Google+

Sunday, July 1, 2012

We have a situation...

Dear Riverfront Neighbors, Friends, Followers

I started an update on the Riverfront cats but there is more.

(Update August 28, 2012: for the impact of Tropical Storm Isaac that just passed through Miami, please read toward the bottom of this posting).



This story originates this past bitter, cold winter when one night it was raining nonstop, a very rare occurence for the season. Normally we see these rains during a tropical storm in the summertime.

Typically we feed the Riverfront cats around 7-8pm. But that night, I waited for the rains to stop. It didn't. Consulting with every weather news channel there was no sign of rains ceasing. So I headed out about 9pm in rain boots, raincoat and oversized umbrella and at station 3, my heart dropped. There they were-- the five cats at Station 3 standing frozen, soaking wet, and shivering. They looked up at me with relief! Oh my gosh I started to cry!



The condo cut down all the trees and bushes, the only semi- protection to shield them. The rain continued pelting them and these cats were starving. I was so overwhelmed in their trust in me. They knew I would appear to feed them no matter what. But the problem now was where to feed them. The rain would dissolve their food.  I knew cat houses were needed for rainy season and it's here!

Also, we're down to two volunteers and one just lost her job! The other volunteers (even dog owners who never had cats) have moved out.

We urgently need donations to buy cat food & build cat houses. 


To help, just click on the DONATION button on upper right side. You can easily donate with credit card or PayPal. Any amount will help. Or feel free to donate monthly. Or just from making online purchases at Amazon, Mr. Chewy and PetApprovedRx, these vendors will donate a small percentage to Riverfront Cats!

Due to our successful system (TNRM), these cats are not starving and are healthy and happy in general. We religiously feed them every night and the cats appear at feeding time so they are not crossing the major roads, looking for food and getting killed as what happened in 2008. We also apply flea topical solution.

We saved them from being inhumanely dumped at a park, we saved them from the kill-shelter, we saved them from being road kill. They are the Riverfront Pets! We have people with some time, but limited money, and people willing to donate money but have no spare time to volunteer. So with a little coordinating and teamwork we can help our Riverfront pets.

If you prefer to drop off the food or build the houses--even better! The cat houses are nothing fancy. I can explain in more detail. Just email me at riverfrontcats@yahoo.com

Thank you for taking a moment to help your community. As always, you're welcome to join the volunteers in the daily feedings--weekday, weekend, workday, holiday to observe first hand what we do and meet these amazing pets.

UPDATE August 28: It was very painful not to be able to feed the cats during Tropical Storm Isaac. Two cats have not appeared and we hope they did not go too far in search of food. We really need more donations to build those cat houses. We have a place to secure the houses in the event of storms.  You can make a donation or  help by purchasing cat food or vitamins and medications on the banner ads to the right (Mr. Chewy, Amazon, VetApprovedRx), we receive a small donation from the vendor. THANK YOU!

Many blessings for your help,
Christine Michaels

2 comments:

  1. Recent numbers show that 63% of US households own a pet - that's 71.1 million homes and families with dogs, cats, iguanas, parakeets, fish, ferrets, potbellied pigs, etc, etc., Taking care of a pet is tougher than taking care of an infant, since our pets can't speak. Hence, making sure your pet is safe and happy when you leave it alone at home should be a priority for all pet owners. One of the simplest ways of watching over a pet remotely is by using some sort of webcam software like GotoCamera that is easily available online these days. Thanks to technology and some very smart people who are working on making things easier for us, you can now use your basic webcam to monitor your pets while you're away from them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope you will be doing this long-term, because if you do, I will be there to help in a year or two.

    I love the feral/outdoor kitties.

    I love Miami.

    Just let me get my degree, a little $$$ saved up, and I'll be there. <3

    ReplyDelete