Cat window perch

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CHEYENNE — The Cheyenne Animal Shelter has taken in 20 cats that were removed recently from the home of an animal hoarder south of Powell.

Because of that, the shelter is waiving adoption fees on all of its felines through Sept. 15.

The Humane Society of the United States and Powell volunteers helped rescue more than 170 cats last Thursday from the home of Miki Nesbit and Mimi and Clifton Taylor.

The cats were taken to a temporary shelter at the Park County Fairgrounds for examination and care until they could be transferred elsewhere.

It has been a nightmare for many years, Nesbit told the Billings Gazette. Were living in flies year-round. They were in hoards, even in the refrigerator.

According to reports in the Gazette, workers said the animals had significant medical issues, including upper respiratory infections, ear mites, tumors and emaciation.

Rick Collord, director at the local shelter, said the Humane Society promised the cats would be healthy and ready for adoption. But that isnt the case. He consulted a local veterinarian, and the cats were started on antibiotics Tuesday.

We expect within a week at least half of them should be ready for adoption, Collord said.

He said a few of the cats are social but many are shy.

But you can expect that, Collord said. Look at what theyve been through.

As of Tuesday morning, the shelter was home to 131 cats, 60 dogs and two other animals. Collord said ideally they wouldnt house more than 150 animals.

We have a cat crisis right now, and were trying to help these animals out, he said. Obviously the alternative is not so great, and we want to do what we can.

Thus, the shelter is waiving the adoption fees. Initial vaccinations, neutering costs and microchipping are all included, though the shelter always accepts donations.

Collord said the cats from Powell wont be able to be adopted out right away, but any adoption helps reduce capacity.

I hated not to be able to take more cats, but I hated not to help in some way, he said. We took what we could.

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I dont know what to say. Im completely numb, Jeanne Bones said with resignation.

She leaned against a tree and watched the firefighters surrounding her house. From her vantage point, she could see the smoke and fire damage that gutted much of her Chester Township home Tuesday afternoon.

Bones did not yet know how many of her cats had survived the fire. She is an animal lover and operates the Happy Tails Cat Sanctuary from her property at 11320 Pine Acres Lane.

Most of the more than 145 rescued cats live in other buildings on her property, but she has between 12 and 20 felines that split time between her house and the barn. It is these cats that she is worried about.

Chester Fire Chief John Wargelin tried to comfort her.

Most animals, given a means of egress, will find a way out, he said to her.

No one was in the home when the fire began a few minutes after 2 pm Bones was by the barn and a sanctuary volunteer, who only identified himself as Jim, said he was by a shed that shelters some cats near the rear of the house.

Jim saw smoke coming from the north of the house and shouted for Bones. She entered the home, trying to rescue some of her cats, while Jim called 911.

I couldnt see because the smoke was so heavy, Bones said. I saw two cats, so I took them. But the smoke was so thick that I couldnt keep going.

Bones and Jim retreated to a safe distance from the house as firefighters arrived.

Firefighters and tankers from Chester, Chardon, Hambden, Kirtland, Mayfield Heights, Munson, Newbury, Russell and Willoughby Hills fire departments responded to the blaze.

Firefighters entered the house and sprayed the flames to prevent the already advanced fire from spreading.

Wargelin said it took about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control and another 20 or so minutes to squelch the remaining, isolated smolders.

Wargelin said the fire was complicated by three additional obstacles. One, the township does not have city water, so they had to depend on tankers for some of their water supply. Second, the house has a very long driveway, which makes getting to the fire more difficult. Finally, it was a hot day, and firefighters became fatigued more quickly because of the conditions.

Wargelin said at least one cat died in the fire and said he was unsure if the rest had been recovered.

Many of them are not accounted for, Wargelin said of the cats. Were finding a lot of them running around outside. We found some of them back by the building when we first arrived and pulled them away. We havent got an exact count.

Firefighters recovered Bones miniature greyhound, Darlin.

The Geauga Humane Society was called to help find housing for the cats.

Investigators are trying to identify what caused the fire and where it began.

