Tri, the Hillside Calico

Tri is a sweet calico who's front leg was mangled in an engine. She's a friendly but lives outside with a colony being fed by a wonderful elderly woman. To make matters more complicated, when she went to the vet, in fear, she bit a vet tech so she's on rabies isolation for the next 8 days. We are hoping to raise enough funds to have her leg amputated when she's out of iso. She's young and cats (as well as dogs) are resiliant and do just fine on 3 legs. Of course, she can't be outside so we'll be looking for someone to adopt this little sweetie. One of the vet techs at the the clinic may foster her after surgery. Her caretaker has visited her at the clinic and loves her but has too many house cats already and can't take her in. If you can contribute to her care, please click the donate button and indicate it's for Tri. We need to raise about $1,000 - we have a matching funds grant by one of our benefactors. I've yet to find out if there is any significance to her unusual name but will. I'll keep you posted.

Jake's found a home!

Jake found himself a new home!

Those of you who visit CatVando are familiar with Jake's ways and charms. He was an indoor cat who became an indoor outdoor cat then became primarily an outdoor cat, living on the enclosed back or front porches with access to the yard area. He had quite the beginning, coming to us initially for therapy for his 'bite' behavior. He was doing great. We always had to exercise caution but he quit the intensity of his behavior and became more the charmer he really was. Jake is an alpha cat and even tho he was neutered, whenever there was a new cat on the premises, the boy would spray his little heart out - and, because of the influx of cats coming and going for TNR aftercare, ............... let's just say, there use to be a great leather couch here - use to be. Jake helped redecorate. We now have all wicker furniture. Anyway, Jake disappeared. He was in the habit of getting into cars and we thought maybe he took a ride somewhere and was trying to find his way home. 4 weeks to the day that he disappeared, we got a call from a local vet. Jake found a new home in Forest Park. We've worked out the arrangements, warning of his behavior and habits and are thrilled that he has a home where he's the only cat, where he can cuddle in bed for his night's rest, which he loves. Don't you just love the white heart on his abdomen

Racoon-Proof Feeding Stations

Great idea for raccoon-proof feeding stations.

http://thewildones.net/raccoons.htm

Check out the photos:

http://www.sosanimalslounge.com/raccoon-proof-cat-feeding-station-131612.html

http://network.bestfriends.org/blogs/feralfriend1463/archive/2009/02/11/88350.aspx

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chin Chin & Friends

Chin Chin & Friends These five babies were born to a couple of lucky yard cats who were brought in last fall by an elderly gentleman who fed them all summer, then, when the weather turned cold, he brought them in to share his house with them. Unfortunately, he knew nothing of TNR, and, about a month ago these five little ones were born. Fortunately, his niece did some research and within the month his two house ferals will be spayed and neutered. These five little ones are in a wonderful foster home where they're getting lots of love, attention and therapy. They are special needs kitties. They have cerebellar hypoplasia. Amazingly enough, we've gotten 2 litters so far, both from different sources, both CH babies. So we've done some research talked to our vet, talked to Treehouse, who's had quite a few CH babies. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated movement . The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease.

The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog can usually learn to somewhat compensate for it and should have a normal lifespan. Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if special considerations for the animal's disability are taken by the pet's owner. It's our understanding that they're more suseptible to infection like URI's and such so we're sure to give them our usual regiment of immune boosting supplements and good food to assure the best possible health now and long term.

We've listed the litter on petfinder.com, they aren't ready for adoption but we wanted to see what kind of response we might get and we've received several calls from people aware of CH and interested in adopting them. They won't be ready for adoption for about 6 week but it's nice to know there are people who care.

While our other babies act like they are walking over logs, these babies back legs splay out - especially Bunny, the one with orange and grey markings. They're all doing great. They play and run and climb - they don't know they're special needs!

BooBoo & Friends Henry

BooBoo, Trixi, Kalli & Oscar Henry The last litter of the Henry household. Cute as buttons and neurologically impaired. They have cerebellar hypoplasia. It's a condition they received while in the womb. Its thought they contracted panleukopenia. It caused damage their cerebellum. Their balance and gait is affected. They were tested for a number of things, all negative. So enutero panluc is the default. Boo Boo, the cat on the right, is the most effected. She has a terrible time walking and spends much of her time rolling over on her back. We're in the process of developing a special wheelchair of sorts. Amazingly enough, we've gotten 2 litters so far, both from different sources, both CH babies. So we've done some research talked to our vet, talked to Treehouse, who's had quite a few CH babies. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated movement . The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease.

The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog can usually learn to somewhat compensate for it and should have a normal lifespan. Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if special considerations for the animal's disability are taken by the pet's owner. It's our understanding that they're more suseptible to infection like URI's and such so we're sure to give them our usual regiment of immune boosting supplements and good food to assure the best possible health now and long term.

We've listed the litter on petfinder.com, they aren't ready for adoption but we wanted to see what kind of response we might get and we've received several calls from people aware of CH and interested in adopting them. They won't be ready for adoption for about 6 week but it's nice to know there are people who care.

Henry's Cats

Henry's (Almost) Last Trapping We trapped 6 cats last Thursday. 4 of them were females. One was pregnant and aborted. When we went to pre-bait last Friday, we found another litter of 4 cute as button, quadruplet grey tabbies about 3-4 weeks old. We got them and their mama. All are now in foster care. Read more about them in the blog 'Boo Boo & Friends Henry. They're cerebellar hypoplasia babies. There are still at least 2 cats at the house. Henry's been a bit 'non-compliant' about putting food in the traps only - probably confusion. "They're eating the hard food but aren't going into the traps for the canned"............. The good news is, we haven't killed any cats! We may be returning many of them to Henry's. Some have been socialized enough and are about ready for adoption. We'd always planned on returning some to Henry's, we may be returning as many as 11. The house is big enough to support 11 cats and Henry and his son are ok with that. The important thing is there will be fewer cats and less stress due to overcrowding. The wierd news is that most of the cats we've caught have been about 1-2 years old. One's about 9 and another is about 6. We don't know what happened to the older ones, the ones we saw through the basement window during the second big trapping. Henry said Brownie disappeared about a week ago. I can only imagine he's in his final resting place somewhere in the walls. Another wierd thing is that the last batch of 6 (including the new mom) were all relatively healthy. No alopecia, no dental problems, no URI. Go figure. All cats we've previously trapped are flourishing and should be on petfinder soon. Isabelle, who we thought was a gonner, is healthy and purrs up a storm when cuddled. Paul is thriving and doing just fine since he had his eye removed. He's always been blind so he's adjusted well to the removal. Ilsa has turned into a very affectionate cat and has had no problems since her dental surgery. Kasha is still hiding in her foster home and is never seen. She recently joined her cousin, Athena, who lets herself be seen but not touched. Her foster mom, Sue, was recently delighted when she played with a sock toy. Agnes & Hades are very playful and bring their foster mom toys to play with. Their cousin, Louis is still wild and totally non-responsive to human interaction. Lynx is incredibly playful and ready for adoption. Peter is still a bit shy but going to foster tomorrow for intensive therapy. Sister Mary Franchesca is also still shy - we're looking for intensive therapy mama for her too.