Sweet Romeo Needs Your Love and Help

Romeo, always with tongue out

One of the sweetest cats in our colony is no doubt a black cat named Romeo.  Always gentle. Ready to greet you. And no he is not expecting food. If anything, he is disappointed if you serve food before spending quality time bonding with him, petting him. He is a true gentlecat.  Manners and affection come first. He is loved by all, the volunteers that feed him, the security staff, guests, visitors, and passerbys.   

Romeo as well other Riverfront Cats are now turning 11 years old.  Visibly Romeo is showing signs of illness and pain. His beautiful black cat has turned red. We knew the time would come when they start to age and reach this sad stage of deterioration.

As you can see Romeo is skinny. We can feel the spinal cord. With other healthy cats this is not visible. Also his shiny black coat has dulled and turned red, a sign of deficiency. While his tongue tip sticking out makes him even cuter, the drooling concerns us. Normally this is a sign of oral difficulty.  Upon feeding him dry food, he winces and waits for the moist food.

Romeo looking skinny and his coat turning red

At the vet for his examination, one could see the back teeth were in horrible condition and would need to be extracted. Romeo also has FIV, thus making it harder to fight any infection. We obtained an estimate for dental extractions. Below is a copy of the estimate.

Therefore friends we ask for your help in raising funds to help Romeo.  We have zero funds now during the pandemic.  Our goal is to raise $400 to cover the first visit and the procedure for dental work. Please click here to donate with Paypal or debit/credit card. Or Paypal payments can be sent to info@pawsitivelyhumane.org, our umbrella nonprofit.

There are also two new cats that sadly were dumped in the neighborhood.  So funding is needed for their vet exam and to get the necessary vaccinations, flea/tick treatment and spayed/neutered.  Remember no amount is too small.

As always we welcome donations of cat food. We have never missed a day of feeding. Preferably moist food with lots of gravy. Friskies canned food with gravy is their favorite easy on the teeth.

Thank you all for your generosity.

Stay safe.

Raise Funds for Riverfront Cats by Reading!

At Riverfront Cats, not only do we lead by example in feeding and managing a cat colony and educate residents about TNRM (Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage), but we have rescued many cats over the years that were born nearby and found their way or were dumped here.  Volunteers and residents have also rescued other cats in the Miami area.  It's all about teamwork.

We have faced many sad cases in trying to help and rescue lost or injured cat.  It's part of the effort. Then there are the stories of rescued cats that reached their "happily-ever-after" ending. Oh we cling to those stories for dear life. To give us the energy to keep going; to uplift us after our hearts shatter in pieces from a cat not making it.  Yes rescuers and homeless pet supporters all need a good dose of happy news, happy stories.

A Great Cat Book Read

I am thrilled to share the book Rescued Volume 2: The Healing Stories of 12 Cats, Through Their Eyes. A beautiful anthology that will have you smiling, laughing, and uplifted with each new story.  Here is a great review that best sums up the book. 

Deb Barnes hugs Jazmine, they rescued eachother

 

Read and Raise Funds for Riverfront Cats

And now our own volunteer board member and award winning cat author, Deb Barnes, is helping raise funds for Riverfront Cats through this book.  Deb contributed to one of those touching rescued stories from the voice of her angel cat, Mr. Jazz and how he lead a sweet rescue ginger furball Jazmine (pictured above) to Deb and her family.  You really have to read her sneak preview.

By purchasing the book, a proceed will be donated to Riverfront Cats to help us with ongoing costs of caring for community, stray and injured cats--food, care, shelters, flea/tick medicines, spaying/neutering. This is wonderful and very much needed!

Order Your Copy of Rescued Volume 2

You can order your copy at Amazon. And if you would like to help in other ways, at Riverfront Cats we welcome any type of donation.

Other donations needed:

1. Cat food is always needed and feel free to email us for the brand of food they eat and to make arrangements to have it dropped off.  
2. Old towels, sheets, blankets.  These are needed for the outdoor cat shelters or for transporting sick or injured cats. White towels are the best as bleach can be used to disinfect them well.
3. Or financial donations. Just click on the donate button on top right column.  With the volatile weather (rain, extreme cold, winds) we have to create more shelters for the cats and funding is needed.
4. A dedicated part-time volunteer to answer emails, manage social media, etc. Education is key to overturning homeless pet epidemic in Miami!