Wargelin guessed the fire caused at least $100,000 worth of damage to Bones home. He suspects the house is structurally sound despite extensive heat and smoke damage.

Two-thirds of the house is intact except for heat and smoke damage, the chief said.

Many people who volunteer at Happy Tails Cat Sanctuary were frustrated that they could not get closer to Bones house.

Authorities had cordoned the area while firefighters were fighting and then investigating the blaze. Volunteer Doreen Lazarus said a police officer threatened to arrest her and other volunteers if they did not back away from the premises. At the time, the volunteers were standing on the street at the mouth of the driveway, she said.

I havent been threatened with arrest since I marched against Vietnam, said Lazarus, who lives in Chester Township.

Wargelin explained that firefighters did not want a crowd around the house for safety reasons. Also, it allowed investigators to focus on their job.

We didnt have complete control of the area and werent comfortable letting the general public closer, Wargelin said.

Bones is temporarily staying with a neighbor so she can be close to her home and animals.

Staff Writer Max Reinhart contributed to this article.

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Your recent story about the overflow of kittens and cats at the Jackson County Animal Shelter has prompted me to write with a cat problem of my own. My neighbors cats are using my gardens as their bathroom. Theyre everywhere. Im sick of digging around in cat poop, sweeping up cat hair and opening my screen door to the scent of cat spray/urine. Why dont people take responsibility for their cats and keep them off other peoples property?

Jane D., Medford

If youre one who believes that misery loves company, Jane, you can take heart in the fact that you are not alone in your stinky misery.

Colleen Macuk, program manager at Jackson County Animal Control, said she often receives compalints from neighbors upset wayward cats destructive behavior, which includes digging up gardens, killing birds or leaving unwanted deposits behind. But there are few laws or regulations covering cat behavior and cat owner responsibility. Because of that, Animal Control officers personnel cant go out and impound cats like they do with dogs, Macuk said.

While its tough to control a neighborhood tom, there are chemical agents that act as deterrents to him using your garden as a litter box, said Sally Mackler, executive director of the local animal welfare organization, Spay/Neuter Your Pet. Additionally, cat-proof fences can be purchased and installed, she said. For more information, visit the SNYP Web site at spayneuter.org or call 541-858-3325.

A much more longterm solution of controlling cats is to get them spayed or neutered, said Mackler. SNYP will be offering low-cost spay/neuter clinics in an effort to reduce pet overpopulation during October. Tom-and-Mom discount certificates will be available for purchase for $25 for female/moms and male/toms at the Medford, Ashland and White City granges.

We also did a brief search on the Web and came up with a large number of ideas. A promising one (but time consuming): chicken wire buried just under the mulch or dirt. Other options include predator urine sprinkled about, motion-sensor sprinklers, planting lavender, rue or pennyoil (both herbs). Then theres the old standby: Get a dog.

Send questions to Since You Asked, Mail Tribune Newsroom, PO Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to youasked@mailtribune.com. Were sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.

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Caen the cat looks out from her hiding place as Jean Banks walks away from her twice daily feeding. For the past three years, Banks has been feeding a group of feral cats that live in and around the condo building on Eglinton Ave. E., near Kingston Rd. (Aug. 13, 2010)

RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

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Bring the whole family down to the Seattle Humane Society THIS WEEKEND, Aug. 14-15, for Catapalooza, our 5th annual celebration of cats! From 10 am to 5 pm, well have hundreds of wonderful cats and kittens up for adoption. Even our shelter dogs, bunnies, birds, and other critters will be joining in on the fun!

If youve been thinking about adding a new furry member to your family, this is the weekend to do it! The adoption fee for Seattle Humane kittens will be $50 for one, or $90 for two. For cats one year and older, the adoption fee is waived this weekend only!

Other activities include:

• Tellington Touch (TTouch) for Cats healing bodywork demonstrations at 11 am and 2 pm

• Face painting, cat-toy making and education stations for the kids.

• Expert cat advice and information.

• MaxMobile adoption vehicle on site with our special cats on board!

• Cat-centric art, treats, leashes, collars and more!

