The Scratching Post

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner.  Much like any other holiday, it gives us an opportunity to uphold and celebrate the cultural values of different peoples of the world.  In honor of the festival of  St. Patty’s Day, I’d like to show a little bit o’love to our beautiful red-headed resident cats.  The thrill of being a redhead can only be experienced by a few folks in this world (<2%!), and if the stats are the same for cats, it’s safe to say they are as special as they come!

Capella is a five-year old girl who has had some ups and downs in her life. She was adopted from Tree House in 2005, but that ended with a big surprise, and probably a lot of stress.  Her former family must have abandoned her at Animal Welfare league without mention to us that there was any issue in the home.  It’s likely that it was no fault of Capella’s that this happened.  We were so lucky that she was microchipped to Tree House, so that we could go down to claim her.  Had this not been the case, sweet Capella’s fate could have been very different. Despite what she has been through in life, Capella remains a very sweet, even-tempered lady.  She would probably prefer to be the only cat in her next home, but is very friendly with people.  We would love for her to be adopted back into a stable, and permanent home.

Oliver  & Whiskey Wiskerson are an amazingly sweet, cuddly, quirky, playful pair of kitten brothers.  They are both very people and cat-friendly.  We are actually shocked that the boys haven’t been scooped up by someone already! They rival for the cutest kitten award and there isn’t a thing you can’t love about the them. Oliver has long hair, and we swear that his tail gets fluffier by the day.  Whiskey is a short-haired version of his brother, and just as soft.  Both Oliver & Whiskey have a very mild case of Cerebeller Hypoplasia, which is a neurological issue that affects the portion of their brain that controls voluntary movement.   This condition doesn’t get them down, though.  They both play like champs, and climb up high with no problem.  Quite fitting for the antics that come along with St. Patty’s day is the way these boys bound around the adoption floor with gaelic merriment, wobbling every step of the way.

Mojave has the cutest, roundest head with eyes the color of four-leaf clovers. He is very chatty and enjoys head scratches and chin rubs.  Anyone petting/interacting must really watch his body language, however. Mojave can get a little overly excited, especially when you pet him further down his back.  We think that Mojave is an awesome and adorable cat, but may be stressed out by the other cats here. It’s quite understandable, though, and we think that Mojave’s perfect person would be open to working to understand Mojave’s triggers and body language.  It can be very rewarding to help a cat that has a more complex personality like Mojave’s, and those strides are priceless.

Well there you have it.  A quick look at our redheaded Bucktown cats..they are all really amazing and available for adoption.  I will sign off with with an old Irish blessing:

May the sun shine all day long,
Everything go right and nothing go wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you
And may all the wishes you wish come true!

-Olga s.

Five-year-old Capella has been through some ups and downs in her life. This sweet cat was first admitted to Tree House in 2005.  She was quickly adopted from the shelter, and based on  the communications we had with her new family, we thought she was living happily in her adoptive home. Imagine our surprise then when we received a call form Animal Welfare League informing us that she had been abandoned at their shelter. Luckily for this girl, she was microchipped to Tree House, so AWL called us as soon as she arrived. Had she not been microchipped, her fate might have been very different. Capella has been through a lot recently, and is still adjusting to all the change in her life. Although she is friendly with people, she is not thrilled at having to share space with so many new cats. We would love for this young cat to be adopted into a stable and permanent home, so she can return to her sweet, relaxed self. Can you give Capella the stability and love she so desperately wants? Stop by our Bucktown Adoption Center today to take home Capella.

Be warned: this blog contains repeated use of the word “testicle.” Please get all of your giggling out of the way now. . .

. . .Thank you.

Being one of very few men in the employ of Tree House’s clinic, I can’t help but feel it is partially my duty to see that none of our male cats are emasculated in any way. So often, hulking tomcats are mistakenly referred to with female pronouns (“Oh, she’s so cute!”) if they dare to behave with any amount of grace, or vocalize with anything but a gruff, raspy meow. So, being the defender of their masculinity, I’m quick to point out their stocky musculatures, or their various battle wounds from their lives on the street. They are men, I inform the uninformed masses, and they wish to be treated as such.

In this self-appointed position, I find a serious logical flaw: one of Tree House’s main mission statements is to deprive these proud, male cats of the very essence of their maleness. I am talking, of course, about neutering.

Yes, the removal of the body’s main source of testosterone does pose a significant barrier to a cat’s ability to be all that he can be in the manliness department. That’s not to say he is not still as male as he ever was, but the stigma attached to the word “neuter” suggests to our pre-operative patients that they are about to undergo a humiliating and crippling procedure. And while this is an incorrect view for them to hold, they cannot be convinced otherwise. So, some resist.

