A self heating winter shelter from cats: New Mexico is calling

As the city councillor responsible for the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee I have had many people reach out to me over the years. A case in point is Keith Stout form Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Keith  recently  made a video about building a self heating winter shelter for cats. Its design is based on the Arctic igloo, which is known for its legendary thermal protection of natives. The Kitty Igloo can be built with just $3, three common tools, and 25 minutes' labor.  "No skills are needed to build a Kitty Igloo," Keith assures us. "Almost anyone of any age can build one."

We are fortunate in CSL to have Aldo  Fernando and Ingrid Hings on our team. Ingrid acquires styrofoam boxes and Aldo turns them into little cat condos, which many good people in our community use to house outdoor cats who cannot be socialized.

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Take a look at Keith's video. 

Beautiful Lady Tia is looking for a home

Members of  our committee have been spending some time at the Côte St. Luc Hospital for Animals lately to help socialize a beautiful five month old tabby kitten named Princess Tia. Well the good news is this feline is ready to be adopted. When Cindy the technician handed Tia to our committee member she went right into her arms and then transferred to her lap. Her fur is soft as silk and she was very gentle. This cat will make someone a great pet.

Princess Tia, on her own, climbed on my shoulder. The perfect pet for someone indeed.

If you are interested please call the Côte St. Luc Hospital for Animals at 514-489-6845.

Princess Tia sits comfortably on the lap of our committee member.

Four cats looking for homes

Shelley Schecter, Chairman of the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee and president of Educhat, has stories about three beautiful cats looking for homes to share.

This is Lorenzo.  He has been limping around since the summer.  A determined woman finally trapped him a couple of days ago.  After being seen by the vet, it was determined that one of his toes had to be amputated. At the same time,  he was castrated, vaccinated and de-wormed.  He is about 2-3 years old.  He is now living at one of our volunteers homes  while he recuperates.  He is on pain killers and antibiotics but will be ready to go into a forever home in two weeks time. He is very friendly, loving and very appreciative of  being taken off the street. Please put your efforts into finding a good solid home for Lorenzo.  Someone who understands that taking in a cat is a commitment for the life of the cat.

We are counting on all your efforts to find Lorenzo a forever home.

This is Rose.  Yes, it is hard to see her.  She rolls over when you try to take her picture. She has a bit of Persian in her and a bit of that 'Persian Attitude' as well.  She was found outside a woman who is a Holocaust survivor.  The woman begged us to find a home for Rose as when she sees the homeless cats, she thinks of her time in the camps when she had no food. Rose is a mixture of black, brown and grey. She has been spayed, vaccinated and de-wormed. She is ready to go into a forever home with someone who will not throw her away like her previous guardian.

This is Frieda, She was found in St. Henri.  She is another cat who has been dumped or lost and is completely tame. She has a bit of an attitude and is a bit independent,  but still a very nice cat. She is vaccinated, spayed, and de-wormed and needs a forever home and someone who appreciates what a wonderful cat she is. Do you know anyone who can open their home and heart to Frieda?

This is  Tuxeto. He is barely a  year old. He came from a house with three children, ages 5, 8 and 10. He is very sweet and friendly.  The boy and father seem to have developed allergies. He is vaccinated, neutered and de-wormed.  He is with me in the country and is fine with other cats. He would be great for a young family or really any who wants a nice companion.

 If you are interested please email shelleyschecter@gmail.com.

Some more cats available for adoption

It is getting very cold outside, yet there are still poor homeless cats roaming the streets. The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee, with our limited resources and a very small volunteer team, do our best to try and find  people who are willing to adopt or foster these beautiful animals. Here is our latest update.

This black kitten has a sibling that looks identical. We are fostering him right now. He will make a great pet.

 This beauty was found on Hudson Avenue in CSL with no collar or microchip. We placed an ad in  The Gazette and continue to spread the word, but no owner has come forward. Our foster mom says he is an absolute delight, friendly, neutered..and if nobody claims him we will look for a new owner.

These six babies were found, with their mom, in the backyard of a CSL home. The kids took them in and their mother called us. We had them placed at the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals and they have all been adopted.

The mom of the kittens is absolutely delightful and affectionate. We hope the family that found her and the kittens will adopt her.

This female tabby  was eager to climb on to the chair.

This male tucked himself comfortably in the corner of the room.

This beautiful female also  selected a good spot.

The three kittens above are the latest to arrive at the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals. Members of our committee have begun the process of socializing them so they can be adopted.

Five beautiful cats available for adoption

There are five beautiful cats presently available for adoption at the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals. They have each been vaccinated and neutered. Here are their descriptions:

Rosie

White long hair female who came to the Vet via the CSL Cats Committee’ Trap Neuter Release (TNR) Program  in 2012. She is approximately four years old and spayed. She was adopted in 2013, but her new owner unfortunately developed an allergy and had to bring her back. She was excellent in their home and a wonderful companion, but she does not play well with others and would be better in a home with no other pets.

Martine

Black and white short hair female who was brought in by  a client in

January 2014 (she had had kittens on his roof). She is approximately three

years old and spayed. Her kittens were adopted and she has remains

with the vet. Martine is very affectionate and gets along well with cats

and dogs.

Solo

Tabby and white long hair male cat who came in through the TNR program

in 2010. He is castrated and about eight years old. Solo is a climber and loves cardboard scratching posts! He is excellent with both cats and dogs, but has a history of urinary

crystals and will require a specialized diet for life (urinary S/O).

Lita

Black short haired female cat who was left by her owner because their

other cat was attacking her. She is seven years old and spayed. Lita gets

along well with cats and dogs and is affectionate on her terms.

 Vito

Black short haired male who was brought the Vet a kitten with his siblings

to be adopted. He is a year old and castrated. Vito is full of energy

and very curious. He plays very well with both cats and dogs.

