Adoptable Me of the Week: Brie and Monterey

Brie and Monterey are an adorable pair of red-headed sisters looking for their forever home. These girls were found huddled on a porch, with no food or shelter, in the dead of winter. They were cold and hungry and Chicago Cat Rescue swooped in to save these girls just before it got even colder. In the few months these dolls have been with Chicago Cat Rescue they have blossomed.A long way from freezing and starving on the streets, they now enjoy watching hockey games and snuggling on the soft couch together! Their foster mom reports that these two girls are extremely bonded. She calls them "two peas in a pod." It's hard to imagine how these girls could not love each other, having relied on each other for survival outside last winter.

Brie, showing off her hunting skills!

While they may be attached at the hip, Brie and Monterey have distinct personalities. Their foster mom says that Brie is super snuggly.  She loves to sleep in your lap if you are watching TV or working. Brie loves to get pets, and "won't leave your side as long as you're petting her." Brie is over all just a big lover of a cat. She gets jealous if Monterey is getting attention, running over to make sure she gets her share of the loving! She is also quick to warm up to new people. Monterey on the other hand takes a little longer to accept new people and in general is "less of a people snuggler." While she may not be as interested in people as her sister, she is far from shy!

Monterey striking a pose

.

When Monterey wants to be petted or fed she weaves in-between her foster mom's legs, demanding her needs be met! She is quick to roll over for belly rubs too! Monterey is also the more playful of the girls. She loves to toss her toy mouse in the air and catching it, or running what her foster mom calls the "Kitty 500" (a feline version of the Indy 500) around the apartment. Monterey must remember life on the street and not having enough food, as she is very fond of her meals! Who can blame her though?

Brie and Monterey are a perfect example of how important it is to have a pair of cats. They keep each other company during the day, providing a friend to play with and someone to snuggle with while their foster mom is away at work. Most cats do much better with a feline companion to keep them company during the day. Brie and Monterey also display different aspects of feline personalities, playful and snuggly. You get a little bit of everything with these girls!

If you are looking for a pair of cats but don't want to go through the process of introducing new cats to each other, Brie and Monterey are the perfect girls for you! They are also great cats for a first time adopter, as they are both easy going and super lovable!

Unfortunately Brie and Monterey must find a new foster home by the end of the month, through no fault of their own. These girls would love if they could go straight to their new home when they lose their foster home. If you are interested in foster, adopting or fostering to adopt these two girls please contact Cindy, or call her at 773.203.0215.

Foster Homes Needed!

Shayla, one of our gorgeous cats, is looking for a new foster home.

Chicago Cat Rescue is a foster-based rescue organization, which means we rely on compassionate members of our community to open their hearts and homes to foster cats and kittens in need. Chicago Cat Rescue does not have a facility or shelter space, so the number of cats we can rescue is dependent upon the number of foster homes we have. The more foster homes we have, the more cats we can save!  The quest to secure new, loving foster homes never ends.  On a daily basis, we receive emails and calls about cats in desperate situations.  Sometimes a cat's situation is so dire that we cannot wait until we secure a foster home to act.  Many of our foster parents have decided to foster because they are in a stage of their life where they LOVE cats, but are unable to commit to a feline in their family - such as grad students or temporary Chicago residents.  Quite often, when a foster parent's time is up in Chicago, it means their resident foster feline has to find a new place to call home.  Through no fault of their own, Hattie, Oliver, Patrick, May and Shayla are losing their foster homes at the end of April - which means Chicago Cat Rescue is in full-purrsuit to find them a new place to land!   We are thankful for the current foster parents of these five wonderful cats - but if we don't find new homes for these five soon, we will have to board them in cages at our vet clinic -- something no one wants! Update: May, Hattie and Patrick have been adopted! Congratulations to these lucky cats and their new families. We have several other cats- Domino, Rum Tum, and Phoebe, who are in need of foster homes.

Additionally, we recently pulled three very friendly cats from a feral and homeless cat colony. These three darling cats were far from feral and needed to come in from the cold, harsh streets. They are currently calling cages at our vet home, which is definitely better than life on the streets, but far from an ideal situation.  O'Malley, Orion and Sweet Pea are safe, warm and healthy but are anxious to begin their second chance at life in a warm, loving home.

Additionally we have FOUR moms with kittens who were also pulled off the streets. We simply couldn't leave these moms and their litters in the abandoned cars where they were living! Unfortunately this means we need even more foster homes. Even if you can only foster for a month or two, that can give us enough time to look for a longer term foster home for these kittens.

O'Malley is the perfect cat! Seriously. He is easy going, loves getting attention in the form of chin rubs and playtime. If you have considered adopting or fostering but have never had a cat, O'Malley is just the cat for you. A perfect cat who would make a great "first cat" for anyone. Did we mention he is also a heart throb? Everyone who meets O'Malley falls instantly in love with him.

