Introducing the Boonie Colony

Melissa has done TNR all around this area for years. She’s moved apartments a few times here and finds cats at each location. We’ve worked on TNR together near the Cell Phones Colony. Her sister has adopted a few cats from there.

Even though Melissa no longer lives there, she visits almost daily and replenishes the food and water for the colony in this feeding station.

It’s really cool – that feeding station has been in the alley for months and no one messes with it.

When Melissa moved to her latest apartment she noticed a lot of cats outside. That’s how we found the Armando Colony, just a few doors down from her. Along with our friend Heather, we TNReturned and rescued 18 cats and kittens so far from that location.

But there were still more cats coming around to Melissa’s yard, so for several nights this month we set up traps. Melissa doesn’t even feed, but the cats came anyways. We have since determined there is another colony up the block, but so far the feeder is not compliant.

We have TNR’d five cats now from Melissa’s yard. I call this the Boonie Colony, named after one of Melissa’s pit bulls. The amazing thing about Melissa is that she is actually a dog person, and volunteers all the time at Chicago Animal Care and Control. But she also of course cares for all animals, and believes in TNR.

One of the cats we trapped was already ear tipped. She looked good, so we released her immediately. This is just the third all-white cat I’ve ever come across outside in over a decade of TNR.

The rest of the five cats we trapped were all male and taken to the clinic for their TNR spa package.

Boonie was the first cat we trapped. Obviously he was named after Melissa’s dog, and I consider him the mascot of this colony. He had a broken canine, but is healthy and now neutered.

He had a lot of great poses, so Jim made a gif.

TNR is good. Yes!

When we trapped Donut, we could see he is obviously friendly, and also had a very, very tight, frayed old collar around his neck. He was neutered at the clinic, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, and we did not ear tip him. Heather was able to get him admitted into Felines & Canines, Inc. for adoption into an indoor home. Here he is in their isolation room.

Spaulding is another brown tabby that we trapped. He also had a broken canine, and was treated for nasal discharge. Whip is another very healthy orange boy, also now TNR’d.

Scruffles is a grey boy with a big old wound on his head.

The wound was cleaned and treated, and he was TNR’d without further problems.

We’ll keep trapping at this location to see what other cats show up. Thanks for all that you do, Melissa!

Barb G says:

March 25, 2015 at 10:10 pm

I assume the little tag on Donut’s tight collar wasn’t useful in helping finding his owners? No microchip? Hope he finds a new home!

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Introducing the Carport Colony

Terri has been TNR’ing her backyard colony for a few years now. Currently there are about a half dozen TNR’d cats, but there are some newcomers.

She has a completely private, enclosed backyard where the cats have free reign, and shelter in her garage.

I’ve written about Terri before. This is her car. Obviously she parks in the garage.

I offered to trap the new cats, and set traps all around her yard.

Unfortunately I only trapped ear tipped cats, and after a few nights I decided to call this a wrap for now. The new cats must also have other food sources. There are a lot of colonies in this area that we are working on.

But I did get to see this ear tipped tortie every day. She is smart. She would sit by the feeding station and wait for me to place the leftover bait of sardines there.

Thank you for caring for these cats, Terri! I look forward to working with you again.

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Introducing the Amadeus Colony

Maryann cared for the outdoor cats in her neighborhood for years. She brought in cats that needed help, vetted them, and adopted them out.

She has a photo album of her cat rescues.

She told me stories of the cat that showed up with a wire wrapped tight around his leg. Thankfully, only two toes had to be amputated. Another cat showed up with the muscle and bone exposed on his entire leg and side. She rushed him to the emergency vet, who said he must have been hit by a car. He had to be humanely euthanized.

And as usual, she ended up keeping some of the cats herself. They are gorgeous and healthy.

Check out Puppy Cat. He is a ham.

She started TNR about a year ago. Since then she has TNR’d about a half dozen cats. Her yard is a haven with outdoor cat shelters and feeding stations.

I met Maryann last December at the clinic and we started talking. All of a sudden she said, “Are you Cats In My Yard?” It was very cool to meet someone like that. She was there with some cats from her yard in traps. A few weeks ago she called me somewhat overwhelmed, saying there were six more cats to be trapped, and she feared one was pregnant. I promised to help her.

We set traps in her yard and the cats were all over them.

Hmm, into which trap shall I go?

We tried for a few nights and got two new cats.

Meet Pita and Jeune.

: Pita

: Jeune

I’m guessing there are other food sources in her neighborhood, but we will keep trying. Maryann said there are at least two more cats that need to be fixed.

Thank you for your compassion and for caring for these cats, Maryann! We will make sure all of these cats are spayed/neutered.