• Many local cat adoption agencies participating (adoption fees vary per organization): Purrfect Pals, Everett Animal Shelter, Meow, King County Animal Care Control (KCACC), Pasados Safe Haven, South County Cats, Seattle Persian and Himalayan Rescue, Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project.

For more information visit seattlehumane.org

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Feline fashion hit the Algonquin Hotel on Thursday night, and, thankfully, Gothamist was there to document the costumed cats on film. Weve put five of our favorite kitties in an album for your viewing pleasure below. Scroll through and let us know which has stolen your sartorial heart with its furry, little, dressed-up paws.

All photos by Katie Sokoler/Gothamist.

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Gisbornes stray cat population is set to skyrocket after the local SPCA decided it would no longer collect the animals because it no longer wanted to kill healthy cats.

Gisborne District Council, which paid the SPCA to pick up the cats, said the decision could result in more inhumane treatment, more bird deaths and the spread of animal disease.

Between 600 and 1000 abandoned cats are collected each year in the district.

The council is now advising residents to call private pest control contractors if they are worried about strays. Residents will have to pay to have the cats collected.

Council environment and planning manager Hans van Kregten said the cat population would skyrocket until the council found another operator to collect and euthanase strays. This was likely to happen within the next few months.

Since 1996 the SPCA has trapped and managed the cats, with some being killed. The council paid the SPCA $16,600 a year to deal with unwanted cats.

This arrangement ceased on June 30 after the SPCA told the council that its new Saving Lives campaign favoured neutering and returning cats instead of killing them.

The campaign aimed to eliminate the need to kill stray cats by establishing a network of carers to attend to cat colonies and to accept and enforce the trap/neuter/return system for colony management.

The SPCA told the council this system could not be carried out in Gisborne because its facilities were inadequate to house the cats while waiting for desexing by vets.

Mr van Kregten said the SPCAs decision could result in residents disposing of cats inhumanely. The outcome for cats may be worse.

The council would ensure cats were euthanased in a humane manner, he said.

SPCA national chief inspector Charles Cadwallader said the organisation was surprised to learn how many cats the Gisborne branch had been killing for the council, as pest control was not what the SPCA stood for.

Just killing the cats was a waste of council money as all that happens is the niche youve made in the ecosystem fills up with more cats and they breed.

Youve got to send out desexed cats that cant breed and within one life-cycle theyre gone.

The SPCA was putting together a presentation in a bid to show the council the value of an improved service.

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They have threatened to body-block a contractors hydraulic excavator, fired off urgent e-mails to city officials and the media and warned Miami-Dade County authorities that an illegal and inhumane act may be proceeding on Ocean Drive.

Neighbors of the dilapidated Simone Hotel, slated for demolition this week, are determined that its last residents — a colony of kittens — wont be condemned as well.

Demolition equipment was already parked at the old Art Deco hotel and ready to begin the process of razing the Simone on Wednesday. But the feline friendly residents on Ocean Drive, joined by local cat activists, managed to get a temporary reprieve.

Citing county and state laws against intentionally hurting or killing animals, they convinced TD Bank — which is currently foreclosing on the property at 321 Ocean Dr. — to wait until the dozen or so kittens can be rescued.

“They stand a chance just like any human being, said Danielle Crocker, a neighbor who feeds cats in the area and has tried to rescue kittens from the building.

Jennifer Morneau, a spokeswoman for TD Bank, confirmed that “demo is put on hold until we can confirm there are no kitties in harms way.

A trapper has been hired to remove the cats, she said.

Work could resume as early as Monday.

City building officials say they contacted the owners several times over the past six months about cat complaints at the hotel, and called the contractor Tuesday to say all cats must be removed before tearing down the building, originally built in the 1930s.

But activist Frank Del Vecchio says the city has consistently done the bare minimum and believes the building would have been demolished, kittens and all, had WPLG-ABC 10 not run a story on the controversy Tuesday night.

“They found religion pretty quickly, he said.

For some, the issue is indicative of what they say is the citys disregard for complaints about Miami Beachs stray and feral cat population, which dates back to 1912 when Miami Beachs first mayor, JN Lummus, brought cats to the city to kill rats. For others, its another example of what some say is the overzealous nature of cat lovers.

