer and starve, she didn't realize she could get them to stop having kittens. Most people think it either not possible or they can't afford it - so they multiply.

The Good News is that after she died, her neighbors took over as their caregivers. They've built wonderful winter shelter, have a heated water bowl, and feed twice a day. Knowing they needed to stop the kitten flow, after several calls, they found us. We TNR'd 15 out of the 19 cats this week. 3 of them are 2 month old cuties, now in foster, young and friendly enough to adopt ( TNA's Trap Neuter Adopt) . And 1 is on the enclosed front porch and will be vetted next Tuesday. He or she, a beautiful long haired grey and black tabby with a white crest, was in the yard the day when I returned the males. Fortunately, there was still a trap there (to catch Popeye, who's one of 2 known unsterilized, uncaught cats). Typically, when the cats were returned, they ran for the hills as soon as I opened the trap doors. The guys (caretakers) left food for the returning boys and she was there for lunch. With the boys out of the way, I put food in the trap, took the rest away and it wasn't long before she was in the trap on her way to TNR. Unfortunately, that was Wednesday and next clinic is Tuesday. Not wanting to leave him in the trap for a week, I attempted to put her in one of the large cages equipped with a small carrier in the hopes that she'll run into it. Welllllllllllll, she made a U Turn at the opening of the trap, and in 3 seconds she was on the other side of the room 1/2 way up the wall then, because she was freaked out she hit every wall on the porch until she found a hiding place under a chest. Poor baby has been crying on and off since. The females, were still in their traps on the porch. For the next day, there was a symphony of cat calls. The most vocal group we've done aftercare for. The girls are gone but the Porch Girl l is still loose on a porch. Trap is pre-baiting, she has warm places to sleep but she's miserable. A real downside of doing this is going through things like this. Hopefully, she's comfortable enough by Monday so I can set the trap, get her vetted and returned to her family by next Thursday.

Chances are we won't catch the remaining two. That's why we go for as many cats as we can with the initial trapping. However, good news is, 90% is effective against further growth.

The kitties are being treated for upper respiratory infections and should be ready for in about 1-2 weeks. They're on Clinidrops, Crystal Lungs & Terramyacin eye gel.

And, that's the skimmed version of this weeks TNR report!

Maywood Farmers Market

Cat Vando had a booth at the recent farmers market held every 1st & 3rd Saturday in St. Eulalia's Parking Lot at 9th and the Eisenhower. It was fantastic! Good fruits vegies, wonderful plants friendly vendors, music, people from the Extension Service answering gardening questions and medical students from Loyola addressing health and wellness issues and lots of fun and fabulous people. Pictured is Maywood's own, the uncomparable, Johnny Diggs, documenting every Maywood event we've attended photographing the entertaining, invigorating talent of the Proviso East High School Band - again, excellent!

We were planning on doing the 3rd Farmers Market of the month but after our experience at this one, we plan on attending each Farmers Market of the season. We met many wonderful people, cat people and civic minded people. We'll go into more detail at a later date but we have a grant writer! And, someone to help us with Publisher and Cannon Zoom Browser. We connected with many feeders and were told of many colonies. While we work in other areas, our main interest is to help Maywood make TNR a community effort. We believe that cats are an opportunity to learn respect for life and to help counteract the violence rampant in our society, we want to start that in our own community and to help spread this to other communities.

We're actually working with the U of I Extension Service to bring in a program for animal education. The 4H people to develop a specialized 4H group to build cat houses for feeders yards. The Village is interested in TNR and working on a program to help the cats of Maywood. All is good!

We've been incredibly busy getting this in place while continuing our TNR efforts. We are working on several colonies, with reservations for our limited supply of traps. We're doing a tremendous amount of education. Many of our calls are for 'relocation', which we don't do... most TNR groups don't. There just isn't any place for the cats other than where they are. The most effective method of reduction and control is TNR. Then there are the details of TNR. While the process is similar, each project brings it's own story. And, there's some doozies! Wish I had the time to list the details some of the stories are quite funny. From skunks to missing then found kittens - it's been well worth the story - just don't have the time!

To clarify TNR, Trap Neuter Return is our focus. Not only do we not have the resources for Trap Neuter Rescue, our mission is to prevent the birth of cats that there's no place for. Hundreds of thousands of cats that are wonderful adoptable animals are being euthanized because there's no place for them to go, no one to adopt them and take them into their homes. Rescue takes lots of time, energy and space. and ultimately, keeps us from our mission of preventing the birth of cats that don't have feeders or are creating an overpopulation problem in a neighborhood, jeopardizing the existing cats because neighbors are concerned about the 'numbers' of cats.

Having said that, sometimes it's impossible to Return, such as the case of Sweet Cheeks the stray (who's amazingly identical to the Stone Park Colony but was abandoned in Maywood) who doesn't like cats and ended up disrupting a whole colony of well fed cats and their feeder. She's darling, affectionate and still here! Or, Hoover and her young kittens, or today's addition of the 6-7 week old kitten found stuck in the pipes. Such is the life of a CatVando'r!

Hoover & Kittens

Hoover arrived with her kittens on June 12 & 13th. They were born June 1st. Hoover (cause she's always eaten like one) is about 7 months old. She's a fantastic mom. Gotta love watching those kittens hold their head up for the first time when it bobs like a little bobble head or when they take their first steps and their butt does the bobble bob. Initially they were in a carrier in a big crate. When they started venturing out of the carrier, I replaced it with a big comforter in the crate.

