These are three of the cats that live in the garden of the apartment building I live in. I took care of the group for four months in 2002 when their usual caretaker was sick. Now he is sick again and I am again taking care of them.
I love these cats and worry about them a lot. Unfortunately we have some cat-haters living here that destroy any plastic or cardboard shelters I make. Some kick at the cats, throw things at them, wet the newborn kittens with garden hoses, and one man -- Mr. Flores -- even shot two with a slingshot and killed them. (Don't worry he was convicted and fined.)
This is Norton. I found him in the garden undernourished, dehydrated and with an infected foot. After a few trips to the vet and a neuter/vaccination and nearly six months in the apartment eating and resting he turned into a beautiful big boy. BUT -- he insisted on being an outside cat. After two cats were killed by a neighbor with a slingshot and our beautiful Whitey disappeared, I took him to a private no-kill shelter to find a home.
I'll always miss Norton because he was very bonded to me and followed me everywhere in the garden. He would come running as soon as I got to the gate -- he learned the sound of my family's car! He always announced himself saying "Meow-wow Meow-wow." He also followed me to the corner grocery and waited at the corner for me to come back. He would walk into the elevator with me and wait for the doors to open again and march out. He is a wonderful cat and I often pray that he found a home that is taking good care of him.
This our beautiful Whitey. He had an owner, but spent nearly all his time outside. His mother was a cat that was abandoned when her owner had to go to a nursing home. He was born in the garden. We loved him because he seemed to take careful of everything and tried to keep tom cats away from the girl cats. We called him our Border Patrol. He tragically just disappeared in September 2004. Many many people miss Whitey. His disappearance frightened me into giving up my wonderful Norton.
Bonita, Pretty Little Girl -- gave birth to 4 litters of kittens in a little over two years. That's 13 kitten! All of them lived and either found homes or are still in the garden. Whitey was her protector, even though he was neutered and never a father to any litters.
I love these cats and worry about them a lot. Unfortunately we have some cat-haters living here that destroy any plastic or cardboard shelters I make. Some kick at the cats, throw things at them, wet the newborn kittens with garden hoses, and one man -- Mr. Flores -- even shot two with a slingshot and killed them. (Don't worry he was convicted and fined.)
This is Norton. I found him in the garden undernourished, dehydrated and with an infected foot. After a few trips to the vet and a neuter/vaccination and nearly six months in the apartment eating and resting he turned into a beautiful big boy. BUT -- he insisted on being an outside cat. After two cats were killed by a neighbor with a slingshot and our beautiful Whitey disappeared, I took him to a private no-kill shelter to find a home.
I'll always miss Norton because he was very bonded to me and followed me everywhere in the garden. He would come running as soon as I got to the gate -- he learned the sound of my family's car! He always announced himself saying "Meow-wow Meow-wow." He also followed me to the corner grocery and waited at the corner for me to come back. He would walk into the elevator with me and wait for the doors to open again and march out. He is a wonderful cat and I often pray that he found a home that is taking good care of him.
This our beautiful Whitey. He had an owner, but spent nearly all his time outside. His mother was a cat that was abandoned when her owner had to go to a nursing home. He was born in the garden. We loved him because he seemed to take careful of everything and tried to keep tom cats away from the girl cats. We called him our Border Patrol. He tragically just disappeared in September 2004. Many many people miss Whitey. His disappearance frightened me into giving up my wonderful Norton.
Bonita, Pretty Little Girl -- gave birth to 4 litters of kittens in a little over two years. That's 13 kitten! All of them lived and either found homes or are still in the garden. Whitey was her protector, even though he was neutered and never a father to any litters.