It is not terribly uncommon (in fact, we saw two this week) for a male cat to retain one or both of his testicles in his abdomen, where they are impossible to remove with a normal surgical neuter. Admittedly, this condition — called “cryptorchidism” — has nothing to do with the will of the cat or his desire to cling to his masculinity. Regardless, though, the evasive nature of the cryptorchid’s rogue testicle only compromises his masculinity further than a simple neuter surgery might: since the testicle is lodged in the abdomen, it must be removed through a surgery that bears striking resemblance to a spay. The cat who thinks he’s tricking us by hiding his manhood is, in fact, dooming himself to a life of being mocked for his “spay scar” by his fellow male cats. (If you don’t believe me, just bring up the issue with our new ex-cryptorchid residents “Henry Socks” and “Krull” and see how they react.)

We will, invariably, do whatever we have to in order to remove the offending gland and therefore get one step closer to curbing the overpopulation problem in Chicago’s stray cats. It is, after all, our mission. So, though I will continue to defend their masculinity, I must issue a formal warning to any stray tomcats who may be reading this: your undescended testicles can run, but they can’t hide; you are still a man, with or without your manhood.

posted by Justin W.

“Yikes! What’s that loud sound?” This is a question you’ll hear uttered frequently around Tree House, but there’s no need to fret folks, it’s just old timer, Mickey Finn out for his daily constitutional or mall-walk as clinic staff refer to it.

Mickey Finn is a deaf, sixteen year old cat and like many folks hard of hearing he’s often not aware just how loud his meow is. He spends most of the day quietly lounging around the safe haven of the surgery room, yet really makes his presence known by screaming, “MEOW out of my way, whippersnapper!”, at any cat in his path while he’s out on his daily walks. Similar to the old dog adage, “his bark is worse than his bite” I really don’t think Mickey Finn means much harm with his lion-size meow, but try telling that to the cat on the receiving end of his deafening meow. Judging from the hair rising reaction Mickey Finn gets from the other cats as he walks by, he’s likely under the assumption that he’s a mighty intimidating guy. Reality is, Mickey Finn is no threat at all. He’s a rather frail and gentle cat who requires special medical monitoring and attention. But even though he’s slowed down a little with age he still loves living life. He loves to be pet, loves to play (in moderation) and loves indulging in the occasional catnip pillow so please visit him often.

Many people and cats startle a little the first time they hear Mickey Finn. Those of us who know him well however, smile knowingly and say, “there goes our Mickey Finn

February kicked off with Groundhog seeing his shadow on the second, hit a romantic midpoint on Valentines Day and ended with the beautiful “Snow Full Moon” on the twenty eight. It was an eventful month for adoptions at Tree House as well.

Martie

Some wonderful favorites like Marti, Dylan and cute little Babinski were adopted last month. Poor misunderstood Succotash who had been returned as a result of the poor economy is once again a content house cat, happily cuddling in laps and, “sooo well behaved”, his adopters assure us.

Memphis Man

I’m thrilled to report that Memphis Man, the cat who stole all of our hearts with his sad, but all too familiar story of abandonment and injury was adopted. A kind gentleman found Memphis Man living on the streets this past winter, but could not take him home because of his allergies to cats. Not knowing how else to help the kitty he brought him to an abandoned storefront which he was trying to rent and hoped one day someone would come along and want him. Coincidently, a Tree House staff member spotted him on her way to work one day in the shop window, isolated and obviously desperate for attention. As an animal lover she found it impossible to stop thinking about his forlorn little face and the bleak conditions she found him in so made an effort to contact the owner of the store. Memphis Man turned out to be not only homeless, but seriously injured as well and in need of leg amputation surgery. The stars must have been aligned just right for Memphis Man to find himself under the protective wing of Tree house Humane Society. His surgery was a success and he continues to be an inspiration to us all, with his unwavering gentle spirit and loving nature. We are so thankful that he was adopted by a long time Tree House supporter and is now adjusting nicely to his new home and new kitty pal, Tree House alumni, Renata.

Sam Adams

Sam Adams, the handsome guy with the world’s fluffiest tail found himself a home in February as did the adorable duo of Recycled Micheal and Serpentine. Superstar FIV+ couple Spanky aka Hanky Spanky and Roxanne were adopted together by an equally awesome couple.

Then on the last day of February, the evening of, “The Full Snow Moon” the loveliest lady was charmed by our beautiful Mookey and took her home to share life together. Mookey was admitted years ago as a feral stray. She was totally untouchable then, but Tree House staff and volunteers tend not to take a hiss as a no. We all spoiled her with baby talk and plush, purple velvet beds. She thanked us by allowing us to know her thoughtful, peaceful soul.

Before I begin my latest King Friday update I really just want to thank all the staff and volunteers who have done so much to socialize him over the years. He is truly happy to be a house cat and absolutely adored. I’ve heard it said that it takes a village to raise a child and likewise Tree House is a village of open hearts that taught my King Friday to trust people.