The last time cats caused this type of uproar on Miami Beach was 1995, when the city manager planned to pay trappers $35 a pop to remove cats from the beach boardwalk and have them euthanized. Loud protests — including one by a man who donned a homemade cat costume and burst into City Hall yelling, “Please dont kill us! — quashed that idea.

About eight years later, nearby Surfside became embroiled in a controversy over fines for feeding stray cats. Seymour Gelber, mayor of Miami Beach during the 1995 cat flap, wrote this in the Miami Sun Post to that towns mayor:

“Theres one absolute rule in politics: Dont mess with cat people.

But “cat people like Crocker say without their efforts, the city would do very little or nothing. She and others have been rebuffed in attempts to trap the Simone kittens themselves — the city says people arent allowed on a condemned property.

“We knew eventually this building was going to come down and just got completely nowhere, she said.

Miami Beach officials say its not so clear cut. Code enforcement officers visited the property but say they saw no cats. Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower recently established a cat committee to discuss long-term solutions.

“Its one of those things you have to keep chipping away at because its never going to go away, said Bowers chief of staff, Rebecca Wakefield.

Part of the rift is that activists like Crocker, who is a member of the not-for-profit Cat Network, want the city to fund drives to have strays and feral cats trapped, sterilized and then released. They discourage taking cats to a shelter because the Humane Society of Greater Miami does not accept feral cats, which are not considered adoptable, and a vast majority of cats taken to Miami-Dade Animal Services are put down due to lack of space.

Wakefield said that considering the budget crunch Miami Beach faces this year, the city “cant spend thousands on cats and is looking to recruit volunteers to help.

Ocean Drive residents arent the only ones calling for Miami Beach to address the citys cat population.

Henry Delgado, general manager of Smith Wollensky, said South Pointe Park has become “a dumping ground for stray cats.

Some strays have taken to rubbing up against the legs of diners — not all of whom are cat lovers.

“Its a huge problem, he said. “Believe it or not.

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Shelter kittens are more comfortable, and adoptable, when they have a warm blanket or towel to rest on.

Operation Blankets of Love offers warm towels and blankets to shelter cats and dogs. The blankets comfort the cats and take one item off the budget list for shelters, allowing them to spend money on needed medication and food.

Eileen Smulson began OBOL after seeing shelter dogs outside in crates on a rainy day. A shelter worker said they were on display for an adoption event, and couldnt be inside. When she asked why there were no blankets for the dogs, one worker said their budget had no room for that.

I couldnt imagine my dog Ginger in that situation, Smulson said of her former shelter pet. She decided to do something about it.

Smulson started in January 2008 with a simple cardboard box and some flyers, to collect comforting cloths for shelter cats and dogs. In five months, she had collected 7,000 donations. Now, Smulson says, the organization is an even stronger and more recognized presence, reaching 1,000 cats and dogs a month.

I made it into a nonprofit, she said. Now we have one of the biggest nonprofits. Smulson shares with other charities, such as Stray Cat Alliance. I give this group cat trees, cat scratchers this is one of the many groups I give to.

The shelter cats and dogs benefit from the donations in several ways. They receive bedding for warmth and comfort, allow shelters to allocate more funds to medications and food and give potential pet owners a chance to see dogs and cats in a more relaxed and happy state thereby increasing their adoptability.

If they see a cat snuggled inside a blanket, that cat will be picked up to be adopted, Smulson said. One thats shivering in the corner with plain newspaper wont.

More information can be found on the groups website. Links to volunteering and donation opportunities are available.

It brings me joy to see a cat comfy in a little spot, Smulson says. Everyday I know I save the lives of homeless cats.

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The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) has many adult cats available for adoption at last count there were 36 adult cats that are looking for loving homes. These 1-year-old or older felines are already house trained and are still quite playful and full of life. Theyll add companionship and love to any household. RCHS does not charge an adoption fee for cats 1-year-old or older, but donations are gladly accepted. Please consider adopting an adult cat.

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