Orion is a great boy with a loving heart. The first cat pulled from the colony, Orion is simply a doll. A strapping lad with nothing but love to give to everyone who comes his way. He would be happy to have a small bedroom, office or even a bathroom to stretch his legs in.

Sweet Pea was also pulled from the street. Sweet Pea is properly named, she is the sweetest, and is sure to be a wonderful mom. Won't you consider giving Sweet Pea






Fostering can be a great opportunity to help save a cats' life even if you can't adopt. Perhaps you are in Chicago temporarily (anywhere from a few months to a few years) and want a cat, but don't know what life will bring down the line. Fostering is a great way to bring a bit of kitty love into your life for that period! Or, perhaps you have been considering adopting a new cat but aren't sure your current cat will get along with a new friend. You can try a 'foster to adopt'!  There are so many benefits to fostering both for humans and the cats!  If you are interested in learning more, please contact cindy@chicagocatrescue.org / 773-203-0215.

Chicago Cat Rescue Looking for Barns

Chicago Cat Rescue supports the practice of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). We are working with several colony caregivers to help with their colonies. In fact, three of our recent admissions were friendly cats who made their way to this colony! There are too many cats living on the streets, too many unwanted cats and kittens for the shelters to find homes for. The best way we can think of to reduce these numbers is to support TNR. Spaying and Neutering these cats prevents any more unwanted litters from being born and admitted to shelters. Allowing these cats to live out the remainder of their lives on the street, where they  are cared for by dedicated caregivers who feed and provide medical attention for the sick or injured, saves a number of lives. Feral cats are usually unadoptable because of their lack of socialization towards humans. if they are introduced to humans at a young enough age, or worked with by a very dedicated person, many feral cats and most kittens will be grateful housecats. Not only does it save the life of the most likely unadoptable feral cat, it also frees up space in shelters and animal control facilities for adoptable cats who have lost their homes.


Sometimes, even with the best caregivers, a cat cannot go back to their original colony. In these cases the cats are pulled and relocated someplace safe. Relocation is always a last resort, to be done only when it is unsafe for a cat or colony of cats to return to their original location.There are a number of reasons it might be unsafe to return a cat to her colony. Sometimes it is not safe because of an injury the cat has, sometimes the location itself is just not safe for a colony of cats. Relocation is a process, you cannot just plop a feral cat down into a new home and expect everything to be ok. Just like when you introduce a cat to a new home and new cats, you must do a slow introduction process. Because it is a slow processes and the relocated cats will need to be feed daily, it takes a special person and just the right location to relocate feral cats.

Fifi would be happiest living in a barn or other safe place for a feral cat.

Chicago Cat Rescue is looking for just such a person and location right now. We currently have one spayed female cat who is looking for a barn or other such location to be relocated to. She is completely vetted and has no healthy issues. She just cannot return to the area she was trapped in. An ideal location would be a nice barn, perhaps with other cats. Feral cats do make great mousers. Adding a cat  to your barn is a great way to keep the rodents and other pests out of  your barn, away from your crops, tools and other animals.

We are looking for someplace within 100 mile radius of Chicago. A barn, a home with a large, protected swath of land for Fifi to live on (with shelter from the elements of course), anything that would make a good home for a cat. She needs someplace safe to get her out from this cage and back to her life. If you have someplace that might work, or you are interested in learning more about having a feral cat relocated to your property please contact Cindy by email or call her at 773-203-0215.

Adoptable of the Week: Hattie, Georgie, Patrick and Oliver

Lulu's gang as wee babes.

Hattie, Georgie, Patrick and Oliver are the last of Lulu's Gang! Almost a year old now, these little dolls are still looking for a forever home. They are also in need of a new foster home--they simply out grew their current one!  For some reason these four dolls have not found the right home yet. We think they must be waiting for someone extra special to call family.

You can see in the pictures below just how stunning Hattie, Georgie, Patrick and Oliver have grown to be. They are still the playful, frisky felines they were as babies, just in a slightly bigger package which simply means there is more to love!  While they are still playful and mischevious these four have calmed down from their rambunctious kitten days; no longer are they constant balls of energy, just nearly constant balls of energy.

If you are looking to adopt a young cat who is still playful but not a furry tornado of energy that is a kitten, then look for a young adult cat like Hattie, Georgie, Patrick and Oliver. Young adult cats have all the benefits of adult cats--less mischief, more snuggles, calmer!--with plenty of the playfully cute antics of kittens.

Considering adding a young new addition to your home but not 100% sure? Why not foster first? Fostering is a great way to help keep kitties off the street and out of cages while also making sure they are the best fit for your home and family. If you are interested in fostering or adopting Hattie, Georgie, Patrick, Oliver or one of our other young adult cats (or older adult cats!) please contact Cindy.

Oliver

George (left) and Patrick

Hattie

Save the date: April Events!

Believe it or not April is right around the corner!  After a month off from events in the wake of another wonderfully successful Sexy Black, Chicago Cat Rescue has a few events coming up in April. So pull out those calendars and save the dates!

