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Coney Island Valentine: Get a Sea Lion Kiss at New York Aquarium!

Posted in Animals, tagged aquarium, Brooklyn, California Sea Lion, Coney Island, Julie Atlas Muz, New York Aquarium, Norman Blake, Photography by Norman Blake, Sea Lion Encounter, Valentine's Day on February 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Julie Finds a Friend © 2007 Norman Blake. All rights reserved. NB Photo Flash via flickr

ATZ is celebrating Valentine’s Day with one of our fave portraits by contributing photographer Norman Blake. That’s Coney Island mermaid Julie Atlas Muz getting a smooch from a sea lion after her annual swim in the New York Aquarium’s tank on Mermaid Parade Day.

This Valentine’s Day and all year long, you too can get a sea lion kiss at Coney Island’s New York Aquarium! From ATZ’s inbox…

Catch one of the aquarium’s daily Sea Lion Celebrations in Aquatheater, and afterwards, book a Sea Lion Encounter to ask questions and get up close with our sea lion celebrities. Visitors will receive a meet-and-greet session with one of the aquarium’s California sea lions. Encounters occur every day after the Sea Lion Celebration show. Participants will learn about these magnificent animals, ask questions, and finally get a sea lion kiss. Sea Lion Encounters cost $20.00 per participant.

The Aquatheater demonstrations are included with general admission to the aquarium and take place twice daily. Winter shows are at 11:30 am and 3 pm. “Our pinnipeds (the scientific term for sea lions, seals, and walruses) also make great teachers,” says Jon Forrest Dohlin, Aquarium Director. “You’ll learn how to make seafood choices that are healthy for the planet, why predators like the great white shark are essential to maintaining a balanced food chain, and how the WCS [Wildlife Conservation Society] is helping to save threatened marine life and habitats around the globe.”

The New York Aquarium is open 365 days a year. Admission is $13.00 for adults, $9.00 for children ages 3-12 and $10.00 for senior citizens 65 and older. A general admission ticket allows you to explore the New York Aquarium and attend all animal feedings and demonstrations. Admission on Fridays beginning at 3 pm is pay-what-you-wish!

New York Aquarium, Surf Avenue at West 8th Street, Coney Island, 718-265-FISH

I Love NYC Pets Month Preview: Coney Island Cat Rescue

Posted in Animals, tagged animal rescue, Brooklyn, cat adoption, Coney Island, feral cat, I Love NYC Pets Month, Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, stray cat on January 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Grill House Kitties on Coney Island's Boardwalk. Photo © silversalty via flickr

Beneath the ramps to Coney Island’s Boardwalk and within its vacant buildings, feral, stray and abandoned cats find shelter. The cats are regularly fed and looked after by a contingent of Coney Island cat lovers. They have been photographed by residents and tourists alike. Devin Sturdy, a tourist from Melbourne, Australia, was visiting Coney Island in December when he happened to see a man feeding a dozen cats and trying to rescue a sick one. When we found Devin’s video on YouTube the other day, we were reminded just how many cats are up for adoption by animal rescue groups. There are currently 162,407 cats, seeking a “forever home,” or even a foster home, on Petfinder.com. Take a look at their photos and read their bios. Make room for them in your hearts and give them homes. February will be “I Love NYC Pets” month, a citywide pet adoption celebration sponsored by the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals. Their slogan is “Will You Be My Furry Valentine?”

When ATZ contacted videographer Devin Sturdy in Australia, he said he’d always been fascinated by Coney Island and “it seemed more appealing to me in winter, quiet and spooky.” Here’s what he told us about the Coney Island cat rescue:

Shortly after disembarking the subway train, I noticed a man feeding cats, not just one or two, but tens of cats. I asked him what he was doing. He was from New Jersey and worked as a volunteer for an organisation that helps animals. He had driven to Coney Island to pick up a specific cat that a friend had told him about. It had been recently abandoned and it had been seen in the area.

Because the cat was not feral, and relatively housebound, he thought it was not necessary to bring a cage with him. However, upon arrival, he noticed another cat that had a sore on its face. He thought it may be a tumor and was concerned about its welfare and wanted to take it to a friend of his who is a vet.

He slowly fed the cat for more than half an hour in an attempt to coax the cat into the car. Finally, after gaining enough trust to be able to touch the cat, he grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. He said that feral cats either immediately relax in a closed environment or go nuts. As you can see from the video, this cat was not comfortable.

I stopped filming because I was concerned that the cat was going to hurt itself. I can tell you that the man opened the door shortly afterward (a couple of seconds) and the cat calmly stepped out of the car and wandered off. He told me that he would return later that day with a cage and attempt to find the cat.

I am a bit of an advocate of adopting stray pets. We rescued our cat Kitty (original name!) from the streets and she lived to be seventeen years old!

Grill House Kitties on Coney Island’s Boardwalk. Photo © silversalty via flickr

We understand completely, Devin. After our own beloved 13-year-old cat went to cat heaven, we find ourselves spending a lot of time “just looking” at photos on Petfinder. By February we’ll be ready to adopt or foster a cat or two.

Here’s a calendar of animal adoption events in New York City and a list of animal rescue groups grouped by borough. If you can’t adopt a pet, please consider helping out these organizations by volunteering or making a donation to support their work. Me-ow.

More Genuine Coney Island Kittens Up for Adoption!

Posted in Animals, tagged adoption, Animals, Brooklyn, cat, kitten, New York on September 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

UPDATE January 2010…
All of the Coney Island kitties pictured below were adopted a few months ago and we don’t know of any Coney Island cat ladies looking for homes for any more CI kitties as of Jan 1, 2010. However….

ATZ came across the cutest Greenpoint kitties on our friend Miss Heather’s blog: “People are leaving cans of food out for these kittens. What they need is TLC and a home. Anyone interested in adopting these kittens should contact me via email at missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com. I’ll hook you up with the “owner” of these kittens.”

ATZ also recommends visiting www.petfinder.com, the virtual home of 290,884 adoptable pets from 12,973 adoption groups! You can browse through their database of pets in your area and look at photos and bios. We found our cat on petfinder and highly recommend the site!

Luna Park Kitty Needs Loving Home

I’m a genuine Coney Island Kitten, born & raised by a fine feline-loving family in Luna Park Houses . You can’t get any more Coney Island than that. Please adopt me! My brothers and sisters, too! Contact the humans via flickrmail or amusingthezillion[at]gmail.com

Rub my tummy, pleez!

A few months ago ATZ helped find homes for some of these “Adorable & Adoptable: Genuine Coney Island Kittens.” If you would like an older kitten, this pretty, sweet-tempered cat is now nine months old….