Maryann Collins says:

March 21, 2015 at 5:40 pm

Thanks so much for the help. All the newly trapped and neutered guys seem to be doing very well. I think everyone is enjoying life without snow. TJ the elusive is back after a week or so of catting around. He is so friendly with me at this point that I think I might be able to just push him into a larger carrier.

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Vanessa says:

March 26, 2015 at 7:49 am

My pleasure, Maryann! So glad to hear this update!

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Dumped Colony Cat?

So this cat showed up in my yard a couple of weeks ago.

Jim put traps out immediately but the cat never came back. Ever since then, I’ve been watching a house leave a lot of garbage in our alley, like they’re moving. And I started seeing a lot of cat supplies with the garbage. I was wondering if maybe they then put the cat out as they were moving.

Then a few nights ago, I saw this makeshift outdoor cat shelter in their garbage.

I also saw a cat that looked like the one above, but he ran from me. Not really sure what to make of this, but if this cat is dumped, he’s on a good block. This is directly across from the La Vida Lydia Colony, and he obviously already found my colony. But he hasn’t come back, and I’ve been trapping here all month. One day I hope I can solve this mystery, and of course, trap this cat.

Robin says:

March 20, 2015 at 9:14 am

Poor kitty. It is sad that people just leave their pets behind like that. I’m glad that he was fortunate enough to show up on your street where he can be cared for at least. Thank you for caring for the strays/ferals!

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Vanessa says:

March 20, 2015 at 6:16 pm

Thank you, Robin! Another neighbor told me she saw him as well. We are watching out for him.

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Tom Davies says:

January 18, 2020 at 4:20 pm

It’s very sweet of you to create that outdoor shelter for him

It’s crazy how people can just leave cats just like that!

Thank you for looking after him

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Portrait of a Well-Fed Colony Cat

I visited the V Colony today and was very happy to see this TNR’d tuxedo cat dining on their steps.

Their yard is shoveled and the cats are well-fed. Some of the cats still have chronic URI issues but I’ll just have to keep an eye on them for now. I don’t want to stress out the cats more in this weather by trapping and taking them to the vet unless it’s absolutely necessary.

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The Costs of Cat Colony Caregiving

There is a lot of invested time, effort and money needed to help the feral cat colonies. But I wanted to share the numbers here to show what can be done, that it’s not impossible, and to thank all of you again so much for your support. Also, I know there are people out there who do so much, and I really encourage everyone to broadcast their rescue work. People do amazing things, and their stories can also inspire others to help more animals.

So, here’s a look at 2014, a year in review, if you will:

Colony medical costs were $2,767.37, for seven cats that I found sick outside.

Cat food and supplies cost $1,579.69

Thank you again to Barb G., Ben M. and Carolyn T., Carlin R. and Kathy M., Dorota Z., Elisa G., Erica R. and Rob J., Greer G., Heather F., Joyce K., Kristina R. and her mom, Linda R., Liz H., Lora M., Niuris R. and family, Rachel and Nick K., Rhodri K., Rob and Candice C., Zac and Beth N. Your Paypal donations totaled $1398.79

Thanks to Janessa and Forget Me Knodt for teaming up on the Feral Flowers Project and selling the flowers I grew in my garden last summer, and for hosting a Feral Flowers Design and TNR Class. Together we raised $1,181.50, and also raised a lot of awareness for the outdoor cats.

Thanks to my friend and bandmate, Julia B., for hosting a Halloween show of rock music, called Feral Fete, performed by my amazing, animal-loving friends, and donating all proceeds, $702, to Cats In My Yard.

Without donations and fundraising, this would have been so much harder. In total, as of the end of 2014, 177 cats were TNR’d in 20 locations within one square mile here since 2007. There are now 59 cats remaining outside. The other cats were either adopted out, died, or disappeared.

And sometimes the remaining ones get sick, especially now that the colony cats are aging. I believe all animals’ lives matter, whether they are feral or not, and will try to provide any medical care necessary. I want to thank North Center Animal Hospital, Roscoe Village Animal Hospital, and Village West Veterinary for their help, care and compassion in treating cats in traps.

Here’s another look at the cats that your donations and support helped with last year. Please note that some of these images may be distressing to look at.

Munkimo

Munkimo from the Mother Colony showed up at his feeder’s house in obvious distress during a winter storm last February. He was cold, wet, shivering, and there was blood on his back. I easily placed him in a trap and took him for multiple vet visits. His bills totaled $309.55 Munkimo tested FIV+, but he was sick because of an infected bite wound and upper respiratory infection, URI. The skin just peeled off of his back. He had a fever, and his paw pads were black with frostbite. After being crated in my house and treated with antibiotics, he bounced back within a few weeks. But I had to keep him inside crated for almost two months because this was during the Polar Vortex and he still needed the hair on his back to grow. He has been doing fine ever since I returned him.

