Strays of The City
Rescues
It's not rare to hear stories of cats being released into a backyard or the streets because they can no longer take care of them. It's sad to see animals thrown away and more often then not, they die because of the harsh conditions they face outside.
When TNR organizations do their work, they would release the cats back into their neighborhoods or colonies after they've been neutered.
The ones that are more friendly to people, are often taken in to be fostered back to health.
The cats below were once strays but now they're safe and sound in their forever homes.
Meatball is to the left and Noodle is to the right.
Noodles and Meatball
It was October, Friday the 13th, when Christina was walking to the train at Broadway Junction. She noticed a calico tabby in a bag where sodas are usually packaged in. The cat meowed and walked up to her and Christina knew she wasn't a street cat. She took Noodle home that day.
As for Meatball, Christina was sitting at the steps of her house when all of a sudden, a dirty, skinny cat emerged from under a car. The cat barked, ran up to her and jumped on her lap, all while giving her strong head bumps. Christina knew that she was telling her, "Take me! Take me!"
Both cats were in a home now but soon came the challenge of making them healthy.
Noodle was really skinny and she had 2 parasites in her intestines which Christina had to administer antibiotics for.
Meatball was in worse condition. She was out on the streets much longer than Noodle and with several tooth and mouth issues, most of her teeth had to be taken out.
Christina has had Noodle for 3 1/2 years and Meatball for 3 years.
She adopted two male kittens recently and will get them at the end of May. Their names will be Cheese and Pepperoni.
To see more of Christina's cats, you can find her on Instagram: @badbartpepperoni
Georgia is to the left and Chorizo is to the right.
Chorizo and Georgia
Chorizo was adopted at a pet adoption fair. She was a kitten when Monica took her in and the family welcomed her with lots of love. She loves to climb everything in sight and would often sleep on top of you. After a year of being in the family, she was introduced to her sister.
Monica brought Georgia home from a home where she wasn't being taken care of that well and sought out to give her a better life. At first, she was very scared of her new home, often hissing and swatting at Monica's other cat, Chorizo. She was also very skinny, with her ribs sticking out.
In hopes of making her more friendly, Monica took her to one of ASPCA's mobile neuter/spay trucks and she took care of her as she recovered.
During those few weeks, Georgia would often get nightmares and she'd wake the entire family when she'd meow for Monica, her new mom.
Georgia became more friendlier and she gained more weight as the months passed.
Monica has had Georgia for 4 years and Chorizo for 5 years.
She and her family recently rescued two kittens, Luna and Lemmy. Both are troublemakers but they're part of the family now.
To see more of Monica's cats, follow her on instagram: @chorizo_nahuala
Maple inside Shawn's office
Maple
On a rainy morning during the Winter of 2019, one of the parks staff in Crotona heard small noises coming from the inside of an tree trunk. It was a kitten, she was wet and curled up inside the trunk of an old maple tree.
The staff member who found Maple, is a very compassionate and thoughtful person. Shawn knew that once he brought her into the building, she was going to stay. It also helped that Shawn grew up with cats as a child and teenager.
Within a couple of days, Maple became very trusting of Shawn and they grew close. However, once it was time for her shots, it was very difficult to administer them. He asked a staff member to help and they were able to use their proof of public assistance to lower the costs of her shots.
After a year and a half, Maple is now part of the Crotona Parks crew. She roams around the park and lives in Shawn's office.
Shawn does plan to rescue more cats in the future but he has four cats at home already and with Maple in the office, it might be too much.
He does have a contact for a shelter if any more cats come his way.
To meet Maple and Shawn, make sure to visit them at Crotona Park in the Bronx at 1700 Crotona Ave.