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W I N T E R ! 2 0 1 4 !
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Winter!tips!!
Many!of!us!come!across!cats!or! other!animals!living!outdoors!in! the!winter.!While!it’s!best!for!cats! and!dogs!to!be!inside!if!possible,! there!are!ways!to!make!the!frigid! winter!temps!more!bearable!for! these!furry!friends.!! Shelters!are!inexpensive!and!easy! to!make.!It’s!important!to!know! how!to!make!it!a!safe!place!of! refuge.!Size!is!important.!If!the! shelter!is!too!large!it!won’t!trap! the!cat’s!heat!inside.! For!insulation!straw!is!the!best! material!to!use.!Whatever!you!do,! don’t!use!towels,!blankets!or! folded!newspaper!as!they!absorb! body!heat!and!will!actually!chill! the!cat.!Avoid!hay!as!it!can!irritate! the!nose!or!cause!allergies.! For!food!and!water,!use!bowls! made!of!thick!plastic!that!are!deep! and!wide.!They!are!more!insulated! and!will!not!freeze!as!quickly.!Set! them!just!outside!the!shelter!and!
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change!frequently.!
ast!February,!my!13/year!odyssey!came!to!an!end.!I!trapped!my! feral!cats!for!the!last!time.!But!let!me!start!at!the!beginning.! I!first!saw!Maggie!in!the!fall!of!2001!down!by!the!Hudson!River.!I! named!her!Magnificat!after!the!Bach!masterpiece.!The!name!suited! her.!She!was!magnificent.!She!looked!like!a!miniature!black/white!yak! in!her!plush!winter!coat.!! Once!named,!I!felt!responsible!to!care!for!her.!I!set!up!a!small!wooden! shelter!and!stocked!it!twice!a!week!with!dry!food!and!water.!She! watched!from!afar,!just!out!of!reach.!! Winter!came!and!so!did!the!snow.!A!skinny!shorthaired!cat!made!his! appearance.!I!named!him!Armando.!I!saw!him!curled!up!with!Maggie! on!frosty!mornings.!Armando!never!would!have!survived!that!first! winter!without!Maggie’s!warm!fur.! Feeding!the!cats!twice!a!week!wasn’t!working.!I!began!seeing!holes! around!the!shelter!–!OMG,!RAT!HOLES!!One!day!I!found!a!squirrel! frozen!solid!inside!the!shelter.!How!many!animals!was!I!feeding?!! I!rethought!my!strategy.!The!ferals!needed!daily!feedings,!not!too! much!and!not!too!little.!Too!little!and!they!wouldn’t!survive.!Too! much!and!I’d!be!feeding!rats,!pigeons,!squirrels!and!the!occasional! raccoon.!That!could!attract!the!attention!of!Parks!employees.!I!feared! them!the!most.!What!if!they!denied!me!access?!What!if!they!called! Animal!Control?!!
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THE!ARTEMIS!PROJECT!
WINTER!2014! Luckily,!there!was!room!beneath!the!fence!to!slide! a!caddy!with!bowls!of!food!and!water!onto!a! ledge!in!the!tunnel.!The!cats,!sun/worshippers! that!they!were,!learned!to!follow!the!few! sunbeams!that!made!their!way!down!into!that! dark!tunnel.!They!thrived.!!
Maggie!and!Armando!were!quite!a!couple.!I’m!all! for!platonic!love!but!the!other!kind!means!more! mouths!to!feed.!I!read!about!a!way!to!control!feral! cat!populations.!It!was!called!TNR!–!Trap,! Neuter/Spay!and!Release!back!into!their! environment.!The!cats!couldn’t!reproduce!and! would!keep!most!other!cats!out!of!their!territory.!
It!was!a!thirty/minute!round!trip!for!me!to!feed! them.!Sometimes!I!was!tired,!sometimes!I!was! sick,!but!I!went!out!every!day.!I!knew!the!ferals! would!be!hungry.!When!they!spotted!me!they! head/butted!each!other!in!joyous!anticipation!of! their!meal.!! The!days!turned!into!months!and!then!into!years.! Maggie!and!Armando!were!joined!by!another!cat! –!Dexter.!I!put!out!extra!food.!However,!Armando! become!emaciated.!They!were!all!trapped!and! taken!into!LSVH.!Armando!was!terribly!sick!and! euthanized.!I!spread!his!ashes!down!in!the!tunnel.! Dexter!was!treated!for!a!deep!gash!in!her!leg.! Then!she!and!Maggie!were!released!back!into!the! tunnel.!!