If you are interested in adopting any of these cats please call 514-489-6845.

Three cats available for adoption

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee has three cats available for adoption:  a four month old polydactyl kitten we have named Dumbo,  who is already quite sociable and just about ready to go into a loving home; Lucy, Dumbo's mom; and Edna, two years old who is sweet, calm and gets along very well with dogs and other cats  Both females have been spayed and vaccinated. Please email mcohen@cotesaintluc.org if you are interested.

Dumbo

Lucy

Edna

Third benefit concert to feature Musicians of the World Orchestra on Tuesday, August 26th in CSL

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC), established less than four years ago, will hold a fundraising concert on Tuesday, August 26 (7:30 p.m.) at the former Wagar High School (5785 Parkhaven).  Featured performers will be the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Milo.

Funds raised from  The Music We Love: Best of the Classics –  the Cat’s Meow will go towards the CSLCC’s Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program and Educhat, the volunteer organization headed by Shelley Schecter, which has spearheaded efforts in Côte Saint-Luc and elsewhere. There are many feral cats in the community. The CSLCC’s team of volunteers sets out to trap as many as possible, have them sterilized and then adopted or returned to the spot where they were originally found. The committee has also rescued a number of  kittens and found homes for them. The city’s first ever cat licensing bylaw was adopted last fall.

This year’s concert will be held in the memory of former Mayor Bernard Lang, who passed away recently.  Mayor Lang was a cat lover and attended meetings of the CSLCC. For many years he and his wife Miriam kept hungry homeless cats nourished. The CSLCC will also honour Diane Liebling for her extraordinary efforts in fostering so many homeless cats.

Councillor Mike Cohen, who is the city’s official liaison to the committee, notes that the concert will be an opportunity for people who love animals to enjoy an evening of fine music while contributing to a good cause. In addition to the Orchestra,   soprano Brigitte O’Halleran will perform.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 by conductor  Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky. This one of a kind orchestra was formed when it was discovered that a great pool of professional musicians, recently immigrated to Montreal, had no opportunity to make use of their valuable talent in their new home. The MWSO was created, not only to provide these new Canadians with the opportunity to engage in their main passion; making beautiful music in an orchestral setting, but to give them back the professional dignity they had enjoyed in their homelands and most especially, to share their wonderful talents with the music lovers of Montreal.

The MWSO is composed of 55 musicians: about 80 percent of its members are from 15 countries around the world, while the remaining 20 percent are natives of Montreal who successfully facilitated the integration of the newcomers. To date, the orchestra has entertained Montreal audiences with over 30 performances, including several benefit concerts as well as having produced several recordings. The orchestra has also been selected as the subject of four documentary films. They have been rehearsing at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall for many years and as part of the arrangement, they agree to perform a free concert once a year. The CSL Cats Committee  and Educhat are  the 2014 beneficiaries.

Tickets are only $10 each (tax included) and can be purchased now at the following locations: the main desk at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library (5851 Cavendish Boulevard); the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Parkhaven Avenue); the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals (7930 Baily Road) and  at Global Pet Foods (5326 Queen Mary Road).

Tickets can be purchased at the first two locations by credit and debit card or cash and cash only at the Animal Hospital and Global Pet Foods.

Councillors Cohen and Sam Goldbloom note  that information will be available that night for people interested in possibly joining the committee or adopting a cat.

Global Pet Foods and Steve’s Music Store are sponsors of this event. The committee wishes to thank Jacques Monfette and his staff at the Marymount Adult Education Centre for their cooperation.

For more information call 514-485-6806, ext. 2200 or log on to www.cotesaintluc.org/cats.

Edna and Henri: two young cats need homes

We have two more cats available for adoption and being fostered by a member of the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee.

Edna is two years old while Henri is a year old. Both are sweet and socialized.  They would make great pets. Email mcohen@cotesaintluc.org if you are interested. Two of our four kittens presently at the Côte St. Luc Hospital for Animals are being adopted.

Sweet Edna

Henri

Four adorable kittens looking for a home

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee has placed four adorable female kittens, seven weeks old as of this writing, at the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals. They have been given their shots, are in perfect health and at the appropriate time we will cover the cost of their sterilizations. We were called by a family on Davies Avenue. They were feeding these babies, whose mother was nowhere to be seen.

In their cage at the Vet calm as can be.

I joined some members of our Socialization Committee to take the kittens out of their cage and let them run around one of the examining rooms at the "Vet." At first these tiny things seemed a bit intimidated by their new visitors, curling up in the corner of the room. However, they let us hold them without squirming. Matt the technician brought us some toys and in no time at all they were bouncing around the room, passing the rattle ball to each other.What amazing pets these kitties will make.

If you have room in your home for at least one of theme, please let us know. It is not such a bad idea to have a few sisters living together as well.
 

Email mcohen@cotesaintluc.org if you are interested in paying a visit first. Three are grey and one  black.

Annual Cat's Meow Concert featuring the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra

Gorgeous kittens looking for homes

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee has these gorgeous kitten (five weeks old as of May 22)  to find homes for. They will be ready for adoption in early June. There are nine here (one is camera shy). One black one  is already spoken for. The nine kitties are from two sisters. They had their babies at the same time and cared for them together. A woman who is a cat feeder found them under her porch. They are being care for and socialized by our volunteer and her daughters.They will be vaccinated and de-wormed and ready for forever homes in one week. Let us know at mcohen@cotesaintluc.org or call Diane at 514-481-8966.

A preview of the 2014 CSL Cats Meow Concert?

The  Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee is pleased to announce that our 2014 fundraising concert featuring the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra will take place on Tuesday evening, August 26 at the former Wagar High School.

Would orchestra conductor Joseph Milo consider this type of participation from a feline?