Winter arrives and Vannie turns 5 years old (Amazon donors, please read)

Today I went out to feed the Fast Food Ferals. I brought along a shovel to deal with our 5 inches of snow.

As the years pass, one sometimes wonders if there are still cats out there--or are we feeding only raccoons and muskrats? The arrival of snow brings answers. Yes there are cats. At least one cat:



After shoveling a path and filling the bowl at the feeding station, I went to the car to fetch a bag of food to fill the on-site can so Kat would have kibble for the cats this week. When I returned, I saw a cat on the other side of the cat bridge.

It was Vannie. One of the Origicats.




In 2003 when I took on this colony, I was pretty broke. Well, "broke" is the story of my life, but I was not only broke then, I had promised all the businesses on the north side of Route 13 that I would fix all of these cats on the Fast Food Strip in return for their support and cooperation in caring for these cats for the rest of their lives.

I lamented my situation with my internet friends on the feral_cats Yahoo group, and five days later I received a check from Vanessa, a member of the listserv, for an amount that would pay for two spays, with the only stipulation that I name one of the cats "Vannie" after her.

Five years later, the swarms of freezing cats and sick kittens huddled on the dumpster of Pizza Hut are over. The kittens found homes, no more were born, and of the originals, only Vannie is left. One-Ear and Garcia are new cats. They have no need to hang out on metal dumpsters, since they are fed daily.

To my knowledge, only these three are left on the north side of Route 13 of the original 25-30 cats that were here in 2003.

I like to think it is Vanessa's love and generosity that has kept Vannie safe all these years.

I was so happy to see her today and to know she is alive. Although the "point" of trap/neuter/return is the ultimate elimination of the original colony, Vannie's survival has been my inspiration. I didn't want to take on the Fast Food Ferals. It was a project begun out of anger and frustration. It has become a project the proves the power and dedication of friendship (all those who have cared for, and currently care for, these cats, and those who gave their time, money, supplies, or land, to help).

Here is Vannie's photo when she was first captured in 2003:


As I left the feeding area, I watched Vannie step quickly across the snow on the bridge toward the feeding station. I've always thought she was a beautiful cat. Now that she is so rare, she seems even more beautiful. I had been thinking about making bracelets to give to donors, or to encourage other donations, and as I watch Vannie it occurred to me that the inspiration for the design of these bracelets ought to come from something other than pretty colors and neat beads. They ought to come from the cats the money goes to save.

Tonight, when I probably should have been catching up on the work piling up due to my vacation days, I made two bracelets with Vannie as inspiration. I think I'll make nine bracelets for each cat, in honor of their legendary nine lives. Then, no more.

Recently two people made donations on the Amazon link (one about a month ago, one about two weeks ago). The dollars fix cats and save lives (the funds go to my Wildrun bank account, which is used only at the vet for feral cat care; I am not incorporated as a nonprofit, so I pay taxes on the funds). Over the past two years, $1100 has been donated via this blog. $1100 just for talking about the cats!

These donations are a huge lift, just like when people come to the holiday party, or send a card at Christmas with a picture of the cat they adopted from us years ago. People CARE! And neither donor sent a message via Amazon to take credit for their donation either. They just sent it off to some strange woman on the internet, and trusted that it would save cats.

So if you both choose to send your names and addresses and the amount you donated, I would like to send you each one of Vannie's first two bracelets. My email address is info at americancat dot net (please put in normal email format):



The bracelet above is four strands of memory wire, with charms on each end proclaiming "Live" and "Inspire." The beads chosen are a "story" of Vannie's life. I'll send an explanation, and picture of Vannie.

The bracelet below is two strands, symbolic of the Fast Food Feral project, and Vannie's part in it. The charms read "Trust" and "Believe" because the entire project was based on the trust of those who gave to support it, and the belief that it would succeed.

I will be setting up a web page with future bracelets, and donors can pick which they would like, if any. And of course, people who come to the facility to care for the cats, or take care of the street cats, can have their pick at any time. Feel free to re-gift them, as I realize many of us are not bracelet-wearers. And of course, inventive souls can come up with other uses for them, perhaps as an ornament on your thick winter scarf, or to hold back a curtain...who knows?

I have to say, making them is very calming. The bead are all glass, stone, or pearl (no plastic).



Stay safe, Vannie. Stay safe.