Today is the day I am going to lock Bucko and The Dr. (the bullies) in a bedroom and allow King Friday to explore the house. It has been almost two months since I brought him home-he’s doing great!  After spending nearly ten years at Tree House, he’s now really making up for lost time.  I think he’d enjoy being pet and played with twenty four hours a day. He walks, walking is not the right word, he actually kneads his way across the couch, purring, squeaking and rubbing his cheeks against anyone sitting there. He loves the couch and will retreat to the comfort of its arms if frightened. At night he’s awfully brave and will curl up beside me if I’m reading or watching a movie and twice now I’ve woken up with him on my chest –I swear he was not trying to steal my breath. There are great windows in my front room and King Friday is becoming quite the lil’ busy body, if he spoke English he would be the go to guy for neighborhood gossip. Perhaps he can fill The Dr. and Bucko in on what they’ve missed not being able to look out the front windows once they’re all buddies. I’m surprised at how threatened King Friday is of my cats. I assumed he’d be accustomed to any kind of cat after his tenure at Tree House. I allow the other cats in for supervised visits regularly now and Runabout can come and go as he pleases because he is perfect. After many stressful meetings, last night was the first night that King Friday and The Dr. sat comfortably in each other’s presence, blinking complacently for about fifteen minutes. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I was very proud of my boys and gave them lots of treats to reward them.

Lately King Friday has been stiffing around under the door that leads to the rest of the apartment. I’m nervous about opening the door because I want him to continue to adjust in his own room and am worried he won’t want to go back. But I wonder if it will be helpful for him to see where the other cats live, to be able to stiff their litter boxes and food bowls? So today is the day that Runabout will take King Friday on the tour of the house.

February is a short month, but offers plenty of ways for us to become responsible and responsive pet owners.  There are many campaigns out there that observe and promote pet health, and today we acknowledge Spay Day USA.  Yes, it’s true that we must be responsible caregivers all year round, but today is an extra special reason for animal welfare groups to educate the public on specific ways to bring out the (healthy) best in companion animals.

Spay Day USA is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.  This year marks the 16th Spay Day, and more that 600 events are to take place around the country.  Internationally speaking, more than 80 events in 43 countries are planned, providing life-saving spay/neuter services to more than 40,000 animals around the globe.

Here at Tree House, we have been offering free surgeries the entire month of February with our Sex & the Kitty campaign! Spay/Neuter is a humane strategy for curbing pet overpopulation, and to find out the benefits of it, please read this article by the The Humane Society of the U.S.

As an organization, Tree House has been a champion for under-served animals and people alike. Our multi-faceted programs of humane education and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries & vaccinations work to improve the lives of pets, and the Pet-Food Pantry provides valuable resources to caregivers.

Tree House is also an advocate for Trap-Neuter-Return as a proactive strategy for improving the lives of feral cats and reducing their numbers . You can find out more about Tree House’s Feral Friends program and the whole movement by visiting TNR Chicago.

So, Happy Spay Day USA, to you and yours.  The observance of this day, and many related efforts can help us all work towards a humane nation through education and cooperation!

-Olga S.

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings. In the arts and mythology, it has proven to be an entertaining and useful devise for telling stories by rendering potentially complicated human issues more accessible through the distraction. Watership Down, Animal Farm and the recent film adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox (which I loved) are popular examples of anthropomorphism in the arts, but we can often totally miss the point when we project our human characteristics on the animals that we share our lives with.

Most of us who have pets have probably projected our own human emotions on our animals at one time or another. In fact, I’m probably guiltier than most. Admittedly, we anthropomorphize in all good fun most of the time. For example, Tree House Junior Volunteers created an adorable featured cat board for Valentine’s Day this year that portrays three kitty couples all decked out in their finest dresses and suits sitting down to tea in a romantic restaurant with the headline, “February is Spay/Neuter month.”

Most behaviorists agree however, that we do more harm than good when we anthropomorphize when it comes to diagnosing our own animal’s behavior issues.

A common call on the behavior hotline comes from people who truly believe that their cat is not using the litter box to get back at them for something. I’ve spoken to people who are in new relationships, for example, and they seem resigned to believing that their cat is simply jealous or acting out spitefully because they are not getting the attention they are accustomed to. In these cases, the person can feel very hurt, confused and guilty because they believe their cat is angry with them. It can be very difficult to break through and convince them to try to think about practical reasons why their cat may have stopped using the litter box.

Litter box issues is the most common behavior issue and a huge reason why many housecats are relinquished or, sadly, even euthanized, but they can also be one of the simpler, systematic issues to tackle, especially if caught early. The person who believes their cat is peeing outside the litter box because they are jealous of a new relationship may actually ask themselves, “Have I been too distracted to detect the warning signs of a developing health issue?” This person may also be neglecting the cleanliness of the litter box, or cleaning it at irregular hours because of a more active social life. A new visitor such as boyfriend/girlfriend may be threatening the security of the litter box location so they might think about adding an additional litter box in a safe, open location. Perhaps a colony of feral cats has moved in nearby unnoticed and may be marking the outside of doors or windows with urine, provoking your cat to protect their territory. The point is that there are countless rational places for the mind to go when trying to unravel animal behavior issues. Anthropomorphizing can not only make animal behavior issues difficult to solve, in doing so we also may miss a chance to truly empathize and understand our animal companions.