Zombie Cat

Zombie Cat from the V Colony had sores behind her ears, disheveled fur, labored breathing, and a chronic URI. I trapped her and brought her in for multiple vet visits. She had several rounds of antibiotics and a dental. Her medical bills totaled $518.22 She stayed with me for two months in Feral Cat Recovery Lounge donated to me by Dave H. During this same time it got stressful because I was also treating another feral cat for URI (Sneezy), and then another cat (Wally) came in sick that I ended up treating and fostering because he was also friendly. And I had a planned vacation during this. But it worked out, and even though Zombie Cat still gets sick with URI, she is much better. And definitely doing better outside.

Sneezy

Sneezy from the V Colony was just with me for a week in a recovery Tru-catch trap. He was treated with antibiotics that just cost $10 for his chronic URI. Sneezy was absolutely terrified the entire time, so confinement is extra stressful for him. I had to weigh the stress of that against his overall well-being. He still gets a bit sick outside, and sleeps a lot, but is doing better.

Wally

Wally also showed up sick in the V Colony a few weeks after his TNR. He turned out to be incredibly friendly, so I ended up fostering him for two months while he was being treated for haemobartonella and taking him to the vet. His medical bills totaled $326.42 He made a full recovery and was adopted by my good friends Carlin and Kathy in St Louis.

Billy Idol

Billy Idol from the V Colony showed up sick while I was fostering Wally. His head was tilted to the side, he meowed nonstop, his eyes were red and had discharge, and he walked in circles. The vet determined that he was suffering possibly from toxoplasmosis and a URI. His medical bills totaled $257.05 Thankfully his feeders were able to treat Billy in a recovery trap for a week with antibiotics and medication. Billy seemed to get better and they let him back out into the colony because he was stressed from the confinement. So far ever since he seems to be doing well.

Dice

Dice is from my colony, the James’ Gang Colony, and he got really sick last year. In the spring I trapped and took him to the vet where he was treated for URI, stomatitis, and had 10 teeth pulled with his dental. This seemed to buy him some time, but he was sick again in the fall. He showed up one day and just laid in my yard. He was down to four pounds and the vet thought perhaps he was going into kidney failure. His medical bills totaled $860.03 Also, confinement was incredibly stressful for Dice. He would only eat, and could barely move. Ultimately, after a few days, he was humanely euthanized at the vet’s office. RIP, Dice. My heart still breaks when I think of him. The last photo is from back when he was a healthy, TNR’d colony cat.

Woodrow Whiskers

Woodrow Whiskers from the La Vida Lydia Colony disappeared and then showed up sick at his feeder’s house. She took him in, and he was docile and clearly in distress. He would urinate sporadically. I took him for multiple vet visits where they treated his bladder, did blood tests, and determined he most likely has cystitis. His medical bills totaled $486 He made a full recovery with the antibiotics and medications. He showed his friendly side once he was indoors, so was admitted to a no-kill shelter for adoption.

I’ve got my eye on a few cats I’m concerned about out there, and am busy with the colony cats that decided to show their friendly side. And I have plans to help TNR colonies for other feeders. Onward to 2015!

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Update on the TNR’d Colony Cat Trapped by Animal Control

Mama Skipper is a colony cat that was TNR’d by Heather a few years ago. She was trapped by a Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) Officer last week.

Since Skipper was microchipped to Heather, we were able to pick her up from CACC.

The situation is confusing, and it usually is, because really, there is no set process in Chicago for these cats. I have found every situation to be different throughout the years. In this case, CACC does need to respond to people’s calls about outside animals, but they are supposed to leave ear tipped colony cats outside. Last week it was very cold, so perhaps the officer did not want to leave her. Also, she may have shown signs of friendliness, and since more and more ear tipped cats are now being adopted into indoor homes, the officer could have thought she was lost outside. But, once inside CACC, it is up to whomever the cat is microchipped to get that cat out of CACC.

*(As a side note, I need to make sure the contact information for any of the colony cats originally chipped to me is changed to the people around here that I know who have adopted them, let them in/out of their homes, etc. These are no longer colony cats that can just be put back outside, they are pet cats that should be vetted and cared for by that person now for the lifetime of that cat.)

The other explanation given by CACC is that the cats need to be brought in regardless so they could make sure that the cats are updated on their rabies shots. But, part of the TNR package for colony cats is a rabies shot (good for three years), so chances are most ear tipped cats are updated. Also, in this case, CACC did not give her a rabies vaccination. They gave her a distemper vaccination.

