Results tagged “cats”

When word got out that some kittens born at Goldman Sachs' Battery Park City headquarters were essentially abandoned by the firm—the bank allegedly reneged on earlier promises to have its employees adopt the kitties and pay for vet bills—the bank scrambled to set the story straight. A spokesperson said, "To be clear, we never abandoned the kittens. Every kitten has been adopted. The vet bills were requested several times and they were paid as soon as we received them," and said downtown newspaper The Downtown Express "reported the story inaccurately." So, Goldman Sachs—really rich but not kitten lovers-and-leavers.

The Long Island woman suspected of torturing and killing about 20 dogs before burying them in her backyard forced her children to take part in her animal "concentration camp," according to her son. "It was a concentration camp for the animals," Doug McDonough, the eldest of suspect Sharon McDonough's seven children, told WCBS. "My sisters and me, we got the end of it, too." Doug — who tipped off the animal rescue TV show Rescue Ink, which in turn alerted the Suffolk County SPCA — told the Post that the abuse would begin shortly after his 43-year-old mother brought a pet into her Selden home. "She would buy the dog, treat it like it was the greatest dog in the world for a few days, then they would sit in the cage until she decided to kill them. It was a power trip."

                     

As we mentioned last week, the first annual Meet the Breed event—featuring 160 purebred breeds of dogs and 41 purebred breeds of cats—was held at the Javits Center. And people weren't able to walk a foot without in any direction without saying, "Awwww." Enjoy these photographs by Katie Sokoler.

                     

This weekend, the American Kennel Club and the Cat Fanciers' Association are joining forces at the Jacob Javits Center this weekend to allow the public to Meet the Breeds. There will be 160 purebred breeds of dogs and 41 purebred breeds of cats on the scene—"each in its own designated booth, decorated to reflect the heritage of the breed, its characteristics and unique attributes as a pet." We went to the press preview yesterday and got to meet some of the animals—they seem pretty excited about this weekend!

The folks who put on this weekend's Pup Crawl, which we mentioned in our newsletter last week, sent us some photos we just couldn't resist posting! (If you have glow-in-the-dark leash envy, you can pick up your own here.) They also tell us that through their event, which brought dogs and their owners across Brooklyn Bridge—taking it over from cyclists and pet-free pedestrians, they "raised more than $3,000 for local animal shelters."

As a bit of an antidote to the upsetting animal cruelty news, we recommend you read this NY Times real estate section story about the Upper West Side apartment of cat rescuer Tammy Cross. Cross works with Kitten Little Rescue—maybe you've seen their set-up of cats available for adoption and fostering on the corner of West 72nd and Columbus Avenue—and in her one-bedroom rent-stabilized apartment, "some 6 to 18 baby kittens — and once as many as 22 — are bottle fed and nursed back to health." Awwww.

The remaining 71 cats were removed from a Chester, NJ home yesterday, where the NJSPCA originally found living in squalid conditions—rooms filled with garbage and feces. The Star-Ledger reports that Morris County Emergency Management Coordinator Rick Loock praised the homeowner, Wanda Oughton, for being helpful, "These are healthy cats, you could even say fat cats. They did not seem to be suffering from any abuse. The lady (Oughton) seemed to be feeding them well. And I want to emphasize that she was unbelievably cooperative today, helping us catch the cats and put them in travel carriers."The cats are being housed in a temporary shelter and will soon be examined; it's hoped they can be adopted out to new homes (the NJSPCA website will have photos of adoptable cats). Oughton faces 186 counts of animal cruelty in both criminal and civil summonses.

      

It turns out that the N.J. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found 93 cats (previously, it was thought there were almost 80) living in disgusting conditions in a home in the posh suburb of Chester Township, NJ. The Daily Record reports, "Police found the cats covered in feces in rooms throughout the spacious home at 22 Farm Road. Pictures provided by the SPCA depict floors, couches and tables littered with waste, while microwave and conventional ovens were crammed with garbage." Some of the NJSPCA photographs are above; the NJSPCA site has more, including a disturbing one of a bathtub filled with cat poop.

The Star-Ledger reports that dozens of cats were found living in unfit conditions in a million-dollar home in Chester, NJ: "All 12 rooms of the two-story house on Farm Road were laden with feces and urine, authorities said. In some areas, piles of excrement reached as high as 2 feet. In one of the bathtubs, a mound of feces measuring 8 inches thick coated the bottom, authorities said." The fire department was called to ventilate the house, which might need to be condemned because it's so toxic. Anonymous complaints had been made to the SPCA last week and the authorities found almost 80 cats, plus a dog, and will likely charge owner Wanda Oughton with 80 counts of animal cruelty. SPCA superintendent Frank Rizzo said, "The smell was horrific. This is not a place you can live in. I don't know how anyone could survive in that." Twenty-two cats were taken to a vet for observation; the others were left in the home as the SPCA coordinates living arrangements for them.

