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Posts Tagged ‘Empty Cages Collective’

Bunny Returns to Bulldozed Coney Island Garden, Kitten Euthanized

Posted in Animals, Coney Island Redevelopment, tagged Alley Cat Allies, Atlantic City Boardwalk, cat rescue, community garden, Coney Island, Empty Cages Collective, kitten, rabbit on January 8, 2014| 5 Comments »

Runaway bunny returns to bulldozed Coney Island Community Garden. January 7, 2013. Photo by Carolyn McCrory

The rabbit and the cats who ran off during the December 28th pre-dawn bulldozing of the Coney Island Community Garden, where they were cared for by the gardeners, have been spotted. “It is so sad to see them sitting on the barren land,” said Carolyn McCrory, who sent us a photo of the yet-to-be-rescued bunny, a white rabbit with black ears.

It’s distressing to imagine a domestic rabbit left to fend for itself in wintry Coney Island. All the more so because the place was named Conyne Eylandt –Rabbit Island– by the Dutch after the wild rabbits that lived here in the 17th century. This runaway rabbit, who fled when developer iStar bulldozed the garden after Christmas to make way for an amphitheater project, is the only one of its kind. He went back to the garden looking for shelter but found none. Did the bunny survive yesterday’s freeze? [Update: After several sightings, the bunny was finally “netted” by a rescuer on January 18th and is safe.]

Kittens from community garden ended up at ACC, where one was euthanized and these two were rescued by Empty Cages Collective. December 30, 2013.

Another sad story is that of a mother cat, a calico who has been seen returning repeatedly to the bulldozed lot looking for her kittens. As ATZ previously reported, when a gardener collected her chickens she also walked off with three kittens. As it turns out, the next morning a cat carrier with the kittens was left on the boardwalk in front of the demolished garden. Pleas for help were posted on Facebook but before a rescuer could get there, the carrier was picked up by the City’s Animal Care and Control, which is a kill shelter.

PJ McCosky of Empty Cages Collective, who has recently rescued several cats in Coney Island, was alerted and rushed to ACC to save them. One sickly kitten had already been euthanized. The other two kittens were rescued and are now in the care of Empty Cages foster homes. The kittens were about four weeks old when found and need to be bottle fed.

Empty Cages Collective is an all-volunteer organization. You can support the work they do for New York City’s animals by donating or volunteering to become a foster home and following their Facebook page.

Kitten from bulldozed community garden brought to ACC and rescued by Empty Cages Collective. December 30, 2013.

Since ATZ began covering Coney Island in 2009, the colonies of cats have been pushed farther west by the dismantling of Astroland and the demolition of vacant buildings such as the Henderson and the Playland Arcade. The construction on the Boardwalk at West 21st Street is causing further displacement. While there are many people feeding the cats, there is much more that needs to be done. With the new year and the new pro-animal rights administration of Mayor de Blasio, we would like to see a program modeled on Alley Cat Allies Atlantic City Boardwalk Cats Project. Since 2000, the national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats has cared for the feral cat colonies along the boardwalk as part of a city-supported Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. According to their website, Atlantic City Boardwalk’s famous cats draw visitors and admirers from all over the country. Can’t we do the same for cats on the Coney Island Boardwalk?

Coney Island Boardwalk Kitty, September 28, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Coney Island Mama Cat ‘Okaasan’ & Kittens Up for Adoption

Posted in Animals, tagged Bushwick Bark, cat, Coney Island, Empty Cages Collective, rescue cat, Snow Coney, stray cat on December 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Snow Coney’s mom, Okaasan, is up for adoption. Photo via Empty Cages Collective

Snow Coney’s mom ‘Okaasan’ (mother in Japanese) needs a home! This sweet Coney Island cat and her kittens are now up for adoption via Empty Cages Collective. You can visit them at Bushwick Bark, a pet supply store at 175 Knickerbocker Avenue (located off the Jefferson L train) in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Last month, former house cat Okaasan and her new babies were rescued in Coney Island along with ‘Snow Coney,’ her son from a previous litter. As reported previously, Snow Coney was adopted before Christmas. Here’s hoping Mom and kitties find a forever home before New Year’s.

This Coney Island Mama Cat is Snow Coney’s mother. Here she is with her new kittens in Coney Island on November 15th. All are now up for adoption via Empty Cages Collective. Photo by Amusing the Zillion

According to her page on Petfinder…

Okaasan was originally rescued as a stray with babies in Coney Island, Brooklyn… and is now ready for a new home. She enjoys being in the safety of inside now and just wants a warm home to call her own. She is mostly white with adorable little gray patches on her head.

Okaasan is vaccinated, spayed, tested negative for FIV and FELV. The only thing missing in her life is you!

Get in touch if you’re willing to adopt beautiful Okaasan or stop by and say hello: adopt@emptycagescollective.org or 1.800.880.2684.

Coney Island Kittens for Adoption by Empty Cages Collective at Bushwick Bark. December 29, 2013

Update on Coney Island Cat ‘Snow Coney’ & His Family

Posted in Animals, tagged abandoned cat, cat, cat adoption, Coney Island cat, Empty Cages Collective, kitten, Manhattan Cat Specialists, Snow Coney, stray cat on December 10, 2013| 5 Comments »

Snow Coney the Coney Island Cat Recuperating at Manhattan Cat Specialists. December 8, 2013. Photo by Amusing the Zillion

On Sunday, ATZ visited Snow Coney, the Coney Island cat who was rescued last month and is recuperating nicely at Manhattan Cat Specialists after a blood transfusion that saved his life. Though he is still taking antibiotics, our comeback cat is looking good thanks to the expert care he has received from Dr. Plotnick and the staff at MCS.

“I am pretty sure we can pick him up in the next day or two, but it was truly a struggle to get him to survive,” says PJ McKosky of Empty Cages Collective, who rushed the cat to MCS the day after we brought him to a vet in Brooklyn who works with Empty Cages. “He was so close to dying.”

Rescued in Coney Island: Snow Coney the Cat En Route to Vet. November 15, 2013. Photo by Amusing the Zillion

Along with Carolyn McCrory, who works in the amusement area, and Dianna Carlin of Lola Star Boutique, we rescued this very sick cat and named him “Snow Coney” in honor of his white coat and his birthplace. MCS veterinary technicians Liliana Rene and Gina Manes say the Coney Island cat has a great personality and they would adopt him if they did not already have cats.

If you would like to adopt Snow Coney or any of the other rescue cats at Empty Cages Collective, please visit their Facebook page to have a look and fill out an application. Manhattan Cat Specialists also has cats up for adoption and a lively Facebook page with news of cats in New York and around the world.

Snow Coney the Coney Island Cat Recuperating at Manhattan Cat Specialists. December 8, 2013. Photo by Gina Manes

Sadly, Snow Coney’s sibling died, but his mother–a former house cat—and her new kittens were also rescued in Coney Island and are now in an Empty Cages Collective foster home. “They were also sick –anemic also and the babies had bacterial infections– but nothing like Snow Coney,” said McKosky. “Of course, the babies and mom will all need to receive vaccines, deworming, spay/neuter when they are bigger, testing for FIV/FELV on top of all the care they are getting now.”

UPDATE December 15, 2013:

Lucky, lucky Snow Coney will have a forever home at Christmas! The Coney Island cat who was rescued exactly one month ago and nearly died, left the hospital yesterday and is already going to his forever home today. If you are able to, please thank Empty Cages Collective for all that they do–they really do take on the hard cases such as animals who require a lot of medical care– and support new rescues by making a donation or volunteering your time.