This was one of the more challenging kitten and mama rescues we've done. This lucky cat is blessed with two wonderful feeders and two sleeping places. Because she was fed by humans as a kitten and because she was exposed to her feeders a lot, she's semi-feral. Her feeders can pet her and she walks between her feeder, Maryann, for food. With 2 feeders, when the feeder withheld food for an hour so I could trap, Hoover decided to go to her other feeder and take 2 kittens with her. Can't even begin to explain the details of this- lets just say, it was interesting and I should write a book! It took 23 hours to get the 4th kitten to her and 30 for the 5th, thanks to the hard work and determination of one of her feeders, Joe.

They're all waiting to go to their foster home then to be adopted out through Animal Care League mid August. Hoover, tho she's feeder friendly, will probably go back to her home with her two feeders. She may be able to be domesticated but it would take more than the resources CatVando has. With a cat as lucky as Hoover, she has a home, it's in the streets. There are so many adoptable cats that don't have homes as good as she. So, unless someone falls madly in love with her in the mean time, she'll be going back to the only home she's known. Spayed, to live out her life without kittens.

Our focus is Trap Neuter Return. Sometimes, as with these kittens, we're diverted. With TNR sometimes, cats just don't 'fit' on the street. And, when kittens can be taken this young, they stand a better chance of being adopted because they can be socialized to human touch and love.

Yowza it's The Season

A Stone Park Colony - 6 cats black or black and white except for Scotty. Poor boy, never saw a cat so flea infested. Wasn't doing much itching but there was a 1/16" layer of flea larve & poop under his cage after 24 hours. It was horrible and took an entire morning to deal with. Couldn't bathe him but did give him Revolution for fleas and parasites. Washing would have been great to get rid of the flea crap but wouldn't have done much for the fleas...... He has a great feeder.

Here's where his devoted caregiver delivers food every day. She drives from her home and feeds this and one other colony. This is behind an empty house. The man who use to feed the cats lost his home and had to move. She heard about it and started feeding and contacted us for TNR

We trapped 7 the first day and 1 the second. We did however, trap a skunk (our first and we didn't get sprayed releasing him!) and a possum. The night before we trapped our first raccoon... a banner 24 hours I'd rather not repeat!

Sweet Cheeks and Henry's Update

Sorry, no time to upload photo but Sweet Cheeks is now in very temporary foster care. She had to be removed from the colony because she was extremely disruptive and was causing a tremendous amount of stress for the feeder, as she continued to 'rule' the porch, not allowing the regulars to feed. She's very sweet and needs a home ASAP - her kittens didn't make it. She is precious and needs to be in a one animal household. Henry, on the other hand is doing well. In case you don't remember, he was the beat up, 12 year old who came in full of dried feces, dry brittle hair, old fight wounds, hardly any teeth, frostbit ears, dirreah. He spent the first two weeks eating and sleeping and pooping (all over the side of the litter box, don't 'cha know). After eating good food from Sirius Cooks (http://siriuscooks.com - we love those girls and their healthy food and snacks), getting antibiotics and probiotics and EFA's, no more dirreah, his coat is starting to smooth and he's cleaning himself! He's also taking an interest in his surround. For the first couple of weeks, he wouldn't look at me. When I'd be near, he'd close his eyes. Now, little by little, he's looking... Once he's healthy, he'll be neutered and will possibly go back out on the street. He has a good Colony Manager so he'll have food, water and shelter. Time will tell - he's definitely on the road to recovery.

Newest TNR project 316

This is a sweet looking colony most that have eyes that look like they're lined with black crayon. Not all are pictured. This caregiver and I connected the day these photos were taken. As luck would have it, our first attempt at pre-baiting was successful. At times there were 3 on one side and 2 on the other side of the trap. Pre-baiting is a technique used to assure cats will easily enter the trap, so that when it's 'set' to trap, cats are accustomed to entering, usually at a fixed feeding time. It eliminates the need to wait hours for the cats to mosey in to the set trap. It's unusual to pre-bait with one trap and numerous cats but TNR methods, while static are also flexible and 'you do what you can with what you have'.... Fortunately, these cats were hungry so dove into the traps first time they saw it. These lucky cats have a feeder who cares for them and who understands that few can turn into many in a short period of time. The cat in the upper right of the blog, with the grey crown and white face, is pregnant. She's also the mom of the 3, approximately 6 months old kittens in this colony. These are all feral cats. Secure enough to come close but not enough to be petted. Their at home with the caregiver and use to her and even secure enough to eat while I'm there. These pictures are taken from inside the porch through a window. We're only 3-4 feet from them.

For the next few days, their caregiver will be putting their food in the traps (they'll have 7 traps over there by the end of the weekend). Sunday morning will be their last meal until Monday afternoon, when we'll begin trapping. It works best if they're hungry. On Tuesday and maybe Wednesday morning, they'll be going to Animal Care League's, Feral S/N Clinic. They'll all be sterilized and vetted (see TNR sidebar). The mom will be aborted (I know, it's a horrible thing to take a life, but it's humane when you think of the thousands of kittens born with no place to go), then they'll be back home by next Thursday or Friday. Between that time, they will remain in their traps, covered to make them comfortable (it soothes them), monitored for any after effects of their surgeries. Rule of thumb is if they are urinating and moving their bowels, they're ready to go home, unless there's infection or other complications - usually isn't. Generally speaking males are kept 24 and females 48 hours during aftercare. In this area, all the immediate neighbors will receive info on TNRing, free roaming cats, and cat deterrent info.

We don't get to publish all our TNRing projects, but this one, you'll get to follow from start to finish. It will be an interesting journey into TNR. Each colony and situation is different but similar enough to get the gist of things. This one is different because the cats were hungry the minute the first trap was put out. Many times, we pre-bait for a week to assure comfort and ease with going into them before we set them. We'll just see how things go next week! and........... we'll keep you posted!