Elvis is Dead

Dear Neighbors,

With a heavy heart I report that Elvis is dead and Bobbsie is missing for several weeks and is presumed dead. Elvis was the only white and black cat and was the most shy of all the cats. He was found dead by one of the volunteers on SW 3rd Street.  We don't know the cause but perhaps he suffered internal injuries from being run over by a vehicle. Drivers race like speed demons on that road.

Bobby's brother, Bobbsie, has been missing for weeks and is presumed dead. He was a soft gray colored cat. He mostly resided by the alley or the "cat resort" which is the paved area on the east side of the bridge.

This is the life of street cats.

At the same time, SIX new black cats have joined the neighborhood. They are about a year old and could be Johnny Walker' siblings.  They do not appear to be social with humans and will have to be trapped for sterilization and live outside.  Therefore I will be contacting the Master Association for their financial contribution. Please click here on my efforts to get Riverfront Association involved.

Please consider donating cat food for our Riverfront cats or make a small financial contribution so we may buy cat food and flea/tick/heartworm/parasite medication which is added to their food.

For Financial donation, please use PayPal and send to riverfrontcats@yahoo.com.

THANK YOU.
Christine Michaels
Lead Volunteer, Riverfront Cats

ASPCA provides Grant to MDAS

The ASPCA will provide Miami-Dade County with a grant of $139,000 to help at-risk and homeless cats and dogs.

Dear Neigbhors,
Southern Florida, especially Miami, continues to face huge challenges in tackling the crisis of homeless pets. But Big Brother has stepped in. Below is the press release announcing that the reputable and highly recognized ASPCA will provide a grant to the Miami Dade Animal Services where record numbers of unwanted pets are dropped off everyday and most are put to sleep. There aren't enough resources to tackle this issue. Soon I will send the email of the mayor and county commissioners where you can voice your concern and ask government to work with all the rescue organizations and media to raise awareness and help save many adoptable, healthy pets from euthanasia.

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The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently announced that it will provide Miami-Dade County with a grant to provide positive outcomes for Miami-Dade’s at-risk and homeless cats and dogs.

Totaling $139,000, the grant is part of the ASPCA Partnership launched in October 2010. The ASPCA Partnership organizations include Miami-Dade Animal Services, the Humane Society of Greater Miami and The Cat Network. Miami-Dade County was chosen for its leadership and strong, collaborative infrastructure.

“The purpose of the ASPCA Partnership is to reach out to those communities that need our help the most,” Ed Sayres, ASPCA president and CEO, says. “The Miami-Dade community faces a number of challenges, specifically an overpopulation of at-risk animals and a municipal shelter that is over capacity, but if the partners and community work together, we can continue the lifesaving trend and improve the lives of the county’s homeless dogs and cats.”

The grant will help the partner agencies by: improving shelter medicine protocols; fine-tuning agency operations; enlisting veterinary medicine professionals to help identify areas for improvement in the spay and neuter clinic; adding special adoption events for the coming seasons; funding a staff position to increase the number of lost pets reunited with their owners; and investing funds in the form of additional grants so that successful programs can continue to impact the future.

“More animals were adopted in Miami-Dade in 2010 than ever before, but our success continues to pale in comparison to our challenges,” Dr. Sara Pizano, director of Miami-Dade Animal Services, says.  “We are looking forward to launching improved programs and protocols in 2011 that will increase adoptions, reunite a greater number of lost pets with owners, and increase spay and neuter opportunities for the 37,000 animals expected to enter area shelters this year.”

Since the ASPCA began its Partner Community program in 2007, close to one million animals have been adopted, returned to owners, or spay or neutered as a result of the exceptional collaboration among partner agencies in each community.

For more information, visit the ASPCA’s website.

Christine's Meeting with Riverfront Association

Dear Neighbors,

This is to update you on my efforts to educate the Riverfront Association about the Riverfront Cats and to get them involved in this community effort.  We have witnessed the millions of dollars spent on new brick pavers, landscaping including new palm trees, shrubbery and flowers. Obviously this is to turn around  the once eyesoar exterior and increase property values. I'm sure we all appreciate this beautification.

To provide a little background, last summer I left several telephone messages for the developer, Inigo Ardid of Key International to meet with me so I may share the effects of the cats on our community and the solutions to ensure they live humanely alongside residents.  My calls were never returned. I also sent NUMEROUS emails to the property manager, Lori, of The Wind, to forward my emails to Inigo and the Riverfront Association. I never received a response. 

To give them a third and final opportunity to express whether they are genuinely concerned about the community at large and not just money, I went up to Inigo Ardid one morning when I was on my way to work and told him I have been trying to reach him for a meeting. He referred me to Fabie Varona, new property manager for The Mint condominium.

