What is happening at Greasy Paws?

This one we call Muffler

Greasy Paws is an un-managed feral cat colony in Long Island City. In 2009, Lisa and Shawn, of North Brooklyn Cats, were asked by someone to TNR some cats in some parking lots in Long Island City. They told me, Big City Little Kitty, and I asked if I could help out. So we started with some recon to find out how many cats were on the site, you can read about it here. 
As we finished up recon, we had a handle on how many cats were at the location and were able, with pictures, to differentiate between them for a full count, 13, and we introduced them with a Proper Introduction. Our fist night trapping, we caught a Lucky 7...in the rain! Over the next few nights, we trapped all but Muffler. Over the years we tried to trap her but were never successful. In December of 2009, we took the cats for A Day at the A, or spay/neuter at the ASPCA. They were spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies, received FVCPR vaccinations, received revolution for parasites and were eartipped to show they have been spayed/neutered. This was paid for our of our own pockets. As they recovered, we built some winter shelters to keep them warm. Only 1 of the 3 lots allowed us to put the shelters out for them. We then released them back to their home, the lots. We checked in to confirm there were feeders feeding them and that everyone was doing well after surgery. In January and February of 2010, everyone was doing well.

A trap (not ours) at the lot

In June of 2012, North Brooklyn Cats got a call from one of the feeders in the neighborhood that an exterminator had been hired to trap the cats. When exterminators trap cats in NYC, it is the law that they take them the NYCACC where they alert Neighborhood Cats if they are ear tipped, but if not ear tipped they are killed very quickly because they are feral and not adoptable. For ear tipped cats, Neighborhood Cats will reach out if the colony is registered to find the caretaker to bring them back to their colony. However, this is an un-managed colony and the lot owners were the ones who had them trapped, so relocation would be the only option and that is very rarely an option. When I went by on a Saturday, I saw this trap, baited and set, that had been left unattended, overnight IN A THUNDERSTORM, and was now in a puddle. This is unacceptable and inhumane. We NEVER leave a trap unattended. When cats are trapped, they are frightened and try to get out of the trap banging into the sides. So as soon as a trap snaps, we rush quickly to cover them with a sheet to calm them down, and then they are safe. Imagine if these cats were caught in this trap AND sat in them during intense thunderstorms! Terrible!

I went to speak with the people at the lot where the traps were. I was not welcome, but after some discussion they were open to having a conversation. They told me "I was welcome to take the cats" which I explained was not an option (and I'm pretty sure they already knew that;) because they were feral and there's no where for me to put them. Lois, of Neighborhood Cats, joined me and we learned that the main issues with the cats were overfeeding by feeders which left a lot of mess on their property and cats pooping on the lot where people walked. So, I told them I can't help with the feeders other than talking to them, but I can put out some litter boxes. The other lot owner just repeats to me "the cats have to go". I have explained to him repeatedly "I did not put the cats here, I don't feed here, I don't work here and I don't own the lot. So I am not responsible for these cats, however it was me and my friends that spayed and neutered them so they would not keep having kittens, so we were the ONLY ones to do anything about it and I'm doing what I can to help, but I won't do anything I feel will put the cats in any danger or harm them". He just gets more frustrated, but is cordial to me and says "The cats have to go". As of 7/27 the litter boxes are being used. The problem is, one of the lot owners was trapping and word on the street is he has trapped about 4 cats and has driven 10+ miles out and dumped them at some park so they can't find their way home. This was devastating to hear. Not only is it ILLEGAL, it is also disrespectful to dump cats to become someone else's responsibility (somethings that has been done to this lot owner on his lot) and IT PUTS THE CATS IN DANGER. These cats eat food provided to them. They don't hunt for it and they won't 'know where to find shelter and who knows what kind of trouble they may end up in. You can't just dump cats!  Luckily this person agreed to stop trapping and give the litter boxes a try.

