Remember me? It's BUSTER! I'M ADOPTED

Photo by Eva Prokop

If you don't remember my story, or you are new here, here's how it all went down, and I'll point you to prior posts for more information. My former person left me out on the street in Sunnyside a little over a year ago. I didn't know what to do on the street. I was running from car to car looking for shelter and food, then a woman knelt down to look under the car. We shared hellos, and she asked if I was friendly or feral, and if I needed some help. Then, I recognized her, it was Big City Little Kitty! So, I ran over to her as fast as I could, yelling "I'M FRIENDLY, REALLY FRIENDLY, AND HUNGRY! WILL YOU HELP ME?! PLEASE?!?!?!" She told me to wait right there, and that she'd be right back. Then, she returned with a cat carrier. I knew this meant plenty of food, shelter and maybe a new home. So I jumped in! Choo! Choo! All aboard!

I lived in her bathroom for a while, and I earned my keep. I joined the Queens Neighborhood Watch, Sunnyside Division, and I worked diligently, day and night. 

Big City Little Kitty (BCLK) posted 'Lost Cat' signs all over the neighborhood, and send out all the alerts online, but no-one claimed me. She took me to the vet, and they helped me with those nasty ear mites, man, that was nice. They told us I'm 8 years old, negative for FIV and FELV, and gave me some vaccination boosters. They also found my microchip (but my person never registered it, so it just traced back to the shelter). BCLK was given my shelter history, it made her a little sad. She read about how I was dumped at the shelter as a 3 month old kitten, yah, that's my baby picture, 

and then that person returned me to the shelter 6 months later because she "traveled a lot." I was adopted again, and that was the end of the trail. BCLK called the last adopter, but no-one returned the call, and that number was from about 7 years ago, so we don't really know if it was the right person. BCLK said she was glad no-one called her back, because I was skinny, had ear mites and was left on the street. She said I deserved better. 

That's when BCLK told me I was officially her new foster cat, and promised to find me my very own home. One where I'd be loved and cherished, and never abandoned again. That made me happy, and I wasn't nervous anymore. I knew she'd take good care of me, so I let her pet me, and I even curled up on her lap. 

She started looking for my furrever home right away. She told people how cute I was (I mean, I really am cute, she wasn't lying). She even made a poster using cat font! CAT FONT!

North Brooklyn Cats invited us to their adoption events, but I was nervous, I couldn't handle them.

She let me out of the bathroom to meet her cats. Tigra didn't like me at all, and Mr. Eko was hot and cold. We wrestled, played and fought. He and I had some major territory battles. 

Mr. Eko does not have any teeth, so I had the advantage when we fought, I poked holes all over him. BCLK said that was not OK, but we didn't stop fighting. So, she found me a foster home with no other cats. I was scared at first, but they were super nice to me, and patient, and they let me lie around and watch TV. 

I played music with my foster pop and his band, I started sleeping and snuggling in the bed, and I joined the Brooklyn Neighborhood Watch, Williamsburg Division. 

OH! And I purrfected Q-pose. I'd been working on that for months.

I lived there for about 9 months, and while I was there we learned I have some medical issues. A series of tests, including blood work, x-rays and an MRI revealed pancreatitis. On top of this, my foster parents were moving, and had to give me up. BCLK posted an urgent plea for help to find me a new foster home, fast, and YOU guys stepped up. Yep, YOU rallied to help me. You shared my post on social media, and asked your followers to share, too. Soon my post was all over the internet. A wonderful, caring woman contacted BCLK, and said she saw my post and couldn't turn away. She said she knew she had to help me. See, she understands how hard it is for us big kids to get homes, especially with a medical condition/special needs. She said I was welcome to stay in her home as long as I needed, until I found my furrever home! WOOOOHOOO!

So off I went! When I arrived...O.M.C., it was heaven! Cat heaven! It was winter, you see, and she made me all these warm, comfy beds in her room. YES! This will work!

I liked this one, too!

But my favorite bed was hers:)

I was living the life!

I quickly realized, this is the best thing that ever happened to me!

So, I popped the question! "Foster mama, will you adopt me?"

She said yes! So here I am, living happily efurr after! My belly even feels better!

Thanks for all your help! I couldn't have made it without you!

Head bumps, 

Buster

Palmer goes home!

