August 2009

Dear Friends:

Oh, the life of a cat at Charley’s Strays; rather at Mary’s home, being cuddled, sitting behind a window watching the birds and the bees, not having a care in this world. What else can a feline want? Not like the poor dogs, who had to deal with lots of rain, then such a high humidity when the sun did come out, that it might as well have rained. Besides that they have to bark in this heat when someone drives by, just to let these people know how well protected the premises are.

All that barking makes them very hungry; needing lots of chewies. These of course could be brought along to next month’s fundraiser, IF y’all show up! Especially since Cindy Houston promised to bake some of those delicious dog-biscuits again. These can be sold to unsuspecting people, just to tell them after they buy these treats that our dogs really would appreciate to eat them all by themselves. Some of those gullible humans normally part with their just-bought cookies again. But then we do have lots of human treats too, and the humans don’t have to give THESE back, because we usually have enough to feed everybody. We need you at the fundraiser, in October. Come rain or shine, humidity or snow, please make plans to see what’s new, and maybe do your Christmas shopping, too.

Teddy, our black bear, is still coming for his daily food. Even with his broken front leg, he manages to show up every evening. Up until he had the broken leg he never came closer to the house then about 20 yards. Since his accident, he comes some times all the way to the kitchen door. It seems like he wants to let us know that he is here, and that he needs food. Of course in the shape he is in, it must be horrible for him to roam large areas in the woods to find berries and whatever else a bear eats. But, no fear, he gets fed.

Besides his bag of suet, I put a bowl of honey, or once a bowl of old potato chips out there. He is a very finicky eater, he would not touch the chips, but he did eat a piece of home baked bread, which was in the same bowl.

Last night I shined the flashlight out, because he was late for his food. I did not see him, so I opened the door to get a better look. He was laying about five feet away from the door. Scared the heck out of me. He just eased up, turned around and moseyed slowly away from me. No snarling, or hissing, which he does when another bear comes close to him. This has happened a couple of times, that younger, smaller bears tried to take his food, but even with his injuries he makes sure to scare them off. I do not feed the other bears. At one time years ago, when I felt sorry for them, I started to feed, and by the end of the summer we had eight black bears hanging around. I could not handle that. So from then on when a stranger came, Jim and I tried our best to chase him away. Acting ignorant and waving arms like windmills usually does it. Two frying pans slapped together will scare them off, too.

Since it has been over four weeks now, we figure Teddy will survive. The injuries he sustained to his face, which made me think an infection would eventually kill him, seem to be healing. And when he goes into hibernation, hopefully his bone will mend too.

CAT REPORT  –  August 2009

Not much to say about our cats this month – either they’ve all been healthy and well-behaved, or the heat and humidity have left me too brain-dead to notice what they’re up to. They’ve not minded the weather much. Most are smart enough to lounge around taking it easy while it’s really bad; they get livelier when the air conditioning is on and at night when the house cools down a bit. However, they’re not smart enough to stay off the porch when the thermometer hits 90 degrees; three days in a row I had to shut them in while they ate breakfast and not let them out until evening.

Lisa and Pooh are doing well in their new living arrangement; with dry food down all the time, they’re getting more to eat, and they have more space to explore. Lisa’s found the bed on top of a bookcase that gives a view out over the street and seems to enjoy watching the world, as long as it’s not too noisy. When I’m upstairs delivering meals and cleaning,

Pooh occasionally wanders into the room where Purina and her friends live, and that all goes smoothly. Woodstock, though, intimidates them.  I’ve not seen him do anything threatening or aggressive, but they treat him with respect and keep their distance. He often sleeps on their placemat, so keeping their distance means eating his food instead of their own; since they’re all on the same diet, that’s no big deal. 

Thanks, as always, to the cats’ friends who are so thoughtful about sending them things.  I’ve had coupons this month from Christel Friedow, Teresa Parent and Judy Smith; Arlene Hayes, Iris Martinello, Irma Simon and Roberta Chaves, and Karen, the Charles’ cat and some new friends from an organization called SAFE brought food.  

SAFE stands for Searsport Animal Fund Endowment, and what the group does is hold fundraisers and share the proceeds among people who need financial help to keep their pets fed and healthy in their own homes, instead of giving them to shelters. What a great idea! Right up there with spay/neuter programs and pet food pantries. Gosh, if enough people would start or support those kinds of programs, maybe all our dogs and cats could find good homes.

Arlene Hayes, Reading

Carole Parker, Stoughton

Charlotte Travis, Saugus

Cindy Houston, Woburn

Cristine Cardello, Melrose

Dale Critchley, S. Weymouth

David Fuller, Milville

Donna Bering, Saugus

Dorothy D’Alessandro, Oss.

Dorothy Eckstein, Medford

Enid Hayes, Halifax

George Hinds, Cambridge

Gigi Welch, Stonington

Iris Martinello, Tewksbury

Irma Simon, China

Jean Catignani, Conway

Joan Ryan, New Bedford

Joe D’Alessandro, Tuftonboro

Jon & Barb Anderson, Augusta

Joseph Blake, New Bedford

Joseph Crowley, Westport

Josephine Ford, Holden

Josephine Smith, Woburn

Judith Santos, N. Reading

Judith Smith, Belmont

Judy Rohweder, Northport

Laureen Alden, Stoughton

Linda Merriam, Dresden

Lorena & Harry Clark, Bev.

Lynn Frischmann, Los Gatos

Marcia Smith, Bucksport

Marian Delarue, Woburn