So, Skipper needs some additional vetting to be ready for adoption, including the rabies shot, Revolution, and a snap test for FIV/FeLV.

Skipper has been in Melissa’s foster room for over a week now, and is healthy and doing well. She started to explore, and in true cat form, loves boxes.

She is still pretty shy and needs someone to spend more time with her, so another foster is lined up. Heather went back to Skipper’s territory and found that the home she hung out at has since been torn down. So she’s pretty lucky girl to be inside – she’s out of the cold, her outdoor colony home is gone, and the microchip saved her life at CACC.

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Another Puffy, the Long-Haired Colony Cat, Sighting

Puffy McWondertail, aka Snuffleupagus, aka The Street Sweeper, came for breakfast today. Jim took these photos of him, because he’s a rare sight. First, he always sits on the round concrete table in the catio. IMG_4818_2

And then he gets closer.

One day I am determined to get a nice shot of him because he is so handsomely puffy, but he will not stay in the yard with us. I still wonder if he belongs to someone because he does not sleep in the outdoor cat houses, and disappears for days at a time. I also haven’t TNR’d many long-haired cats, which is a good thing. Their ample fur is great for warmth, but many of them become matted and need to be shaved. Puffy actually looks pretty well-groomed, which is also why I wonder if someone is out there brushing him.

But he’s addicted to wet food, especially as it gets colder. When he hears us open the back door, he appears magically at all hours of the day and night now. So he must be near by.

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Lots of Changes with the Outdoor Cats from the Jose and the Pussycats Colony

Last month there was a lot going on with the Jose and the Pussycats Colony.

Betty died. Noche Nariz disappeared.

And the feeders had bought a pair of Siamese male cats for $1000 from a breeder in Indiana. They keep them indoors, but they weren’t fixed. Luckily I managed to convince them to take them to the vet clinic for free neuter packages. Their names are Ruby 1 and Ruby 2. I called the clinic on their behalf, and showed up to escort the feeders there.

A lot of this was confusing to keep track of because the feeders don’t return my calls – I have to show up in person to talk to them and arrange everything and get updates on the cats. I had no idea they bought those cats a year ago because I never thought to ask about indoor cats, only outdoor ones. There’s also a lot of people involved here – this is a family spread out in three houses.

In the midst of all this, an orange cat had showed up at their feeding station. He was super friendly, and luckily he was already ear tipped.

Which means he was TNR’d already. I’m pretty sure I’m not the one who did that – I didn’t recognize him. The feeders wanted me to adopt him out, but there was too much going on at the time. I told them to keep feeding, and to keep an eye on him. Maybe I could even find his owner. He was certainly friendly enough.

I went by there again today and one of the family members came out and thanked me for taking the orange cat. I said I didn’t take him. She said that he hasn’t been around anymore. I had to laugh because I only wish it was so easy for me to just “take” cats off the street. So many are friendly and shelters are perpetually full. The shelter has even had multiple staff members at this site for the past few years telling me how friendly all of the cats are. I did manage to foster and adopt out Frostie from there. Fingers crossed that perhaps the orange cat just went home once winter hit, or that another neighbor took it upon themselves to help a cat out. If that’s the case, I’d love to meet them.

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The TNR of the Armando Colony Cats

The Armando Colony population is now almost stabilized and the numbers are reduced by almost half because of TNR. We did this in four days.

Seven kittens were pulled. One adult cat died during surgery. And eight other adult cats were Trapped, Neutered and Returned. I’d like to now talk about those eight cats.

The numbers could’ve been even better but we do not have homes for these adult TNR’d cats, all of which are friendly. They were returned to the feeder after their surgery, who continues to feed them daily, and lets them in and out of his basement. They are all small cats, but fairly healthy for the most part. The feeder named all of them, and knew the sex of each one. That is pretty rare in these cases.

If anyone is interested in adopting any of these cats, please contact me.

A lot of litters were prevented. Of the eight TNReturned cats here, there are five females and three males. In fact, one of them was pregnant.

This is their yard. The cat pictured is still not TNR’d because the feeder held out on us for at least two cats. We are going to have to go back again.

Last Monday night, Heather, Melissa and I showed up with a bunch of traps. Once the feeder came out to meet us, we were able to trap the cats in about an hour.

The cats spent the next few days going into the clinic for their spay/neuter surgeries, and I recovered them in my garage. Suby was the most urgent case because we knew she was pregnant. Here she is in the trap before and after her surgery, showing off her new ear tip.