Some other unfortunate events, the lots' owners/leasers and the feeders are having confrontations and things are just getting out of control. Some confusion about the law has popped up, here's the upshot of how it works. It is illegal to withhold food from animals, and its legal to feed on public property, such as the sidewalk area outside the lot; however, if food and garbage (cans,plates,bowls,food) are left behind, it can be considered a public health problem and this will trump the feeding law. So to do it properly, if a property owner refuses to feed and will not allow you to feed on their property, you can feed just off their property on public property, but YOU MUST REMOVE ANYTHING UNEATEN BEFORE YOU LEAVE! You must not leave anything behind. Feeders have been going on their property and putting out food on the lot leaving plates and bowls behind and shoving food and things under the wall of their shed creating a terrible mess and a lot of frustration. So the shed was cleaned and sealed so no cats or feeders could get in and the litter boxes were put out. We spoke with feeders we met to explain they can't leave litter out, some have really done a great job, others have not changed and continue to leave things behind. We had hoped that with these changes would mean less frustration for the lots and less trouble for the cats. 

What has changed everything is that one of the cats is suffering due to the reduced feeding and shelter close. We call her Hitch you can see how her sides go in under her ribs. I found that she was now skin and bones and I couldn't take it. I reached out to the manager of a warehouse where I manage a colony and asked if I can relocate a cat there. He said I could bring 4! They need more cats to manage the rodent population across the street from where I manage the colony in their warehouse! Woohoo! Now, please note, relocation is not always successful and has no guarantee, but if these cats do well, they will have a safe home where they have steady work, plenty of food and shelter to keep them safe. And a feeder is planning to take 1 as well so that's 5 of the 5 or 6 that are remaining on the lot. North Brooklyn Cats was trapping last Sunday trying to catch the cat that's friendly to one of the feeders. He is going to relocate this cat to his back yard. They didn't catch him, but they did catch Hitch.  So Hitch is in my kitchen in a crate awaiting relocation to the warehouse tomorrow, 7/29. She is not happy in my kitchen, but she will have a great new home soon. Stay tuned for more information! I will have another update done by the end of the weekend for what we are doing in the lot to prepare the cats for trapping.
I want people that don't know us to understand this is not our job. We don't get paid for this. This is not what we want to do. I will be financially responsible for 4 new cats for their lifetime, that adds up. We all work full time and have our other responsibilities, hobbies and obligations. So this going to take a lot of our time, money and effort to make this happen and then to manage and care for them for the rest of their lives. We could really use some help, so if you can make a donation (on the right side of this blog) please do. You can reach out to us at greasypawsLIC@yahoo.com for questions or information. If you are familiar with this colony, please read the signs and help us succeed in giving these cats a happy ending.

There he is! Hey Desmond, you handsome devil!

A little mix of good and bad news here, but he is well and has made some friends. Mildred, bless her, called me and told me the cat I had described to her to look out for was turning up where she feeds. I grabbed my sneakers and was out the door. Sure enough, its Desmond. I don't know why he is going over there to eat when I set up a feeding station and shelter where I relocated him. Maybe he is uncomfortable there or maybe he just likes the new spot he has chosen for himself around the corner. Who knows, one of the girls from the outside area of the Bakery likes hanging out over there and the bodega kids hang there too, maybe it's better. What is upsetting is that he is crossing the street to go eat. But, like I said, he's well and looks good. He's in good shape, healthy and had made some friends. I'll be investigating to find out exactly where he is spending the majority of his time and hope to move a shelter and feeding station there to keep him from crossing the street. So when I went to see him where Mildred feeds, he was hanging out with some new friends, an orange guy, a tortie and a calico (I didn't get a pic of her, but she's a beauty).

Desmond's new friend, I forget his name, but he's a typical fun and charming, orange guy.

And this is Ghost-Kitty, named by someone on the block, no, I don't know why. She's a hoot and a big old fatty girl! 

And over where Desmond seems to be spending his time are a couple of bodega cats you may remember, Bibi and Bo Dega! 

Here's Bibi, spayed January 2012 when someone from the neighborhood was moving and "couldn't take her" so the bodega owner took her in.

And here's Bo, neutered in May of 2011 after the former kitty, sadly was hit by a car who I had spayed back in 2009. (She was Beauty and Beast's sister, Shannon's litter)

So Des has made some friends and I really hope they are showing him the ropes over there where he can stay safe and warm. I'll be working on getting him set up, but it will take some more work. Hang in there Des, please.

Meanwhile, around the corner at the bakery, the girls are still doing very well and I see them every weekend. This is Hitch's routine:                  WHO IS IT?                                                  It's me Hitch.