I then proceeded to email Fabie to hold a brief meeting. She then passed me onto her assistant.  Telltale signs indeed. While briefly discouraged at being repeatedly "passed on", I am also persistent.  I gladly accepted the meeting with her assistant Susana Liera on December 16, 2010.

Essentially I am asking the Riverfront Association to add a budget line item to assist in controlling the cat population. I have spent thousands of dollars in the initial efforts but can no longer continue by myself. I started the ball rolling and have successfully recruited other volunteers to help feed the cats daily. $500 a year is a "nickel in the bucket" for the association given what they spend on other operational costs. This will help ensure the cat population does not keep growing. We the volunteers will continue to coordinate the trappings/sterilization of new cats, if the Association would pay for it. The volunteers continue to pay for the food out of their own pockets.  It's about teamwork! 

Below is a copy of the email I sent to Susana to "recap our meeting".  I will keep you posted of the progress.
CHRISTINE

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Susana,

Thank you for your time Friday. It was a pleasure to meet you and to be able to share the facts and efforts in addressing the Riverfront Cats that affect our community. Most people know little to nothing about outdoor stray cats. As I mentioned, South Florida is facing a record high number of homeless pets and I wanted to help prevent downtown Miami from facing the crisis that Miami Beach is currently struggling with. Therefore, I'm glad to help educate the community to mitigate any concerns and complaints.

I just wanted to recap some important points:

1- There will always be cats on the property. Stray cats are ubiquitous for this section of downtown for a number of reasons. Even if all the current cats "packed their bags and went on extended vacation", a new colony would take it's place. This section  has all the ingredients for breeding new colonies.   Therefore I recommend containing the current cats which is manageable and not costly if we all contribute.

2- The Master Association can choose to help contain the number of cats as I have done, or ignore the situation and have 100+ cats run amok as we see in many parts of Miami Beach. If the association chooses the former, I also propose that we start to reach out to  neighboring businesses. We could become the model example of how to address the issue responsibly and successfully!

3- While I personally love animals, having excessive number of cats on a property is never a good idea.

4- Taking the cats to Animal Services means killing them (While they are healthy, these type of cats are NOT adoptable which means they would be put to sleep). Given the growing community support for our efforts, and the amount of money, hard work and commitment by residents, this is NOT an option.

5- Relocation is NOT an option as it is illegal under Florida law. There are no cat sanctuaries in South Florida. Taking them to Oleta State Park or any state park is 100% illegal.

6- I am happy to continue to monitor the situation but can no longer finance the spaying and neutering of new strays on top of feeding them. I am asking for the association's involvement. A simple budget line item of $500 a year should cover the sterilization of any strays that eventually make Riverfront their home. What's $500 out of 1,000 current units? a couple of dollars a year?

7- Any complaint by residents may not be legitimate. The fact that a dog may want to go after a cat is not legitimate complaint in the opinion of most responsible pet owners.  This could be interpreted that the dog owner needs to control their dog. There would be far more complaints from residents who know these cats are taken care of responsibly in following guidelines and philosophy of organizations such as  the Cat Network of South Florida, the Humane Society of the US.

8- The cats are both Riverfront pets (pets to all of us) and pets of the environment. They are like birds. They come and go.

  

Whoever financed the new palm trees and brick pavers could EASILY help with the cats. $500 is a nickel in the bucket compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on aesthetic improvements. I just received an email announcing that Starwood properties awarded monies to  local charities.  Well this effort affects both an investment and a charity effort. It's a no brainer! 

I would be more than happy to meet with Inigo, or Starwood Properties or future board. But the sooner the better to keep up efforts of containing the number of cats. This does not take an Act of Congress and could be resolved quickly!

Thank you again for your time Susana.

Wishing you a Merry, Merry Christmas!

Christine Michaels

www.riverfrontcats.com

Meet Johnny Walker

There's a new cat in town and his name is Johnny Walker.

One Sunday, when I was late in feeding the cats around 8:30pm, I jumped out of  my car and the car wash guys at The Wind exclaimed, "Thank God you arrived, it's cat pandemonium here!".  He explained there were cats up and down that streetfare awaiting something. I replied with profuse apologies that I had to work late and it was my turn to feed the cats. Hence I was late. Then suddenly this black cat ran up to me, begging for attention and affection. This was NOT Romeo or Zorro, the only two big black cats. This newcomer was much smaller but not a kitten.

Stunned, I asked the cat "Who are you?"  The second he allowed me to easily pick him up, I knew he was accustomed to humans.  Luckily for this black cat, he crossed my path!

Soon I noticed that the Riverfront cats did not welcome him (as expected) and kept attacking him. But this little guy would not take "no" for an answer and was fighting back.  He was determined to eat and find a comfortable home.  Good for him. Except he still has a couple of scar wounds to prove it.

