Mr. Milky

(Scroll down for NEW SATURDAY UPDATE!)

My name is Milky ... and I'm a mess ...

Even I don't know where I came from, but I decided a few days ago to live on Artsy Catsy's front porch because I was starving and sick with sores and bald patches all over me. Rumor in the 'hood is that these human artists will take in all creatures great and small. See - no matter how dirty and stinky and infected I am, they cuddle me on the front porch glider ... First they treated me for fleas, then they gave me my name, Mr. Milky, because of my "Got milk?" moustache (but my runny, infected eyes keep drooling on my handsome moustache.) :-( And they don't mind that my swollen, infected front paws make bloody footprints all over their porch. My humans say my paws smell rotten and they're very worried about them, but they love on me anyway.I'm so happy that some beans are finally taking care of me that I keep kneading the air with my paws, no matter how much it hurts.

Today at 4:30 the human artists are taking me to the vet to get tests and treatments and see if he can make me well and handsome again. And if he thinks he can, then I'm getting a hoohaectomy, because my hoo-hahs are all swollen and hurty. I'm going to ask him if I can have a bath, too, because I'm SO filthy and crusty!

I know you don't know me very well, but I'm an okay guy - or at least I will be soon - and I'm wondering if I can ask you a favor? My timing wasn't very good - I was desperate - so I moved in to Artsy Catsy when their green papers were kinda short. They're not comfortable asking for help, so I'm asking for them. If anyone could spare just one or two green papers toward my vet bills, you can help me pay my own way, and I think it would make my new humans so happy and grateful!

I can't type yet because of my rotten paws, but Rocky agreed to put up a PayPal donation button for me (even though he doesn't like me at all.) Thank you so much - even just a few cents will mean so much to me and my adoptive humans! And I'll have Rocky update you as soon as I get home from the vet.

Update Sat. Aug. 9:

Dr. Shew says even though I still have some fever, I'm responding to antibiotics and feeling better! I won't get tested for FIP and leukemia until Monday because he's focusing on my infection and my poor feet, but he thinks chances are slim I'll test positive because I'm getting better. He just wants me to rest and recover over the weekend.

He says my front feet are so damaged it might require surgery, but he'll have a better idea about that by Monday. He isn't certain what might have happened to my feet, but he's wondering if there's a chance they might have been burned. I don't remember, because I'm trying to forget my past life, now that I've found out there's such a miraculous thing as loving humans and kitties who care about me and are helping with my vet bills and would never, never, ever abuse or neglect me or any other kitty ever again!

Monday is going to be a big day for me. Besides having a better idea about what it will take to get my feet well, and getting more tests, I'm also getting wormed and bathed and cleaned up ... and I might even get to go back to Artsy Catsy if I don't have to have surgery!

Thank you all SO much for helping me!

Update 5:15 p.m. Fri. Aug. 8 (dictated by Mr. Milky to Rocky by phone) ...

I've been admitted to the vet hospital for this weekend. Nice Dr. Shew said I had a high fever and probably infection throughout my system from my foot pads and my eyes. My toe pads are horribly infected, swollen three times their normal size with no skin on them at all. Dr. Shew also said my front legs are deformed from malnutrition and that the areas where my furs have turned brown are from malnutrition and sun exposure.

He's going to give me massive amounts of antibiotics and other medications and treat my poor feet over the weekend, plus run blood tests and also test me for feline leukemia, FIP and other diseases. Dr. Shew says I'm not a young kitty, but I'm not geriatric either, but I've had a terrible life so far, and if he can get all the infection cleared up, he might be able to save me for a better life the rest of my years!

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for helping me out - This is the first time in my life that anyone has ever cared about me! xoxoxo

Tabbies, Toesies, Tummies, Torties etc. etc. etc.

We have everything for Tuesdays here at Artsy Catsy!

We have tabbies with tongue and toesies ....

We have tummies (lots of them!) ....We have tuxies ...

In memory and spirit, we have our beloved tortie Bridge kitty, Hooter ... But wait! There's more!

We have a whole houseful of memories and spirits of furbabies who came before ...
The lion cub my mom helped to raise ...All the stray & feral kitties we've raised ... this one is Bad Boy, and he lived for many, many years with our good friend Terry ... Our sweet ferret, Macaroni ... Our precious sugar glider, Noni ... There's lots more ... Molly McDuck, Dustbunny, etc. etc. etc., but our blog just isn't big enough. But it's only proper that we have everything ... after all, as our mom (the keeper) says at least once a day,
"It's a zoo in here!!"

URGENT HELP STILL NEEDED!

Yesterday I received a Best Friends email about the plight of a cat rescuer -- located 15 minutes from me, so I contacted her to offer my help. Tammy Rothrock lives in Brazil, Indiana, where she and her husband, in their home of more than 20 years, have been rescuing stray cats and providing them with safe, healthy lives. Right now they have 31 kitties in their large home, all spayed, neutered, and vaccinated, with regular vet care. Just look at some of these precious babies ...The Rothrocks are operating legally: the City of Brazil issued a kennel license to them last year, and they were in the process of organizing as a non-for-profit rescue shelter. Now the city has suddenly decided that her area isn't zoned for "business", that her kennel license isn't valid, and they've ordered her to get rid of all her cats. And they've also ordered her husband to immediately shut down the auto repair business he has operated on the property for more than 20 years!