Newsday has video of the rescue operation to remove 180-200 cats from one home in Moriches, Long Island. Apparently rescue group Rescue Ink got a tip about the house and the homeowner (who believes there are more like 100 cats) agreed to give up the cats. The cats are being inoculated first, then taken to centers for spaying and neutering, and finally will go to no-kill shelters in Long Island and NYC where they can be adopted. The entire process is expected to take weeks, if not months. A neighbor told Newsday the cats haven't been a bother, but, "The odor, yes. Hopefully, the cats will get the help they need." You can contact Rescue Ink at 800-510-7355 or info@rescueink.org for information on adopting the cats.

This weekend Sunnyside, Queens residents stood up for their local feline friends. NY1 reports that "Anita DiSarli organized a rally Saturday to alert the public to what she calls a problem of animal abuse by some area store managers. She says they house cats, but intentionally keep food away from them so they will be more eager to catch mice." The 99-cent store and National Liquidators on Queens Boulevard are allegedly slowly killing the cats via this neglect--some have been rescued and diagnosed with eye problems, jaundice and other ailments. Mickey, one of the rescued cats, has "doubled in weight, going from six to 12 pounds in just under a month," his new owner saying he's "Friendly as hell, sleeps next to my leg, climbs on my chest. He's been so starved for attention." [via Queens Crap]

           

It's that time of year again: The CFA-Iams Cat Championship is this Saturday and Sunday at Madison Square Garden. As many cats' fur is combed carefully into place, hundreds of cats will be competing for Best of Breed and Best of the Best honors. There's also the Parade of Breeds, where judges will explain the different Cat Fanciers' Association breeds, like the Norwegian Forest cat (a heavy coat) and the Abyssinian (gorgeous colors). Hundreds of cats in need of a home from various shelter will be there too at the adoption event--we met a few today, and Marley, Lucy and Sebastian would be super sweet additions to any home!

Heterosexual men who love their cats get the NY Times Styles section treatment, as writer Abby Ellin finds more dudes "are posting photographs and videos of their little buddies on YouTube and on Web sites like menandcats.com, and Twittering about them to anyone who will listen."

Since opening in '64, Shea Stadium has been a popular home for feral cats, who've been known to scamper onto the field during games. In the Mets' championship year of 1969, a black cat ran back and forth in front of the Cubs dugout, cursing Chicago's pennant hopes. Now a group called Neighborhood Cats is urging the Mets to relocate the feral felines to the new Citi Field. "They're part of Mets lore, so why not keep them around?," asks Bryan Kortis, the group's leader. He guesses there are 20-40 cats who call the stadium home, and if the Mets don't relocate them he predicts, "they're going to be overrun with rats." Pressure from other groups successfully saved the Home Run Apple, but Mets officials have yet to respond to this demand. And a Parks Department spokeswoman tells Newsday there are only a couple cats at Shea, and when they catch them, they're taken to a shelter.

Tenants of 64 Troutman Street in Bushwick were joined by City Council members at City Hall Friday to announce a lawsuit against their landlord under the Tenant Protection Act. Passed last March, the law is intended to protect tenants whose landlords are trying to drive them out of the building using such tactics as turning off the hot water or ripping out the toilet.

With paparazzi "jumping out of the bushes" to get the latest photos of Princess Chunk, president of the Camden County Animal Center's board announced that they probably won't reveal the name of the celebrity cat's new owners. Board president Cathering Hass tells the NY Daily News that they have received over 400 applications to adopt the 44 pound cat, but a new home has not been found (as was speculated yesterday). She said they are now trying to limit Chunk's media appearances to three times a day in order to "manage his stress levels." That can only be music to the chubby ears of the cat who just the other day suffered through a bout of pee shyness while he was taken on a whirlwind media tour.

       

We have wondered why people put their cats on leashes and it seems the only answer is "Why not?" Today, the NY Times' City Section confirms that answer, with a charming article about Corcoran broker Court Hassinger whose Abyssinian Radar enjoys constitutionals around the Upper West Side.

