A Series of Acts

When I was young, my father would talk about how in his youth his friends and he used to sit around the kitchen table and solve the world's problems.  The solutions seemed so straight-forward to them.  "But," he would say to me, "Real world problems are more complicated than you know.  Someday you'll understand that you don't know it all.  Life is complicated."

I took those words to heart.  I kept trying to learn, understand, and collect more data so that one day, I would know enough to help.  I wanted to know enough to make a difference.    

As I have grown, I have learned that it is not enough to simply know there is a problem or an issue.  It is not enough to merely discuss a problem.  We must also act.

Hyde Park Cats was started by some "crazy cat ladies" who saw they could make a difference in the lives of some feral cats.  They felt an urge to help, and acted.

The women who first discovered two kittens to be named Iris and May, felt an urge to help, and acted.

People read this blog, felt an urge to help, and acted.  

Through this series of acts, Iris and May will be able to get the surgeries they need. 

Life is complicated, and there are problems both large and small, but one doesn't have to wait to know everything to make a difference.   

All of us, by feeling an urge to help, and doing something about that urge, have helped find a solution for these cats. 

Breakdown of the fundraising for Iris and May:

From adopters:  $500

From blog/internet:  $2535

From Trio Animal Foundation:  $1500

Total raised:  $4535!!

We now have enough to cover the surgeries and any complications.  If there are any extra funds, they will be used for our TNR and adoption programs.

Each of you, every one, is an inspiration!

Good morning everyone!

We've reached our goal of $3500!

Thank you all for your donations! 

Trio Animal Foundation of Chicago has agreed to contribute $1500 as well as $500 towards other cats we are pulling from a shelter near us.  More on that later at our blog Hyde Park Cats!

In the next couple of days, we'll post a summary of all of the donations and who posted for us to help us reach our goal!

We'll let you know when the surgeries are scheduled and post before and after pics.  

Thank you again!!!!!

I am so excited to let you all know that we've raised $2000 toward our goal of $3500!

If you can keep sharing information about Iris and May, it is appreciated.

Our new tally is $1695.  That's amazing.  We're basically halfway to our goal!

We've now raised $1695 towards our goal of $3500 for Iris and May's eyelid surgeries!

Thank you so much to everyone from all over the country and Canada who have stepped forward to help these sweet kitties!

And thank you to Tenth Life Cats in St. Louis who tweeted about Iris and May's story!  They are a cat rescue in St. Louis who provides another chance at life to St. Louis's stray cats, especially those with extreme medical needs or ongoing health issues.  Check them out at Tenth Life Cats or on Twitter @tenthlifecats.

We only have $1805 to go!  Even if you can't donate anything towards this cause,  please keep sharing!

As of late this morning, in just 3 days we have raised $995 towards our goal of $3500!

That means only $2505 left to go!  Please keep SHARING information about Iris and May.  I'm certain we can reach our goal.

Thank you to to Kim Thomas (Twitter @CidylusMuse) for tweeting, facebooking, AND adding a link about Iris and May to her Google+ account.  

Thank you to Oskar the Blind Cat for allowing us to post about Iris and May on his Facebook page.  

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

                                 
                                           

We've raised $620 so far!!!

As of this morning, we have raised $620 of the $3500 we need!  Only $2880 left to go!

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated for the surgeries to help Iris and May.  Thank you also to Paul Klusman, cat video producer extraordinaire, creator of "An Engineer's Guide to Cats".  He posted a link to our blog on his Facebook site helping bring in donations from all over the country.

Please keep sharing this blog with as many people as you can!  The link for donations is to the right or send an email to hydeparkcats@gmail.com to inquire about mailing a check.

And, if you're just joining us, the earlier posts and the links to the right have more information about Iris and May and the surgeries they need.

Agenesis of the eyes

Why is this surgery so expensive?  We wanted to tell you more about Iris and May's condition called agenesis of the eyes.

Below:  May looking cute. 


The kittens' outer eyelids are missing, and therefore their eyes do not have the protection from the elements or their own fur. Compare this to the feeling of having an eyelash in your eye, but for Iris and May, it is several hairs and is constant. That can't be comfortable.

