The Ceiling Boys

"Window Kitties" Artemis and Mister (Now Gus and Didier) first came inside at about 5 weeks of age. Their mother, a stray, brought her 5 kittens through the open window of the apartment where a man had been feeding her. They went on to be fostered by some Feline Rescue volunteers. Didier and Gus were adopted a few weeks ago, and their new family recently sent an update.

They've taken 3 weeks to really join the household because they, unfortunately, found their way into our basement's dropped ceiling on the first day, and spent the first week up there!

But gradually they've come down and their only real barrier to full citizenship in the household is our jealous old cat, Natalie.

Anyway, here they are (Didier is the tuxedo, Gus [Auguste] the tiger):

Looks like they've gone from being Window Kitties, to Ceiling Boys, to just regular house cats!

Update on Sage

Sage had been living outside in St. Paul for three years, since the person who cared for her moved and couldn't take her along. Kind neighbors took over feeding Sage at their back door but could not bring her inside due to allergies. Even though she would rub up against the legs of the person who fed her, she shied away from touch. It was assumed that Sage was feral. Following the first polar vortex of the season, Sage’s caretakers contacted us because she was wobbly and they needed help getting her to the vet. I went over to see Sage and immediately fell in love with this beautiful cat. Sage was not afraid. She looked at me and said, "PLEASE bring me inside".

Once she was safely inside, Sage loved to be petted and purred up a storm. After a check-up at the vet, a course of antibiotics for a wound, and a brief stay with another kind neighbor, Sage was off to her new home. In a strange place with new people, Sage spent most of the first few weeks under the bed. But her new caretaker is patient and understanding. She recently sent this update:

Sage is coming along well. Here are some pictures. She no longer hisses but the silly girl still camps out under the bed when I visit!

I've lured her out with treats and head scratches, but she only peeks out about 1/2 way. Then eats and gets a head scratch and goes back under.

She adores getting scratched all over! I have to reach under the bed, but she is very accessible, and even reaches put her paw touch me, in hopes for a scratch. She is becoming very friendly, and with some more patience I think Sage will venture out from the bed at some point! She rolls over on her back and blinks at me..... So goofy! :)

Sage is enjoying being an indoor kitty. And her former caretaker created a cross stitch in memory of the “outdoor” Sage. 

Jacobi at Home

Jacobi was abandoned outside an apartment building in St. Paul. When a Feline Rescue outreach volunteer took him to the vet to have a cyst on his shoulder and a painful tooth removed, Jacobi also tested positive for the feline leukemia virus. It can be harder to place cats like this, but they deserve good homes too.

Pamela met Jacobi last spring but had to wait until she moved to an apartment that allowed cats to adopt one. Another volunteer agreed to foster Jacobi, and he was still waiting for Pamela in November when she was ready to take him home.

A sweet boy like this can live a happy, healthy life. A stress-free environment is important, and it looks like Jacobi's got that covered! Pamela recently sent this update:

Just wanted to tell you how much I love Jacobi. He is such a sweet guy and so good. I hate to go out and leave him alone. Many times he sits by the door as I am getting ready to leave and looks at me with sad eyes. I know he loves me, too. We have had a few visitors and he is very comfortable around other people.

I decided that his birthday will be May 17 - the first day I saw him and he is going to be "five" this year. Based on what you and Kate and his new vet indicated, that is the age I picked.  I had [the vet] visit him last month just to check him over and give me an update on his health.  He is fine, and I have to work on having him lose weight, more exercise, and cleaning his teeth regularly.  I have some new toys coming in the mail today. We are working on brushing his teeth. He keeps biting the brush. I attached some photos of him for you to enjoy.

Thanks to Pamela for giving this special guy a good home!

Batman the community cat

A few years ago, outreach volunteers were helping to spay/neuter a colony of cats in South Minneapolis when they came across Batman. Batman had been surviving on his own for quite a while. By the time he landed in rescue, Batman was FIV-positive and had gotten in a fight or perhaps caught in barbed wire and was ripped open from his face down to his arms. The vet stitched him back up, and Batman started on the road to an easier life filled with rest, relaxation, and plenty of people to love him.

At first Batman was cared for, along with another FIV kitty, by a couple of different Feline Rescue volunteers. Batman’s buddy passed away a few years ago, but a series of young people have continued to care for Batman. As one party moves on with their lives, another has always stepped up to care for this loving cat.

Batman currently lives with Mary. “Honestly,” says Mary, I don't really view him as ‘my cat’ because he had so many great people in his life”. Mary recently shared pictures and an update on this special kitty:

Batman came to live with me in August. His previous owner was a friend of a friend, and she was moving out-of-state for a job. I never was a cat person, but I had met Batman a few times, and I thought it would be more fun to take on a grumpy old man cat than a crazy kitty. When he first came into my house, he did exactly what I expected—he b-lined it straight under my bed and hunkered down in the deepest, darkest corner. But that lasted for less than a day, and now he rules the roost (which I never thought would happen).