When!spring!came,!I!trapped!both!Maggie!and! Armando!and!took!them!to!LSVH.!They!tested! negative!for!the!bad!diseases!–!FIV!and!Feline! Leukemia.!The!vet!defleaed,!dewormed,!gave!them! their!shots!and!spayed/neutered!them.!It!was!now! up!to!me!as!their!caretaker!to!give!them!a!good!life.!!
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I!would!gladly!have!taken!them!into!my!house!but! Maggie!and!Armando!were!totally!feral.!They! bloodied!themselves!against!the!bars!of!their!cages.! These!animals!would!never!be!happy!indoors.!!It! would!take!a!miracle!for!them!to!come!in!from!the! cold.!Reluctantly,!I!released!them!back!into!the!park.!
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That!summer,!big!things! were!afoot!in!the!park.! Earth/moving! equipment!came!in.! Ten/foot!fences!went!up.! A!dog!run!was!made.! Maggie!and!Armando! retreated!to!a!railroad! tunnel!adjacent!to!the! dog!run!and!beneath! the!West!Side!Highway.! I!was!now!cut!off!from! the!cats.!!
! ! ! ! I!mostly!fed!the!ferals!from!the!dog!run.! However,!every!so!often!the!gate!to!the!tunnel! was!open.!I!entered.!The!tunnel!was!a!surreal,! subterranean!world.!The!most!bizarre!people! lived!there.!I!began!carrying!pepper!spray.!! ! 2!
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THE!ARTEMIS!PROJECT!
WINTER!2014! Every!Halloween!I!worried.!Malicious!people!can! do!hideous!things!to!black!cats!on!Halloween.! Fourth!of!July!brought!its!own!set!of!challenges.! Try!explaining!to!a!cat!that!in!a!few!hours! explosive!charges!would!be!going!off!in!their! hood.!And!then!there!were!hurricanes!and! blizzards.!!
Many!of!the!homeless!were!nice.!They!liked! having!the!cats!around.!Perhaps!they!recognized! kindred!spirits.!After!all,!the!ferals!and!the! homeless!were!both!castoffs!from!the!“real”!world! above.!I!sometimes!found!barbeque!chicken!and! potato!chips!beside!their!food!bowls.!I!questioned! the!menu!but!appreciated!the!sentiment.!! In!my!travels!through!the!tunnel,!I!came!across! impressive!campsites.!There!was!an!astonishing! array!of!gently!(or!not)!used!furniture!taken!from! the!street.!Some!folks!had!extensive!libraries!with! impressive!titles.!One!guy!even!managed!to!get! his!bike!over!the!ten/foot!fence.! !! ! !
Somehow,!Maggie!and!Dexter!survived! everything!Mother!Nature!could!throw!at!them.!I! was!in!awe.!However,!they!couldn’t!survive!the! ravages!of!disease!and!old!age.!No!one!does.!!
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Last!winter!was!brutal!–!minus!fifteen/degree! wind!chills!in!midtown.!I!guarantee!it!was!colder! down!by!the!Hudson.!I!donned!three!coats,!two! pairs!of!pants,!three!hoods!and!one!scarf.!I!held! the!scarf!in!my!mouth,!trying!to!cover!exposed! skin.!By!the!time!I!got!down!to!the!dog!run,!my! scarf!was!frozen!stiff.!!
Not!everyone!was!nice.!I!had!to!replace!the!cats’! feeding!station!many!times.!It!kept!getting! trashed.!Once,!someone!set!fire!to!their!winter! shelter.!! My!cats!–!for!that’s!what!they’d!become!–!lived!a! precarious!existence.!I!had!precious!little!control! over!their!lives.!I!lived!in!fear!of!being!finally!and! irrevocably!cut!off!by!park!improvements.!!
Sophie’s!Snacks! Try$out$these$easy$homemade$treats$for$your$kitty!$$ ½!cup!whole/wheat!flour!