In addition, the resulting dryness and abrasions to the front of the eye can lead to scarring and a much higher risk of infection, resulting in potential blindness and maybe even losing the eye entirely (as Iris already had when HPC found her).  May already has signs of corneal scarring, despite daily lubricating ointment. Surgery to the eyelids is the only way to replace their eyelids and make these kittens comfortable.



A close-up of May's eye.

37 cents

Perhaps you're thinking:  "Wow.  A $4000 surgery for two cats.  That's $2000 per cat.  Think of how many other cats/dogs/people that money could help."

You're right.  $2000 is a lot of money.  If you want to think of it in purely economical terms,  assuming a cat lives 15 years (average age of a house cat is 14-20 years) that's $133 per year or about 37 cents a day.  Interestingly, the oldest cat ever recorded was Creme Puff, who lived to 38 years old.  

As a small group with limited resources, we've had to make some very hard decisions about what cats to save and what cats to let go.  Sometimes, a humane death is a better choice than a lifetime of suffering.  

It is never an easy choice for any of us. 

But sometimes, cats come to us that are full of vitality, charm, and stubbornness.  They demand to be saved.  Iris and May are such cats.  Their presence in this world is worth way more than 37 cents per day.  

When Ruth, the woman who found Iris, picked her up from the park that day, Ruth put Iris in a carrier and biked her immediately to our local vet.  Iris was so sick that Ruth was sure the tiny kitten would be dead by the time she got to the vet.

Upon being told by the vet that this tiny kitten was blind in one eye, Ruth called her Iris hoping that her beautiful name would give back some of what her hard start in life had taken away.

Yesterday, we had 120 visitors to this blog.  Due to the generosity of these visitors, yesterday we collected $345 towards our goal!

Thank you to all of you who know that love is worth so much more than 37 cents a day.

Can you help?

We Need Your Help!  Help us raise $3500!

Hyde Park Cats needs your help to pay for the costs of surgery for two kittens: 
Iris and May. 

Iris and May were tiny kitten sisters found by a community member in the gardening 
shed of a local park.  We trapped the kittens, as well as the mother cat, and have found
permanent, loving homes for all of them. (More information about Iris and May can
be found in the links to the right.)

Iris and May were both born with congenital eye defects; and, because of a raging eye 
infection she already had when we first found her, Iris only has one functioning eye.  
Both sisters have agenesis of the eyelids, meaning that their eyelids did not develop 
normally or completely. They both require surgery to repair their eyelids and Iris will 
need to have her non-functioning eye removed.  

The specialist we consulted gave us discount for the consultation and the surgery and
recommended that we plan the surgery for when Iris and May got a bit bigger.  
They are thriving and have gotten big enough for their procedures.

The total cost for their surgeries is around $4000.  We have a promise of $500 from the 
couple who wants to adopt them.  We need to collect $3500.

Any amount you can give is appreciated!  $5, $10, or more if you can.  
Little amounts DO add up!  

Please use the PayPal link to the right or send and email to 
hydeparkcats@gmail.com to inquire about mailing a check.

About Hyde Park Cats

Hyde Park Cats is a small, completely volunteer-run and donation-funded

cat-rescue group. We are a network of volunteers and fosterers caring

for and about feral and abandoned cats in Hyde Park, a racially and

economically diverse community on the South side of Chicago.

We began our work as a TNR (trap-neuter-return) group with a specific

mission to stop feline population growth in the economically depressed

slices of our neighborhood but through the years our mission has expanded 
to also include trapping, neutering, and adoption (TNA) of friendly cats from 
the area.  Find more information about us in the links to your right.

Our small group relies on donations to continue our work. Our limited

funding sources help us to continue our mission, but sometimes cats find

us that need much more expensive care.  The cost of surgeries for Iris and 
May is a huge amount for our small group to absorb.

Can you help us give Iris and May a new beginning 
and prevent further damage to their eyes ?

We thank you for this chance to make a difference in the lives of these

sweet kittens.