Chicago Cat Rescue at HamBINGO in December

On April 1, Chicago Cat Rescue will be the featured organization for HamBINGO at Hamburger Mary's. For those who have never been, HamBINGO is bingo but with a twist! Called by drag diva Velicity Metropoli, HamBINGO is a sometimes risque, always amusing evening of bingo. Velicity not only calls the numbers, but calls out attendees and calls it as she sees it. This being April Fools Day, the evening is sure to be even more entertaining. We never know what Velicity has up her sleeves--which is saying something since she is usually in sleeveless dresses! Chicago Cat Rescue has a few tricks in the bag to celebrate April Fools Day! Bring your friends for delicious food, refreshing drinks and great fun.

 HamBINGO starts at 8pm in the Dining Room of Hamburger Mary's (5400 N Clark Street). Come early as space is limited. Proceeds from the bingo cards go directly to Chicago Cat Rescue.

Catfish and the Dogstars perform at Rock for Rescue 2011.

If HamBINGO doesn't sound up your alley, then join us at The Store on April 19 for our second Rock for Rescue event! This year we have live performances by Micki Croissant of the Good Name Band, Bad Raccoon and St. James Place. Enjoy three hours of  music by some talented Chicago artists for just $15, all of which goes back to Chicago Cat Rescue. Swing on by with your friends and start your Friday night out right! What could be better than live music, a few drinks with your friends and helping out the kitties of Chicago Cat Rescue? 

Sexy Black Time!

The fifth annual Sexy Black is this Saturday, February 23. Stop by Gold Star Bar 1755 W Division from 7pm-10pm to help us celebrate black cats and dogs. Sexy Black is our annual benefit to raise awareness for the plight of black cats and dogs. If you have been to previous events, or have supported Chicago Cat Rescue for a while, you will know that black cats and dogs have the lowest adoption rate and the highest euthanasia rate. Why? Partially due to the fact that they are easily overlooked in shelter environments. When looking at dozens of different cats, black cats and dark torties tend to get overlooked for their more colorful brethren. There Are also age old superstitions regarding black cats and dogs, which make it harder for them to get adopted. Many people still believe that black cats are bad luck, associated with witch craft or other negative things. Some people have said they don't want to adopt a black cat because the fur shows too much on light colored clothes.

One recent study found that people perceive black cats as more anti-social, and having less extreme personalities. They may also be viewed as more mysterious, partially because of their history and the superstitions surrounding them. Our goal with Sexy Black is to make people aware that black cats and dogs are the least adopted. Not surprisingly many people are unaware of the statistics involved with the adoption of black cats and dogs. The more people who are aware that these beautiful animals are less likely to get adopted and thus more likely to get euthanized, the more likely they are to educate others and even adopt a black cat or dog themselves.

So let's get together to celebrate the beauty and grace of black cats, then take the message out to our friends and family. Let's get those black cats and dogs adopted!

Benefits of a Multi-Cat Household

While we may think of cats as solitary animals, many cats actually prefer the company of other felines to being alone. There are many benefits to having multiple cats. Pairs of cats keep each other company. How much of your day do you really have to devote to your cat? Chances are you work out of the home and are gone for the better part of the day, when you come home you have bills to pay, dinner to cook; then it's off to bed for 8 hours, leaving you with a few hours, at most, to spend with your cat. That's a lot of time for a cat to keep herself occupied on her own.

While you cat probably spends most of the day sleeping, she also spends lots of it looking for mental stimulation. If you have multiple cats, they can keep each other occupied by playing together. Single cats, especially single kittens, are much more likely to knock things off shelves and dressers, climb the blinds, bother the plants, explore (and chew on!) cords, and generally engage in naughty kitty behavior, even if given toys.

Nutmeg and Ray Ray love playing together!

Pairs of cats are able to wrestle and chase each other, thus burning off energy and getting enough mental stimulation to keep them out of trouble. Kittens need other kittens to play and wrestle with so they can learn boundaries. Play wrestling is such an important part of kitten development, it teaches kittens just how hard they can bite without hurting and gives them appropriate wrestling outlets, as opposed to your hands and feet.

Having multiple cats is also a great way to keep your cat from being lonely. Even if the cats don't play together, they will still be keeping each other company. Many cats will snuggle with each other, or at least sleep in the same room. Just like humans a cat may not want attention or company all the time, but will be content knowing there is a companion near by.

If you are worried that caring for multiple cats is more work or more expense relax. Caring for two cats is just as easy as caring for one. You put down two dishes of food instead of one, and have slightly more waste matter to remove from your litter box. You will buy slightly more food and litter than for a single cat, but not a substantial amount.

If you are certain you only want a single cat, talk to the shelter you are adopting from, they are certain to have a few cats who prefer to be single cats. A single kitten is not a good idea, and most shelters or rescue groups will only adopt kittens out in pairs.