You heard the expression, rescue pets and their owners "they saved eachother". It's not a saying. It is pure truth. After reading the book you will definitely appreciate cats a little more, their intuition, their antics, their love.  The healing power of purrs.

Helio Needs Blood Transfusion & Prayers

Helio, a handsome, big green eyed, gray tabby, is fighting for his life.

One of the first ten kittens rescued by founder Christine Michaels, now seven years old, he is suddenly gravely ill with severe anemia.

Helio (pronounced "Eh leo") as a kitten at 4 months

Healthy and playful one day, he started to show signs of loss of appetite, lethargy and sleeping in the closet. Three major red flags of a health issue.  Upon examination at the veterinary clinic, the vet observed his white gums. After a comprehensive blood test it showed Helio had severe anemia.  The X-ray did not show any anomalies. So after a Vitamin B12 shot, IV fluid, and some appetizing canned cat food prescribed, Helio was sent home. Unfortunately he refused to eat at home. And after three days he returned to the vet. Further blood tests showed his blood platelet count dropped even lower.  His condition was now critical.

The next day Helio was admitted to the emergency pet hospital at MVS. Miami Veterinary Specialists provides 24 hour pet medical care. Hooked up to IVs and machines, Helio shows no signs of responsiveness, typical for a cat that is afraid of strange environment. He was lying in the corner, his body inward and sullen, eyes suspect, sheepish, and scared at the same time... a quiet living hell. Only when Christine came to visit did he muster every ounce of strength to stand and greet her. She opened the cage and his bowed insistent on petting and head butts.  Helio would not stop crying. He was grateful to see a friendly face.  At the same time he was pleading to get out.  Our hearts were torn as she had to say goodbye, but Christine repeated a familiar phrase "Ill be back, I promise I'll be back." The vet observing shared that Helio understood Christine and it seemed to give Helio hope.  The vet said there is hope for Helio.

 

Helio cries for affection

A key treatment was a blood transfusion.  According to the vet most pets respond well to one transfusion, however, Helio did not improve with the first transfusion. The vet indicated a second or third transfusion may be needed but not a guarantee he would live.  As each transfusion costs $900 (for all costs related to the treatment), payments must be made upfront at the hospital.  Some families are forced to choose euthanasia when they lack the funds. How tragic!


The vet awaited our answer.  Of course we would try again.  Helio was a survivor, a rescue kitten from the streets of downtown Miami. Money could always be raised. We wanted to set an example that pets as family members, deserve the same respect and dignity of life as human family members.  Money should not determine whether a pet lives or dies if there is a chance he will survive. 

DONATION TO HELP HELIO

So a fundraiser was started to help Helio and to offset the cost of hospitalization and treatments now totaling close to $4,000. Copies of all vet bills are also uploaded.

Visit the YouCaring website. Remember no amount is too small and greatly appreciated!

Or you may make direct donation via PayPal to riverfrontcats@yahoo.com

The heartbreak was becoming unbearable for Christine and caretakers. Helio has many nicknames:

• Cutie Patooty because of his cute sleeping poses, moreso than his siblings. 

• Curious George because of his big eyes and curious, baby face.

• Bocelli after Andrea Bocelli because he literally serenades his pet owner for attention and affection.

Yes, Helio is a very special cat. Sadly his mother Cosette who has been pictured on a number of blog posts and on social media, had died suddenly this summer.  It is strongly believed she was poisoned.  This is just another undertaking, another battle, another part of our mission in educating residents and communities about stray cats and the law against animal cruelty. Helio was her only kitten.  In this effort we fight for all homeless cats who deserve a chance to live out their

You may follow Helio's progress on this website and on Facebook and Twitter.

 Feel free to share his story.

Thank you for sharing! Thank you for caring!

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Please Help Kittens Tobi and Candi Find A Forever Home (Miami)

Gorgeous one-year-old kittens Tobi and Candi were found outside Lissette’s home as newborns with their Mom. They were adopted, but then the adopter had to leave country and Tobi and Candi were returned to another rescue organization and now we are helping Tobi and Candi. Both siblings are VERY sweet, affectionate and cuddly – they love to be held! They are very much bonded and they should be adopted together. They are both 100% fully vetted, beautiful, and healthy!