Mix$flour,$milk$and$catnip$in$a$bowl.$In$separate$
½!cup!powdered!milk!
bowl$mash$oil,$tuna/chicken$and$beaten$egg$
pinch!of!catnip!
together.$Add$to$dry$mixture$then$slowly$stir$in$
½!cup!tuna!or!chopped!chicken! 1!large!egg!(beaten)!
water$until$a$sticky$ball$forms.$Form$small$balls$ (or$shape$of$your$choice!)$and$place$on$greased$
¼!cup!water!
cookie$sheet$1$inch$apart.$Cook$for$approx$20$min$
1!tsp!cod!liver!oil!(optional)!
(or$until$golden$brown)$at$350$degrees.$Cool$ completely$and$then$serve.$$
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THE!ARTEMIS!PROJECT!
WINTER!2014!
The!New!York!Philharmonic!was!going!on!tour.!I’m!a! violist;!it’s!my!day!job.!The!tunnel!had!been!locked! and!closed!off!for!months.!As!always,!I!had!someone! lined!up!to!feed!the!ferals!while!I!was!on!tour.! However,!Dexter!and!Maggie!were!getting!very!thin.! Maggie!no!longer!walked,!she!shuffled.!Old!age!was! catching!up!with!her.!My!gut!instinct!told!me!they! couldn’t!make!it!until!I!got!back.!Not!this!winter.!!
X/rays!showed!she!had!end!stage!lung!cancer.!It! was!time.!Joan!and!I!held!her!gently!as!we!let!her! go.!I!spread!her!ashes!in!the!tunnel!where!she! could!be!with!Armando!once!more.! I!left!on!tour.!Maggie!remained!at!LSVH!in! quarantine.!I!couldn’t!risk!exposing!my!house! cats!to!disease.!While!I!was!gone,!Maggie!was! poked!and!prodded,!defleaed,!dewormed,!de/ matted!and!X/rayed.!When!I!returned!she!was! NOT!happy.!She!huddled!at!the!back!of!her!cage,! growling!and!hissing.!
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I!faced!a!dilemma.!Maggie’s!blood!work!came! back!surprisingly!clean!for!an!old!girl!of! fourteen.!However,!X/rays!showed!spinal! degeneration.!!I!couldn’t!put!her!back!in!the! tunnel.!She!was!too!old!and!it!was!too!cold.!!
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We!needed!a!heart/to/heart.!I!went!to!radiology! and!got!the!elbow/length!leather!gloves!falconers! use.!I!reached!back,!clumsily!petting!her,!trying! to!explain!she!had!only!one!option!–!living!with! me.!!Then!I!heard!a!sound!I!never!thought!I’d! hear.!Maggie!was!purring.!!
A!week!before!we!left,!workers!began!repairs!down! in!the!tunnel.!The!gate!was!now!open.!Still,!could!I! get!access?!In!the!past,!I’d!been!threatened!with! arrest.!Fortunately,!these!guys!were!different.!They! agreed!to!let!me!in.!Now,!I!had!to!trap!both!cats.! Getting!one!was!not!an!option.!To!survive!these!frigid! temperatures,!they!needed!each!other’s!body!heat.!!
Maggie!has!lived!with!me!for!nine!months!now.! She!still!loves!mealtime!and!sleeps!a!good!deal.! She’s!gained!over!two!pounds.!Sometimes!she! shuffles!out!of!“her”!room!and!looks!out!the! back!door!to!the!garden.!She!gazes!for!a!few! seconds!and!then!shuffles!back.!I!can!almost!hear! her!say,!“Been!there,!done!that.”!Maggie!is! happy!and!content.!I!pet!her!and!she!purrs.!To! me,!that!is!a!miracle.!!
Three!days!before!the!Philharmonic!left,!Artemis! volunteer!Joan!and!I!met!down!in!the!park.!I!brought! a!trap!and!a!carrier.!It!was!now!or!never.!We!entered! the!tunnel.!The!sounds!of!heavy!machinery!bounced! off!the!walls.!This!was!NOT!a!good!situation!for! trapping.!Trapping!cats!is!like!saddling!butterflies.! It’s!a!delicate!operation!best!done!in!quiet.!! I!set!out!food.!Dexter!and!Maggie!were!ravenous.! They!inhaled!the!food.!As!Joan!held!the!trap!open,!I! scruffed!Dexter!and!put!her!in!the!trap.!Then!I! scruffed!Maggie.!She!put!up!quite!a!fight!but!we!got! her!into!the!carrier.!Joan!and!I!set!off!across!the! tunnel!floor,!flashing!two!thumbs/up!to!the!workers.! We!were!relieved!and!overjoyed.!!