Given that the MTA project billion-dollar budget gaps in future years and that the cash cow of congestion pricing never made it to the altar, there may be a good idea of increasing revenue by way of Japan. The Associated Press has a story about a "money-losing Japanese train company" whose new lease on business life is thanks to a calico cat named Tama:

All the 9-year-old female cat does is sit by the entrance of Kishi Station in western Japan, wearing a black uniform cap and posing for photos for the tourists who are now flocking in droves from across the nation.

Continue reading "MTA Revenue Idea: Cats "In Charge""

A novelist and her husband are suing a Manhattan hotel for negligence after their cats almost died at the hotel. Marisha Pessl and Nicola Caiano claim that the cleaning staff at the AKA Sutton Place hotel, which says it's "pet-friendly," left out some rat poison--which was eaten by their three cats.

Two cats living in an apartment completely destroyed by the Midtown crane collapse have been found and reunited with their owners. The recovery of Mr. Gloves and Gooksie was in no small part due to the efforts of Gini Otway, a neighbor who also volunteers at the animal rescue and adoption organization City Critters.

I hate going to Broadway shows: fighting through the mobs in Times Square, being herded into the theater like livestock, cramming into a tiny seat while feedback from hearing aids and hacking coughs reverberate on all sides. Admittedly, I’m a world-class grouch when it comes to these things, so it’s no faint praise that I’d eagerly subject myself to it again for Passing Strange, the multidisciplinary rock musical that just blazed onto Broadway. It’s a phenomenal experience that deserves a run ten times longer than Cats and Phantom combined.

Cats in delis: they are ubiquitous, loved, objected to, necessary, and illegal. City inspectors are constantly on the prowl to ferret out deli felines, but deli owners say they are necessary fixtures to keep their businesses free of pests like mice, rats, and roaches. The New York Times has a story today on the ongoing battle between the city and the cats that are the sentinels of its delis--feline samurai who serve their masters in return for food, shelter, and the occasional scratch behind the ears.

To store owners, the services of cats are indispensable in a city where the rodent problem is serious enough to be documented in a still popular two-minute video clip on YouTube from late February (youtube.com/watch?v=su0U37w2tws) of rats running amok in a KFC/Taco Bell in Greenwich Village. Store-dwelling cats are so common that there is a Web site, workingclasscats.com, dedicated to telling their tales.

Over the weekend yet another production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, Cats, closed. This hipster-ized version of the legendary musical used American Apparel styling for their look, and it all went down on Broadway...that's 1100 Broadway in the 11211 zip code. ArtCal points out that because the original Cats "ran parallel with corporate and municipal efforts to 'clean up Broadway' for big business," these hipster cats may be trying to make a point. Though they add they may not know what, exactly, as the troupe operates "in a mode of an ironic traipsing around social issues while remaining politically invested in... something."

Above are Oliver, Scout, and Simon Little, three Brooklyn siblings currently without a home. Fortunately, they have a kind neighbor who leaves them food and water and has some outdoor housing in her backyard. The other day she found Simon on her windowsill, caught out in the rain and looking forlorn. With the arrival of winter and snowstorms, these cats need a home. We spoke to their human friend (who would love to take...

An appellate court ruled this week that a 71-year-old woman could remain in the West Village apartment she shares with her two cats, despite a no-pets clause in her lease. Siiri Marvits has lived in the same apartment for 43 years and has had her two cats Athena and Apollo for more than ten years. The Daily News reports that according to the New York City Law Journal, a landlord must begin eviction proceedings within...

SHOP: Want to pick up some cheap(er) fashions by John Varvatos -- the rock n' roll designer taking over the CBGB space next year? Head to a sample sale today to get in on some 80% off clothing, footwear and accessories.

"Feeding the cats attracts seagulls and the birds are an aviation threat."

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals thinks the Port Authority is a liar when it comes to how the agency will handle the the tens to possibly hundreds of cats it hopes to trap from the grounds of JFK Airport.

Forget terrorists or crippling airline delays: Cats are enemy number one at JFK Airport. After years of airport and airline employees taking care of the many feral cats who make Kennedy their home, the Port Authority is trapping the cats. Rescue groups are worried, because the cats are feral, they are very unlikely to be placed in homes - which means they will probably be killed.

Madison Square Garden will be purring with excitement as the annual CFA-Iams Cat Championship opens its doors tomorrow and Sunday. Hundreds of cats from 41 breeds will be competing for Best of Breed and Best in Show prizes, and there are a number of other events, like watching cats compete in the Feline Agility Competition course and seeing the Parade of Breeds. You can buy purebreds or adopt some shelter kitties, too!