Noticing his smooth stride, his friendly demeanor, and willingness to walk to you when called, I was on a mission to capture him and get him off the streets for good!

Johnny Walker is about 10 months old, he's undergoing treatment for ridding any internal parasites and tested negative for Feline Aids and Leukemia. Today he was neutered and is recovering nicely.  He should be ready for adoption in about one week!

This cat is special. His calm demeanor and easy glide have rightfully earned him his name, (although the Whiskey brand is spelled with an "ie" Johnnie).  He's not as playful for a young cat which means he may not have had siblings or he's just one cool cat who takes life easy.  Also he does not scratch furniture like most cats, only the single scratching post in my home.  But that could change. Time will tell.

In general I have found that black cats are more like dogs, very affectionate and  trainable.  Johnny Walker is special. Unfortunately I can not keep him but I'm doing my part to save one life, another life off the streets.

Look at him! He's absolutely gorgeous!
If you are interested in adopting Johnny Walker, contact Alicia at 786-205-6165 or email her at riverfrontcats@yahoo.com

Tails up!

Santa Paws Photo Event

Tis the season to prepare for Christmas. There's the Christmas tree, decorations and of course the Christmas cards (skip the impersonal e-card and give a card!) and of course photos with Santa!

Now your pets can join in the festivities by getting a photo with Santa at the PetSmart in Midtown Miami.  This includes dogs, cats, iguanas, birds, you name it! For $9.95 you will receive a digital photo of your pet with Santa and an exlcusive holiday frame. This means you can scan the photo for other uses!

It's happening every weekend until Christmas so don't delay!
Times: 11am-4pm

$5 of every photo package will be donated to local adoption programs. So take the dog for joy ride in your car and to his/her favorite store and take the photo and you'll be helping homeless dogs and cats find homes!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Fellow Animal Lover:

It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is now upon us! It is the time of year that we give thanks for all that we have received and we renew our hopes of doing more than we already do today.

This year the Riverfront Cats are all happy and healthy thanks to the resident volunteers at the Wind and Ivy. Each day the 17 cats are fed proper amounts of food so no food is leftover to attract ants or flies. Even after lingering rain showers, the volunteers never fail to feed the cats, even if they have to go out at midnight. Thankfully no new cats have joined the Riverfront colony. Sadly we lost one cat to an unprovoked dog attack earlier in the year. The dog was asked to wear a muzzle for everyone's protection. 

More recently, a new cat bore a litter of three kittens across the street on 3rd Street. Thanks once again to the sacrifice and effort of Christine Michaels, lead volunteer, she rescued the two friendly adoptable brothers and found them loving homes.

With your help, we can continue to feed the cats, ensure they are healthy and not suffering from any illnesses or injuries. As you plan to feast with friends and/or family this Thanksgiving, won't you consider donating cat food to help our volunteers and the community? Most of the food is paid for out of the pockets of the volunteers. It adds up quickly.

Please click here on how you can help.

Wishing you and your family a beautiful Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.

Alicia Grecco

Holiday Pet Dangers

Thanksgiving and Christmas are joyous holidays but at the same time they can be dangerous for our pets if we're not careful.

The last thing any pet owner wants to do on Thanksgiving is rush their pet to the animal emergency room!  But, the truth is that many pets are injured or poisoned during this time of the year. How can you make sure your holiday doesn’t end in disaster?

• A small amount of white turkey is an acceptable treat but definitely avoid the turkey skin and the turkey bones!  The skin is often fatty and can cause pets to develop pancreatitis.
• Poultry bones, especially cooked, have potential to both break off and cause a perforation of the digestive tract or, if large amounts are consumed, could cause an obstruction.
• Other foods to avoid include:  grapes and raisins, excessively salty foods, foods flavored with onion or garlic powder, desserts and sweets containing Xylitol, and chocolates.
• All leftovers should be secured behind a pet-proof door.
• Remember, keep your trash can secure.  Many items used in the meal preparation and then thrown away can be dangerous.  A turkey string, foil wrappers, etc. may smell like food and be eaten by a curious pet.
• Decorative plants are also a source of danger. Mistletoe and holly can cause vomiting and lilies are often deadly to cats. Poinsettas, despite their reputation, are not deadly and often cause little more than mild stomach upset.
• Some holiday decorations are also dangerous. Ribbons and tinsel are especially attractive and hazardous to cats. Keep an eye on electrical cords to ensure puppies and kittens don’t chew on them.
• During family gatherings, it might be best to keep pets confined if they are overly anxious. Also, monitor people going in and out of the front door. Pets might take advantage and try to escape.
• Remember that Knowles Animal Clinc is open 24-7 during the holiday weekend. The address is 1000 NW 27th Avenue.