I didn't see him at his worst, but he seems to have recovered extremely well from his times on the streets. He's fluffy, well fed, and is playful for about 2 minutes every day (he IS an old man cat—anything more than 2 minutes seems excessive to him).

Every time I come through the door, he hops off of whatever he's lounging on and scampers to meet me at the door. He is a little bowlegged and stiff, so he does this sweet little hobble-run to greet me. It's the most charming and adorable thing I have ever seen. He has a couple nicks on his ear and some scarring/bald spots down the sides of his head and neck, but his big yellow-green eyes and his adorable pink nose makes it hard to notice anything else about him.

He lets absolutely anyone and everyone pick him up and hold him like a baby. He also is a great lap cuddler and would sleep on my face if I let him (sometimes I wake up to a world of fur pressed against my face). He tends to get into bed like an Aristocat: he saunters head-first underneath the covers, makes a 180-degree turn, and plops his head on the pillow next to mine with the rest of his body under the covers.

I would like to think of my house as his retirement home. He gets to eat when he wants, sleep when he wants, and doesn't have other people or pets to bother him (save for the occasional dinner party).

What I'm saying is... Batman is spoiled beyond belief. And he deserves it.

Thank you to Mary and all the wonderful volunteers who have helped take care of Batman!

Patience Pays Off

We've had Momo for a year.  During a cold spell last winter, a neighbor trapped her in the park, where many good cats get left off in the woods.

Momo acted very "feral" and hid in the bathroom for months and tried not to even look at us. Since we had other foster cats to socialize, we've always just left her alone. We would only see her at mealtime.

Recently, Momo started to play with us. Then a few days ago, at snack time, she let me touch her for the first time ever. Apparently she liked it, because now she can't get enough petting. She purrs and prances around and couldn't be happier. Sometimes cats take baby steps, and sometimes they wait for the right moment and make one giant leap.

I think Momo has been taking notes while watching the other cats.  And maybe she realizes that this has turned out to be a better winter for her than the last one. We wish it hadn't taken a whole year, but we're super excited that she finally decided to come around! She is so adorable! Momo has proved once again that it just takes patience and time for a cat like her to learn to trust.

Visit Frankie and Shirley at Woody's

Frankie and Shirley are two of Momma Oakley's kittens who were rescued from living outside just before the new year. They spent some time in a foster home and are now greeting visitors at Woody's Pet Food Deli in St. Paul. While they enjoy hanging out with Ahlers and getting all sorts of petting and attention from the customers, they hope to find their own forever home very soon. Stop by soon and feel for yourself how soft these girls are.

Frankie

Ahlers and Frankie

Shirley

On Saturday, Frankie and Shirley will be joined by little cousins Lindy, Laurel, and Goldy, who are also looking for homes.

Lindy and Laurel

Goldy

Come meet the whole fluffy family at the adoption day on Saturday February 8th from 1-3. Woody's Pet Food Deli is at 647 South Snelling Ave. in St. Paul. For more information about adopting: 651-295-3758.

Raphael's travelling days are over

Dear You!

I'm Raphael-of-the-angelic-purrrsonality-and-the-heavenly-green-eyes.
But you can call me Raphael for short. I'm named for that angel guy
and for Saint Raphael too. He's the patron saint of travelers and
that's what I used to do. I traveled around my neighborhood, visiting
the Inside Kitties through their windows and looking for handouts. Not
that the saint guy needed handouts. He probl'y got that manna stuff.
Anyway, I'm a pretty mellow, easygoing guy but one day I was traveling
and thought, gosh, it's Cold out here. Plus all the food seemed to
come from Inside. It seemed like the place to be. So I picked a house
where the meals were good & regular and now I'm an Inside Kitty too.


At my foster house they say I might be an "old soul" or maybe just
"clueless." But I don't get it. I'm a really young guy and I like
games so I'll have clues soon enough. Right? My favorite game is
Wiggle the Wand Toy Under the Rug. I like the plain end of the wand
best cuz it zips around under stuff.


I don't like brushing & fluffing so much, but my foster mom says it
makes her happy and I really like sitting on her lap, so we do that
pretty often. When there's nothing else going on I like to meditate
while I watch the birdies, which is nicer when you're Inside.


One of these days I'll meet my Furrever Purrrson. Every Kitty has one
and mine's gonna have lots of wand toys and windows and stuff. If that
sounds like You, You'll have to come over to my house cuz I don't
travel anymore. OK?


Love,
Raphael

To meet Raphael in his foster home, call Molly at 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org. Raphael will also be at the Adoption Day on Saturday Feb 8th from 1-3 at Woody's Pet Food Deli, 647 South Snelling Ave., St. Paul.