This loving couple is using their own money to do the city's work by taking in and caring for stray animals that would otherwise be out on the streets breeding. And instead of thanking them and supporting them, the city is making Tammy get rid of the cats she loves, destroying the family business and taking away their income ... and ultimately making them give up their family home, because rather than give up their beloved cats and their rescue efforts, the Rothrocks have put their house up for sale!THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS and I ask the entire Cat Blogosphere to join forces to prevent what their city is doing to the Rothrocks. Here's what we can do:

1) First, I ask you to please read the full information and watch the news video:

Video & TV news: Rescue Shelter forced to shut down

Newspaper: The city of Brazil has gone catty

2) Then, I hope you'll join me in emailing the following city officials to protest their actions and suggest more humane solutions before their "work session" next Thursday, Apr. 24. Let them know the state you're writing from so they'll realize this is more than a local response, and please copy me at artsycatsy(at)yahoo(com) so I can compile a record of the emails for the Rothrocks. (Remember to be polite and courteous - anger could make the situation worse!):

Michele Altman, City Plan Administrator: michele@brazil.in.gov

Mayor Ann Bradshaw: ann@brazil.in.gov

Sam Glover, City Council Member: samglover@brazil.in.gov

Patricia Heffner, City Council Member: patheffner@brazil.in.gov

Karen McQueen, Clerk/Treasurer: karen@brazil.in.gov

3) You can also email a Letter to the Editor of the Brazil newspaper.

4) If anyone has any experience with this kind of situation and might have some advice for the Rothrocks, please email me at artsycatsy(at)yahoo(dot)com and I will immediately pass your info on to Tammy.

5) Finally, if you could put a link to this story, or re-post it on your blog or Catster, or anywhere else you can think of, it will help get even more emails to these people.

Thank you SO MUCH for anything you can do! This situation tears at my heart, because I could find myself in the same situation - the number of rescued cats in the Artsy Catsy household exceeds that allowed by my city's ordinances ... as may be the case for many of us in the Cat Blogosphere. As a recent Alley Cat Allies mailing said:

"Across this country, citizens are being punished for caring for stray and feral cats. These caregivers did not create the colonies of cats - they are serving their communities by humanely caring for them. But according to antiquated animal control laws and uninformed community leaders, each of these Good Samaritans deserves to be punished ... WE must change outdated animal control laws, policies and practices. WE must stop caregivers from being punished for doing the right thing."

~~ Sharolyn

T-13 Rescue Stories ...

.... that reveal how the Artsy Catsy cat staff was formed ...

Rocky was only one day old when he was rescued in 1999 from the woods near Raccoon Lake, where a raccoon sent his feral mother and fur siblings over the Bridge. Recognizing his potential as a future mover & shaker, he was bottle-fed and burped by his human artist and coddled by Dustbunny, as he quickly moved into the position of CEO (Cat Executive Officer) ...

Callie was rescued in 1990 as a 6-weeks-old feral kitten from a garage by brave members of the Artsy Catsy household wearing helmets, gloves and body armor. She is living proof that you can take the cat from the wild, but can never take the wild from the cat! Her assertive nature serves her well as Rocky’s Catministrative Assistant ...











Lucy was rescued as a young kitten in 1991 when she was found walking the streets. A natural enchantress, Lucy left her streetwalker past behind and positioned herself on a pedestal as the Artsy Catsy Official Spokesmodel ...












LittleGirl, Atlas and Somber were rescued in 1995 from an abandoned house when they were three weeks old. LittleGirl had only one functioning eye, which she focuses on her duties as Quality Control Manager, and Atlas & Somber assumed the role of Artsy Catsy Bookends ...






























Bitsy was adopted in 1996 as a tiny feral kitten by Ugly, an Artsy Catsy outdoor cat, and had never been touched by a human until she was brought inside as a young adult when Ugly passed over the Bridge. Her stealthy ways serve her well as Artsy Catsy’s Director of Corporate Espionage ...

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Oscar was rescued in 2002 with his fur siblings after they were born to a feral momcat in a cord of firewood in the Artsy Catsy neighborhood. Oscar was the only kitten with no tail. His siblings found furever homes, but Oscar was hired as Artsy Catsy’s Maintenance Manx ...












Ivan was rescued in 2003 at one year old from a local pet store that was subsequently shut down due to poor conditions. His high meezer intelligence earned him the position of Information Technology Director at Artsy Catsy ...











Casey was rescued as a kitten in 2002 from a humane shelter in Cleveland, Ohio. His serious nature serves him well as Artsy Catsy’s Corporate Comptroller ...













Fred and Holly were rescued in 1997 as young adults from a humane shelter in Bloomington, Indiana. After traveling the world, they now reside in Rome, Italy with their human voice artist Tiffany. Fred is President of Artsy Catsy’s European Division and Holly, as his Catministrative Assistant, is the power behind the throne ...

Pepper, Artsy Catsy’s Official Woofie, was rescued in 2002 after she wandered into the Artsy Catsy backyard with a stray pitbull, and decided it was time to get a job ...

Artsy Catsy has gone Artsy Coltsy!

Rocky here. You'll remember that a few weeks ago a colt arrived at our house after our human artist Suzanne was selected to paint it for Horsing Around In Terre Haute , a city-wide event celebrating our city as host of the Indianapolis Colts' training camp. Union Hospital sponsored Suzanne to paint the colt wearing surgical scrubs and a stethoscope.

Yesterday both our artists attended the champagne reception at Swope Art Museum for the unveiling of the all the colts. Here they are with Suzanne's colt, titled "Scrubs":

More than 30 artists participated, and their colts will be placed in public locations throughout the city. Here are some samples of their magnificent work:

Well, all this horsing around has given me an idea! Cowpainters, the company that manufactures the fiberglass colts, also makes cats! ...

So .... I think when we launch our web site, we should have a similar promotion to raise awareness of the serious stray/feral cat problem in our city and donate the funds to the organizations who are helping to address it! What do you think?