Rogér "Le Chat Noir" Black Cat Needs Your Help!

Dear Cat Fans and Black Cat Loyalists,

As you know today is Halloween and we have a sick black cat that needs your help. AND he looks exactly like the famous "Le Chat Noir" poster cat!!

Rogér was on the brink of death and was ultimately saved. To date his vet bill is close to $3000 (copies of vet bills will be posted soon!)  You see his throat was slashed. How?? Whether by cruel evil person or by accident, we do not know. After this horrific injury began to heal other complications arose.

Rogér was rescued around April 1. He’s a very sweet cat, about 7 years old, who has suffered a lot. He was abused and also possibly hit by a car earlier in life. It appears that someone tried to slash his throat, and his jaw was dislocated (though he looks normal and drinks and eats normally).

He is the living image of the famous French poster “Tournée du Chat Noir”; the resemblance is remarkable.

At the time of rescue, Rogér had extreme diarrhea and was pitifully thin. He has presumptive IBD, did have pancreatitis (now testing normal), and after accidental exposure to a cat with upper respiratory symptoms he fell ill and was assist-fed for 12 days and had sub-Q fluids for 30 days. During that time he turned diabetic. He’s now on insulin. He also eats a special food (hydrolyzed protein) and takes Pepcid and Zofran pills. He’s very easy to medicate.

Rogér is now thriving. He has gone from 7 to 10-1/2 pounds.


FOSTER CARE NEEDED FOR 2 WEEKS

Naturally we need funding to pay the bill so we can help more cats. Also Rogér is diabetic. His foster mother must go out of town to take care of her sick 93 year old mother! We urgently need foster person for 2 weeks. However, he needs to be isolated from other cats as he is not vaccinated (he cannot receive vaccinations until he is in the clear).

Karen will show you how to give insulin shots twice a day. It's not difficult and Rogér is used to it.

To make a donation just click on our donate button on the right column or to volunteer to foster Roger please send us an email to riverfrontcats@yahoo.com.

Isn't the resemblance uncanny?!

Let's help Rogér. Let's help black cats this Halloween!
Be safe everyone.

Why You Should Care About Feral Cats — and How You Can Help Them

Last year as you know Christine went over the top with a fun video about cat ladies and black and stray cats.

This year our plates are overflowing and we need funding for urgent vet bills.  As an authority on feral cats, our President, Christine Michaels, was interviewed for this recent article

Why You Should Care About Feral Cats — and How You Can Help Them

 Please take a moment to read this post (by clicking the link above) and learn more about feral cats. Did you learn something new?  Have you ever fed stray cats?  Let us know--leave a comment below.

Thank you for making a difference in your neighborhood to help reverse the rate of homeless pets.

Pounce in Peace--Dr. Lorie Huston

It is with a heavy heart and devastating disbelief that I share of the sudden passing of an esteemed colleague in the pet world, Dr. Lorie Huston.  This amazing and accomplished woman was more than a veterinarian, pet owner of six cats and an award-winning pet blogger.  Lorie was a passionate pet lover,  respected educator and a gifted leader.

I met Lorie "online" as is the case for 99% of the pet welfare friends and colleagues that I have met across the U.S. and over the years since I "accidentally" became a cat blogger when I moved to the north side of downtown Miami and stumbled upon dozens of homeless cats and kittens.When I exposed Loews Hotel of Orlando for abandoning their successful TNRM program and they made the decision to trap the harmless hotel cats (custom cat houses were built for them) and send all the cats to the shelters for euthanization, I could not believe the number of nationally recognized cat experts and writers who reached out  in support, and wrote about this important story to educate the masses. Lorie was one of them. 

Soft spoken in person, Lorie was a born leader in every sense in the pet welfare world and commanded 100% respect.  Once Lorie was named the new President of the Cat Writer's Association, I and other colleagues rejoiced.  We knew she would move mountains with her forward thinking and mighty pen that served as both educational tool and sword to protect all cats--pets and strays. Lorie made it a point to approach anyone regardless of their background or talent or desire to help pets, asked individuals for ideas, listened intently and incorporated their input into a master plan for the benefit of the Cat Writer's Association and ultimately cats.  And yes, she even reached out to dog people! A fine example of bipartisanship.

Lorie extolled the virtues of humility, grace, and kindness all while brimming with profound but quiet intelligence.  I always wondered how she juggled a veterinarian practice, six cats and a blogging career with ease and grace.  She made it look so easy. 

I recall just this past May sitting in the front row of the kick off night of the BlogPaws conference in Lake Vegas as Lorie received the Winn Feline Foundation Media Appreciation Award. So deserving.

Dr. Lorie Huston accepts award

We regularly met twice a year at major pet blogging conferences, and I was always honored when she asked me for marketing and other ideas where I had experience.  She had vision, a plan. Dr. Lorie Huston was making a difference.

So as I'm drafting this blog post, I received an email from another esteemed colleague, Deb Barnes (of Zee and Zoey) that Lorie had recently written a blog post on August 19, 2014, where she named Deb and I as women she admired!  Imagine my shock. I had no idea!  A woman I had looked up to and admired on so many levels was acknowledging me.  Such a bittersweet moment.

I took this photo last October of Lorie Huston and Deb Barnes at CWA annual conference 2013

Last week we were communicating via email and yesterday I received an email that she had liver failure and was on life support.  Then within a few hours, another email that she had passed. A harsh reminder, we never know what the day will bring, whether we will be on this earth next week, next year...A reminder to make the most of every day, to live life to the fullest, to be kind and to give back. That's exactly how Lorie lived her life and touched and elevated millions of lives -- both humans and pets.

Lorie I grieve in your absence.  The only white light is knowing you are with our beloved pets that have crossed the rainbow bridge and that together you are watching over us as we continue in your footsteps.

 I know you're not resting but ready to pounce on any opportunity in heaven to continue educating and saving millions of voiceless creatures, cats.

Pounce in Peace