Kittens, Smirnov and Stoli

Update:  BOTH KITTENS WERE ADOPTED!

These two kittens were found across the street in the empty fenced-in lot on 3rd Street. And now they need a loving home!

They are brothers and six months old. Smirnov is the Russian Blue and his brother Stoli, is the brown tabby.

Smirnov is all Russian-- intelligent, handsome with his short clean cut look, the blue-gray fur like a luxurious coat straight out of Dr. Zhivago, stoic and penetrating green eyes leave you mesmerized. For fun, Smirnov hunts for invisible creatures and then bounces around in a wild bunny hop. All he's missing is the vodka.


Smirnov



His brother on the other hand may have been nursed with vodka. His paws clumsily grab at dangling objects unable to pin them down.  A timid kitten, he peaks around the door watching his brother take a big step into unknown, wide space--the living room. An object moves and Stoli quickly scurries under the bed. His small round baby face is so endearing, he welcomes the cradling, the cooing, and the endless scratching of his head or belly rubs.  Stoli wants to be a kitten forever. 

These kittens need a loving home. They are both deflead, dewormed, received blood test, vaccinated and neutered.  You can adopt either kitten for only $75.00 or make their day and adopt both brothers for only $85.00. Any vet would charge $250 just to neuter them! If you adopt both kittens, you'll receive A GIFT BASKET that includes not one but two luxurious cat pet beds, premium cat food both moist and dry food, and the ASPCA cat handbook! Retail value for gift basket is $65.00.

According to cat experts, it's better to adopt two cats than one. They are happy and healthier when they have a playmate and are less likely to destroy your home. They are complete opposite but understand and love eachother.

If interested, please call Christine at 786-205-6165..

P.S. the mother is a new cat on the block but she does not reside where the Riverfront cats live by main entrance. The mother needs to be spayed before she gets pregnant again! To donate to this effort, please call or email Christine! Remember this is not the job of Animal Services or Humane Society. It's our responsibility--the community's responsibility. Click here to learn more.

Feral Cats Live Healthy Outdoors

Recently and  ironically, a well known animal organization, PETA, believes in trapping and euthanizing feral cats.

First "feral" cats are essentially cats that do not socialize with humans. However, they can still be fed by local volunteers and live just as healthily as indoor cats.

Another well-recognized organization, Alley Cat Allies, spoke out against PETA's claims. Here is a link to their website that explains the science behind feral cats.

The general public knows very little about cats, less about homeless cats, and even less about feral cats. Please share this posting with all your contacts. Thank you!

Update--new kittens discovered

It has been awhile since I walked by the empty lot on 3rd Street where Alfonso, a homeless man, used to "live". As I walked by I  noticed not one, not two, but three older kittens. Oh no!!! How could I neglect this section where cats could easily hide and give birth?! Well, the reason is obvious, Alfonso had amassed a literal mountain of trash that was so repulsive I would get nauseous at the sight alone not counting the eery spiders and record-size cockroaches.

Immediately I noticed the kittens were already 5-6 months old. THIS IS BAD NEWS. This means the females can get pregnant any minute! Oh cat goddess help me!

What to do? Well one positive aspect of Alfonso living on the lot, is that he had been feeding the cats dry cat food. So the kittens were used to getting close to humans. After the City of Miami evicted Alfonso for trespassing on private property, I took over the feedings with permission from the owner.
In total I counted two females and two males.  This means the Riverfront condos could have 20-50 cats within a year! In addition to the 17 that live on or around the property.  (How? Each female can give birth three times year to a litter of one to seven kittens). I witnessed this last year and rescued every kitten! But I can not do it alone anymore.

With expenditures averaging $150+ a month just to feed the regular colony of 17 cats, and the countless hours and sacrificing many nights feeding the cats, our three volunteers have limits. It was time to alert the association and educate them in order to effect a community-action plan to stop the cat population from exploding and reaching crisis proportions as they are experiencing in Miami Beach.

Sadly, after two months of sending emails via a middle person (no one will give me contact information), the Master Association of the IVY and WIND and MINT have yet to return any of my messages to just set up a meeting.

Residents witness the hurried exterior improvements such as brick pavers, the rows of palm trees and shrubbery, and new fencing costing a few million dollars. Why won't the association set aside 20 minutes to address an  "exterior feature" that will affect the neighborhood? I have offered a win-win-win solution  for the residents, the cats, and the assocation. Could it be that the three individuals on the board are not animal people? Possible. Also the cost to sterilize 5 cats is $70 each. $350 is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions spent on "aesthetic" improvements.

Given the urgency of the situation, I will make a final attempt to reach out to the association before turning to the media for help.

Here's hoping for the best.
Christine