Please call Lissette at 786-368-8005 or email us at riverfrontcats@yahoo.com.

 Thank you for helping Tobi and Candi!! Together, we can find them a home!!!!

Riverfront Cats is now part of BISSELL’s Partners for Pet

Riverfront Cats is proud to be a Partner for Pets! BISSELL and LostPetUSA.net have teamed up to help organizations like ours raise money, and now you can help too!  When you purchase pet products on bissell.com and enter the code ADOPT at checkout, a portion of your purchase will be donated to our organization!

·       Shop pet products on www.bissell.com
·       Enter the code ADOPT at checkout
·       Then select our organization!

It's that simple! If you want to learn more about Bissell Partner for Pets Program please visit www.bissell.com/partnersforpets.

We Are Now Proud Members of Good Search

 Riverfront Cats is a now a proud member of GoodSearch.com, a company that helps non-profits like ours raise funds through the everyday actions of our supporters. Every time you use a GoodSearch service, they donate approximately half of the revenue they make to the non-profit you’ve designated. Here is a short video on how it works: http://www.goodsearch.com/getstarted.aspx?viewType=RV

Here is how you can help:

Go to www.goodsearch.com and register by clicking the "get started" button. While you're filling out your information, it will ask you to select a cause, here you type "Riverfront Cats" and select it.

1. Use GoodSearch.com when you search the internet – they will donate a penny to us every time you do

2. Use GoodShop.com when you shop online – they work with more than 2,500 major brands, have over 100,000 coupons and donate a percentage of every purchase you make to us.

3. Enroll in the GoodDining.com program - they will donate up to 6% of every dollar you spend when you eat at one of 10,000 participating restaurants

We’d like to begin building our presence on GoodSearch.com. Please join our community on GoodSearch.com and help us raise money for our mission.

Update on Leroy, the amputee

"So this is how humans live.
Didn't take long to get used this comfy, soft, ant-free, non concrete bedding."

We have an update on Leroy, the outdoor community black cat that lost his back hind leg.  His recuperation is going smoothly and he's adjusting to living indoors.  Leroy is certainly enjoying sleeping on a cool, not humid, soft human bed instead of hard, hot concrete.

"... but I miss climbing and running.
These condos don't have any trees or lumber piles like my old backyard."

But there's more good news!  Our volunteer Sabrina has decided to keep him along with her three other cats.  It was evident Leroy was in shock from both losing his leg and adjusting to a new environment. Often for cats a strange environment is more stressful than losing a limb. Given that Leroy was comfortable with Sabrina and allowed her and other volunteers to pet and hold him, we knew finding him a new home would cause additional stress.  So for now, he's happy.

We are still collecting donations to pay off the credit card bill for his treatment and surgery ($2,600). No amount is too small or large. We are extremely grateful for any amount whether it's $20 or $200 or $2000. Simply click the button on the right.

Aside from losing his leg, Leroy is a healthy cat and exhibits signs of curiosity and adventure.  He clearly misses climbing trees and running around. Exercise is important for all pets to prevent obesity and other health complications.  A cat tree would be ideal where he can climb easily and use his three limbs in a limited environment like his condo. If anyone would like to donate a cat tower here are a couple that would fit in his new home. Please email us for an address  riverfrontcats@yahoo.com.

These happy endings keeps us going in this tough line of work. Everyday we receive emails and calls of residents finding kittens, someone having to give up their pet cat, an elderly person who has passed and loved ones struggle to find homes for their pets...So we revel in these few victories, these precious moments.

Purchase the Espresso Lotus Cat Tower here  

Purchase cat tree resort here

Thank you for your support. Thank you for caring.
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We're a Petties Finalist! Please remember to vote daily until July 31 in the Petties to help us win an award and a donation. This will help us pay Leroy's vet bill and save more stray, feral and black cats!

Here are the three categories to vote for to help us win!

• Riverfront Cats - Best Cause Blog
• Riverfront Cats - Best Blog Post
• Zee & Zoey - Best Designed Blog (Deb Barnes has selected our nonprofit to receive the donation).

Here is the link to log in and vote. 

http://petties.dogtime.com/login