Amber & Rudy

Have you ever been passed over for a job, recognition, a raise, anything just because you weren't cute or young.

It happens to Amber and Rudy everyday. They are not kittens and are passed over everyday. They are mother and son and were abandoned in an alley, ironically on Good Friday. 


Amber, the mother cat


Thankfully they were rescued and nurtured together by loving angel, a rescue volunteer. Over the months, the little boy has grown up to be quite a big kitty, that he attracts attention with his gorgeous lion's mane. And he's as gentle as a lamb. Mama cat, Amber, used to be apprehensive of strangers. She remembered it was humans that left her and her baby to die. But Amber has come a long way but she is sad.




Rudy, the son, behind glass case

 Formerly, showcased at the cat adoption center at the PetSmart in Coral Gables, customers pointed to her son Rudy, smiling, amazed. But then their attention turns to the kittens. One by one, kittens are held, swaddled, cooed and played with.  Amber and Rudy are passed over once again, already forgotten.

 

"Will we ever be adopted?"


There is a great advantage in adopting an adult cat. You know their personality, disposition. Not everyone wants a rambanctious kitten that grows up and tears up the house. Amber and Rudy are well-mannered and Rudy loves to be held, have his hair brushed, climb and play! Don't forget he's young!

"I'm definitely not a kitten! But I'm lovable!"



"There goes another kitten getting adopted.
I wonder what is a 'home'?"



"Look at me! I really am cute!"


 Both mother and son must be adopted together. Breaking their bond would be emotional damaging. The adoption fee is $150 for both. They are spayed and neutered, bloodtested, vaccinated and microchipped! You would easily pay over $500 for all these procedures at any veterinarian. Through the Cat Network, we are a non profit organization that's not about making profit.  It's about savings lives, making it affordable to adopt, and bringing you a new love in your life.

This mother and son will fill your home with love and Rudy is quite the attention-getter and conversation piece.  Come visit these special cats, pet them, talk to them, play with them. You will fall in love! Please contact foster mother, Maria 786-873-9143.

Thank you for saving not one but two lives!

Klepto Kitty

This one is currently spanning nationwide news. Dusty the kleptomaniac kitty. He has stolen over 600 items in six years. Cats are so clever!

Black Cat gives Thumbs Up

In the tradition of cute/ridiculous animal things, we present one video that defines both words with ease. This cat appears to have the opposable thumbs every other cat in the universe is lacking, and at about 13 seconds in totally looks like he (Jimmy) is giving a thumbs up sign. Watch and be amazed, and make sure you stay for the bonus "thumbs down" sign at the 00:31 mark. Didn't we say black cats were special!

No Response from Master Assoc.

Update August 1, 2011: Still no response from Master Association.

Dear Residents,

It's quite sad that no one from the Master Association has returned my emails (three emails have been sent) or telephone calls. Click here to read email recapping my meeting with the assistant to Riverfront Association.

Please know that I walked the neighborhood and discovered  more stray cats which was no surprise. So I turned to the association and suggested a budget of $1,000 to spay/neuter any new strays for year 2011. What is $1,000 divided among 1,500 units? 66 cents a unit! They have spent millions of dollars on landscaping and anti-earth friendly tar for our roads but zero for the animals that live here. That are inherent part of this land.

What does this say? As many of you have indicated "they only care about money". Perhaps so.  But what is astounding is that this issue IS also about money. Imagine had residents volunteers not done anything two years ago to spay/neuter the cats. This property would have had 100 cats easily. The Master Association would have had to spend far more monies per cat to "remove" them which means to send them to their death.

This is the difficulty we (true animal lovers) face in trying to educate a community. Many just don't care. If the Riverfront Association wants hundreds of cats to run amok...

Who are the players?

•  Key International (original developer; still heavily involved in outside association)
•  ST Residential     (new asset management company overseeing the master association & the MINT)
•  Starwood Capital (invested millions for the exterior improvements)

Christine Michaels

Counter Protest Against MDAS




Maria Gonzalez demonstrates another solution to the shelter problem.
Organizers did not agree and screamed at her with blowhorns

 

On February 15, a woman by the alias "Rose Bloom" organized a protest against  Miami Dade Animal Services and demanded that the director, Dr. Sara Pizano resign. They claimed conditions were not acceptable for the animals. While animal advocates all agree conditions need to improve, many other volunteers with reputable organizations also support Dr. Pizano who has made notable progress. Christine Michaels had the opportunity to attend and protest the protest.

Click here to read Elinor Brecher's article in the  Miami Herald. According to Christine...

I had the opportunity to attend and speak in defense of Dr. Pizano. Some protestors just have no civility. It's disturbing to me how simple facts are grossly distorted. To show their ignorance, one protester approached a fellow volunteer stating that we (Cat Network) "don't take in black cats". Can you believe that! As if we cat loving folks discriminate against black cats. Apparently they didn't know WE organized the Black Cat gala to increase awareness and adoptions!

I was quoted at the end of the article but was not fully quoted. For clarification, "I agree with the protest's goals of demanding government provide more funding for the shelter." But I do not agree or can stomach extremist tactics such as those by No Kill Nation members on a Facebook page for this protest.  The comment by Amy Restucci on Facebook that I don't believe Auschwitz occurred was beyond disturbing on many levels.  Other protesters were starting to see their true colors. Shame on No Kill for using jihadist-like rhetoric.

I am proud to be a member of Cat Network that truly cares about animals first!




Sallie Byrd (former director of Humane Society) and Christine Michaels (Cat Network)



Charlene shares a positive solution of teamwork
Organizers of protest yelled at her "Traitor"

Rescue organizations believe there is more than one solution.

Photographer Helps Homeless Pets

To all my fellow animal rescue volunteers. Here's a great story and lesson on the need to take quality photos to increase your adoptions. Find a friend, neighbor or anyone with a digital camera. Take lots of photos and remember to take the photo at same level as pet!

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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!