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We!took!them!to!LSVH.!That!night!the!clinic!called.! Dexter!was!on!oxygen!but!was!still!having!trouble! breathing.!! !
4!
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THE!ARTEMIS!PROJECT!
WINTER!2014!
CURRENT!ADOPTABLES! Samantha$always! greets!visitors!with! a!friendly!meow.! She!came!from!a! terrible!hoarding! situation!on!Staten! Island!but!youhd! never!know!it.! Shehs!sweet,!loves! to!be!pet!and!is!an! all!around!fun!and! easy/going!kitty.!$
York!is!a!true!beauty.!She!was!found!in!a!Bronx! park!with!her!litter!of!5!kittens.!She!has!become! the!official!office!manager!at!LSVH,!greeting! patients!as!they!arrive.! Her!two!favorite! pastimes!are!sleeping! in!the!copy!machine! and!sunbathing!in!the! lobby!window.!She! also!enjoys!playing! with!other!Artemis! cats!in!the!lobby.!!
Jada!is!a!gentle!and! playful!girl.!She!was! surrendered!with!her! hbrotherh!Jimmy!when! her!owner!could!no! longer!care!for!her.! She!has!lived!with! dogs!and!other! animals.!Her!photos! donht!do!justice!to!her! unique!markings!and! incredibly!soft!fur.!
Jasmine!is!our!gorgeous!Golden!Girl,!around!12/ 14!years!old.!Her!owner!of!many!years!became! too!old!and!sick!to!keep!her.!She!is!a!lovely!cat,! with!a!beautiful!coat!and!brilliant!green!eyes.! Being!older,!she!may!require!extra!care.!What! she!needs! most!is! someone!who! will!find! fulfillment!in! helping!her! live!out!her! golden!years.!
Tiger7s!owner!died!suddenly!and!he!was!sent!to! the!Animal!Control!Center.!His!chances!of! adoption!might!have!been!slim!due!to!his!8!yrs!of! age!so!Dorian!went!in!person!to!the!ACC!to!claim! him.!Hehs!a! gentlemanly!cat! who!likes!nothing! better!than! snuggling!up!in!a! comfortable!lap.! And!he!has!one!of! the!most!unique! sounding!purrs!!
Sofie!came!from!a! bodega!where!she!was! underappreciated!for! her!utter!sweetness!and! well/behaved!nature.! She!is!friendly!with!cats! and!warms!up!to! anyone!who!wants!to! befriend!her.!She!is! probably!1/2!years!old! and!loves!to!play!with! anything!that!moves!!
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! THE!ARTEMIS!PROJECT!
WINTER!2014!
Season’s!Greetings!! Your!donation!is!vital!to!our!work!in!helping!animals!that!other!groups! often!cannot!or!will!not!accept.!As!a!small,!neighborhood!hboot/strapsh! rescue!we!are!often!the!first!place!contacted!for!an!animal!in!need.!Wehd!be! grateful!to!be!the!first!choice!for!your!end/of/year!donations.!Please! support!our!work!as!generously!as!you!can.!!Many!thanks!and!happy! holidays!!~!Dorian!Rence!
Donations$are$100%$tax=deductible$ To!mail!your!gift,!please!enclose!this!page!with!your!gift!and!send!to:!
The$Artemis$Project$ 318$West$77th$Street,$#1B$ New$York,$NY$10024$ !
Enclosed!is!my!gift!of:!__$25!__$50__$100!__$250!__$500!__$1000!__Other! You!can!also!donate!through!the!secure!paypal!method!on!our!website:! www.theartemisprojectnyc.org!
The!Artemis!Project!
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318!West!77th!Street,!#1B! New!York,!NY!10024!
[Recipient]! Address!Line!1! Address!Line!2! Address!Line!3! Address!Line!4!
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