In April, I received an email from a woman who was handed a kitten by a young boy in her neighborhood. He got him from a man handing out kittens from a box on the street, and placed him in her palm on Palm Sunday. This is how Palmer got his name.

He was only a couple of days old. He weighed 4 ounces, and still had his umbilical cord attached. Tigra gave him a thorough examination.

Luckily, he latched on to the bottle very quickly, and I don't think I've ever had a kitten who ate as well as he did. He took his food seriously (and I think he still does;).

 I kept him full, clean,

 burped, and snuggled.

 He was a happy little guy!

 This is the day he found his toes!

 He even went out to dinner with us at Champs, who let me feed him right there at the table. It caused quite a scene!

Photo by Chris Glazier

 He spent a lot of time at my office, and my coworkers co-fostered him! When I had to be in class, they all stepped up to feed him and snuggle him! Thanks, guys! Here he is in his kitten sling with auntie Billie.

 He completed an IT internship with Anthony.

 Soon he was eating on his own,

 and getting all grown up and handsome.

 Once he tested negative for FIV/FELV, he was ready for a friend. Anya came to stay with us for a bit before she was adopted.

I needed to get this guy some new friends, he never left my side...or my front, or my back, or my feet...

So he went to hang out with Bushwick Street Cats, aka Chris and Jeannie!

Photo by Chris Glazier

 Then, he was ready for his new home, and things are going well.

Really well.

 Can we get a close up of that? 

YES.

 He even helps with the groceries!

 Palmer is living happily ever after in his furrever home, with his mama who reached out to me for help when he was placed in her palm.

Have a great life, little guy, thanks for all the snuggles. 

xoxoxo,

Big City Little Kitty

Saving Hitch

OK, I'll say it, and I don't say it very often, but...I NEED HELP!

I'm relocating Hitch to a feral cat sanctuary and costs are totaling $800.

Her fundraising page is HERE.

This is Hitch, one of the first times I ever met her, doing recon for a TNR project in 2009, with North Brooklyn Cats.

 She was a baby then, but old enough to be feral and not able to socialize. She was very curious, always watching us, interacting from a safe distance.

 She was trapped, spayed and released back to her colony. I did not manage this colony, but when one of the feeders was hit and killed by a truck, I filled in until the community started feeding regularly.

 She knew the sound of my voice, and came running when she heard my bike. She was adorable. I stopped feeding there, because they didn't need me anymore, and after that I popped by once in a while on a run or bike ride to say hello.

 In 2012, North Brooklyn Cats received a call that an exterminator was trapping cats at this colony. I headed over and there it was, a set trap laying in a puddle, from the thunderstorm the night before..., with the exterminator company's tag on it. I tripped the trap and, long story short, a summer long rescue mission was underway. Hitch was in terrible shape and something had changed with her. She no longer interacted with her colony and was very skittish (more than feral skittish, something else) - we found out she went missing for a while, and returned very different. We have no idea what happened. We relocated 4 of the remaining 6. Hitch came to my warehouse colony.

 She did very well here and was happy. She greeted me when I arrived, and followed me around while I refilled the feeders, waterers and litter boxes.

 Changes at this warehouse left Hitch in trouble again. She was very scared and uncomfortable and was living in a very tiny space in the ceiling. It was time for her to move on. But she's already lost 2 homes, is fearful, and another relocation just isn't an option. It's incredibly difficult to relocate ferals, and it's always risky.

 When we showed up to trap, she immediately headed down to the warehouse floor and got into a small corner where we couldn't reach her - either by trap or net.

 The next week, we showed up with netting to net off that whole area, and set traps at every escape point. We got her!

 She saw the vet, looks good, tested negative for FIV and FELV, her blood work is out for analysis and she received vaccination boosters and parasite control.

 The estimate to get Hitch safely to her sanctuary is $800. The sanctuary fee is $350, the vet bill was $370 (copy available upon request) and the fuel estimate for next week's journey is $80.

 She's ready to go! We just need a little help from our friends! Anything you can spare is appreciated.

 Very soon, Hitch will be in a safe, well maintained, feral cat sanctuary. She'll be surrounded by trees, grass and fresh air. I hope she'll again be happy and worry-free. Please help! 

Her fundraising page is HERE!

The full link is below if you can't click on the "HERE" hyperlink.

http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/saving-hitch/156909

THANK YOU!!!