Smokey

Smokey is one of 3 kittens born wild at my condominium complex. All three of the kittens from this litter have been trapped and will become permanent residents of Cat Tail Corner. I've "tamed" Smokey so she'll better integrate at Cat Tail Corner. Her mother "Persephone" is feral and is high on the list for trapping, because she's been having 3 litters a year. Smokey will meet her older siblings living the good life after she's spayed and moves to Cat Tail Corner. I hope you enjoy seeing her as much as I've enjoyed "taming" her. 

P.S. Smokey has fallen madly in love with me (or is it the other way around?) and for these reasons, she's going to be a permanent part of our family. 

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Misfit Kitties

Remember the "Island of Misfit Toys" in the Rudolf Christmas special? At Cat Tail Corner, we have some "misfits" of our own. There are a lot of "unadoptable" cats that either have illness or physical deformities  and just don't look "as pretty" as most of the cute and cuddly kittens you think of. Tri-Di and Puffy are two such cats. Both have feline AIDS (FIV). We also have cats that have neurological problems (and tip over!), blind cats, injured cats, chronically sick cats. All of these cats get the medical treatment they and their special needs require. Most would have been destroyed if they hadn't come to us. These kitties are expensive to maintain, and that's why your support is so appreciated! I'll be adding more pictures of these kitties in the near future.

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Miss March

Each month we're going to feature one of our "misfits" so you can appreciate them as much as we do. This is Emma. She may look pretty normal to you, but that's because of the care she's received. Someone found and surrendered Emma to us in horrible condition. Her tail had been bitten off by a wild animal (alligator most likely). I won't gross you out with the details, but she was such a mess we weren't sure she'd even survive. Emma is a prime example of what can happen to abandoned cats. She was obviously someone's pet once, her disposition is so sweet. Emma didn't realize it, but she won the Florida Kitty Lottery when she was turned over to Cat Tail Corner. And we feel just as  lucky to have her ourselves. 

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Miss April

Each month we're going to feature one of our "misfits" so you can appreciate them as much as we do. This is Ducky. Ducky is a kitten with multiple health issues. She is FIV positive as are 3 other of our cats. But Ducky is also blind. She was sighted , but several weeks ago she started bumping into things and walking very cautiously. She has a detached retina and our vet told us nothing could be done about it. So we've had to make some changes around here to keep it safe for Ducky, and give her a hand or a lift. We also have to keep a closer eye on her. Cat Tail Corner is a great environment for her, because besides being cat friendly, it's fenced and there's always someone looking out for her. We hate to play favorites here, but if I had to pick just one.... 

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Where is Cat Tail Corner?

Cat Tail Corner is located in Barberville, Florida. It consists of Kristy's home and property. She's in the process of putting up a "cat house" for the feral cats that don't come into her house (of their own choosing) and she's also fencing the property to keep them protected and on her land as a courtesy to her neighbors. This fence is a huge and expensive project and well as is the cat house which is only about half way done. Your purchases and donations make these projects a reality. 

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It's Dinner Time!

Dinner time at Cat Tail Corner is something to see! And on Sunday Kristy cooks 10 lbs of Chicken leg quarters and mixes it with their chow as a treat. It costs $25 a day to feed them (Are you listening Purina?). That's 36 lbs of dry food and 5 lbs of canned food a day! Kristy has to get up at 4:30 AM during the school year when she's teaching in order to feed them before she leaves for school. Everyone has a favorite place they like to eat. Some inside, other outside, and even along the railing in the loft! 

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Meet The Residents 

Cat Tail is home to between 250-300 cats presently. Kristy keeps saying she can't take any more  but every time a call comes in, she takes another one in. Recently and elderly cat lover passed away and her 30 cats needed to placed. Can you guess where they wound up? If it weren't for Cat Tail Corner, most of the cats you see here would have been put to sleep. These are the faces of who your purchases and donations help!

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Newest Editions

One of the more recent residents arrived the first week of January pregnant and sick. Daisy was too  sick to be spayed, and by the time she was well enough, she was too pregnant. So last week Cat Tail Corner welcomed 5 new kittens. These little ones and mom will all be neutered or spayed. I plan to take more pictures of these guys in another week or so when they're eyes open and they start to walk. Everybody loves kitten pictures.

KITTEN PICTURES ARE UPDATED!

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Favorite Pastimes

As any cat lover can tell you, a cat's favorite pastime is a nap. And napping cats we have! If it weren't for cat naps Kristy would never be able to get anything done. And no place is too sacred for a napping cat.

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Just Another Day At Cat Tail Corner

Cats just wanna have fun! When they're not too busy napping and it's not dinner time, these cats are frisky! Kristy and the cats usually take a walk down to the pond, and it's really something to see her and the posse of pussies following her down. She looks like the pied piper of cats. They're always getting into everyday Kitty calamities as well, like climbing Kristy, and inspecting anyone and anything new!

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"Ginger" A Feral Kitten

Ginger is Smokey's sister and litter mate. I trapped her 5 weeks ago with the goal of "taming" her before she heads out to Cat Tail Corner. Feral kittens like Ginger and Smokey are born with a fear of humans and don't always domesticate well, and therefore are considered "unadoptable" when surrendered  to animal shelters and are usually put down. Ginger is a prime example. She's been in my home for 5 weeks now, and I still cannot touch her. This is the first week I could get close enough to even photograph her. She has come a long way though, and no longer hisses at the mere sight of me! Ginger and Smokey will be spayed on the 13th of this month along with 23 other Cat Tail Corner residents. One of the vets who works with us is dedicating a day to us, which will help stop flow of feral kittens but is also a costly endeavor. Without the support of all the wonderful people who make Cat Tail Corner what it is, this would not be able to happen and Ginger's future could have had a different ending. 

P.S. Today I also caught "Persephone", Ginger's pregnant mother. Persephone has had 3 litters in the wild (all of her kittens have been trapped and live at Cat Tail Corner). It feels great to know that Persephone has a new life ahead and that Cat Tail Corner was there to help me and countless others who've had feral cat populations that needed controlling. 

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Ever Wonder What An Angel Looks Like?

One of the vets who works with us, is truly an angel on earth! Doing lower cost spaying and neutering is not a profitable venture for veterinarians who themselves have high overhead. So it can be difficult for us to find a vet to work with us. 

Dr. Freiberg is such a wonderful doctor with a heart for cats and the work Kristy does. We're so lucky to have found him, and I know that I plan on using him as my own vet when I move to Florida full time with my three cats.  He dedicated an entire day to us and neutered 25 cats at once. He'll be doing it again next month. His goal is to help us have a sterile colony. Your donations and purchases are such a huge help and make it possible to pay for such large scale projects like this one. 

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