OH, IT'S YOU, PUT THE WET FOOD DOWN AND BACK AWAY.                                      OK Hitch.

A LITTLE FURTHER PLEASE...                    OK Hitchy, just a second, but be nice to Grommet please. 

Then as Hitch eats like she's been starving to death (despite the CONSTANT supply of food), Grommet shows up all stealth-like and cute:) She waits somewhat patiently while Hitch eats because Hitch will just slap her around if she goes to eat before Hitch is done. I don't get it, there's plenty for everyone. Cats! On a good note, these two were not well before relocating, now both have good weight on them and Grommet has stopped wheezing!!! 

I ran past the Greasy Paws lots today and saw Beetle sun-bathing. He looks great, nice and full and healthy. Perhaps its easier to get a full meal now that it's just him and Hexbit and the drama of the summer has ended. The feeding area is now kept very clean, that is really nice to see considering it was one of the big points of contention. The other point was the cats eliminating on the lots, I see both lots are still utilizing the litter boxes I made for them, so I hope that is helping too.

On my way back home I passed by again and ran into the feeders that feed at the lot every day. It was so nice to see them. They tell me that Lucky, formerly Beep, who they took in from the lot is very happy in their home and LOVES his toys. I really enjoyed hearing how he was doing and all his fun stories of what he likes and dislikes. 

They say things have calmed down a bit over at the lots. The lot that worked with me on this project, he has not had any interaction with since the relocation. The guy at the other lot, who was trapping and dumping the cats in an unknown park and still denies it, still gives him some dirty looks, but the confrontations have ceased. We talked about some concern about winter now that the shed is closed off, but I hope these guys do OK. If anyone has any room for properly and safely relocating the last two, please feel free to contact me. I'll never forget about them and hope to do some outreach next summer when I am out of school to try to find them a place but for now they seem to be doing ok and I hope that with the small number, 2, there will be more tolerance and they can all coexist in a peaceful and compassionate manner.

Stay tuned!

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!!!
xoxoxo,
Big City Little Kitty

Trapped

While Hitch, now to be given the LOST name "Rousseau" as she is living at the Bakery, was working on her relocation...

We began trapping.

We were able to trap 3 of the 4 we were planning to relocate. Sadly we had to leave 2 behind.

Bolt

Piston

and

Grommet

We had initially thought there were only 4 left, until we saw this one coming around toward the end of recon and during trapping. Brown tabby, broken tail and has an ear tip. We are wondering if this is "Hexbit", whom we have not seen in quite some time. 

Bolt and Piston have been the best of friends on that lot. So it was very hard for me to separate them. But Bolt is going to a home, and I wouldn't take that away from anyone. I hope Piston and Grommet will make friends with the resident cats at the Bakery.

Here is their final time together before Bolt's dad, a feeder that spent a lot of time with him, came to pick him up

And here is Bolt's new dad!

Bolt was a little concerned, but we hear he is making great progress and even comes out for pets:)

Huge thanks to you and your mom for taking care of this group for so long and for taking a chance on a street cat like Bolt. 

Here he is in his new home! 

And his new name is Lucky! 

Can you think of a more appropriate name?

Off to the Bakery we go! Here is Piston's set up. Note, all the cats at the Bakery are named for LOST characters, so Piston's new name will be "Desmond". 

It was, of course, a lot for him to take in at first, but as all of us involved in rescue know...as long as there is a litter box to hide in, everything will be OK! So he took to the litter box, then realized he had his own carrier in there to hide in. It took a couple of days for him to get comfortable eating and using the box, but he's living in his relocation crate now like a champ! This guy can eat!

And after some medication for her cold, Grommet made her way there too. Due to needing some meds, she is a week behind Desmond (aka Piston). Grommet will now be called "Penny" from LOST.

She was pretty scared at first, but now she's eating and using her litter box too! 

Darn it she's cute! 

And so petite!

And as I finished setting up Penny (aka Grommet), look who I found up on top of a stack of boxes pretending to sleep, but watching us to see what we were up to...Sun! Or as many of you know her, MAMA!

Take good care of these guys Mama, they need a friend over there.

More to come...stay tuned!