Maria's Cats

10/21/2023

Still looking for his forever home:
It's VINCENT aka VINNIE aka VINCE. Whatever you want to call him, he's the best...

We are proud to introduce you to a very special cat named Vincent. This Halloween there will be no tricks, but he is seeking a treat...a loving forever home!

Vincent's journey has been one of resilience and hope. He was rescued from a challenging hoarding situation after the person who cared for him passed away. Now, he is on a quest to find a loving home that will allow him to flourish into the remarkable cat he (and we) knows he can be.

Vincent is not defined by his past. He is a friendly and gentle soul, with a heart full of love to give. Despite his difficult experiences, he has retained his amiable nature and even gets along well with other cats! It's his wary side that can occasionally show itself, but who could blame him after all he's been through?

He's not asking for much; all Vincent wants is the chance to experience the love and pampering he truly deserves. With a little bit of patience and understanding, he will learn to trust and relax in a safe environment, revealing his true self, which is filled with affection and potential.

If you're someone who can offer patience, kindness, and a loving home to Vincent, you'll be rewarded with the companionship of a remarkable cat who has conquered adversity and is now eager to share his love with you. Please, won’t you give Vincent a chance?

Vincent is located in Weehawken NJ. To find out more about him, please contact us here or visit his Petfinder profile: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/vincent-55326212/nj/weehawken/the-lucky-cat-rescue-nj829/

10/07/2023

My friend Pattie Kleinke​ aka Cathy Keisha​, of Weehawken, died yesterday. She was such a kind, sensitive, caring person. We were strangers, but soon found that we had lots in common: our background as commercial artists, our love of independent/alternative music in the 1980s (REM, the dBs, the Bongos, Fleshtones, Feelies, etc) and of course, cat rescue!

Her brother has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a cat charity of their choice. Pattie often heard my stories of TLC helping "Maria's Cats", the 28 cats left homeless when their person died. Pattie mentioned it in her blog and now her friends have made a Go Fund Me in her memory...

We recently lost one of our long-time online friends and we are… Mr Breeze kittehboi needs your support for Honors Pattie Kleinke, 's TW

09/20/2023

I just received a wonderful report on Percy: "We are doing so well!! His personality has totally blossomed, he’s such a chatty boy and he loves to play!!"

Like many of Maria's Cats, Percy was very feisty and not very friendly. Look at him now!!!

Thanks to Jess, and all the other people who adopted one or more of Maria's Cats

09/17/2023

Is there anything sadder than no one wanting photos of someone that died?

I can think of only one thing - two of her 28 cats that are still homeless after two years because no one seems to want to adopt them :( The photos are going in the trash, but I'm never giving up on Streak (pictured with the pictures) and Vincent!

LMK if you're interested in adopting either one of these fine cats

09/14/2023

09/09/2023

Union City, NJ

Looking for a FOREVER home…

STREAK is a friendly, healthy, petite, middle-aged (~7 years old) cat with a cute, crumpled ear.

She’s one of two cats left from a 28 cat hoard rescued over 2 years ago when their person died. Poor little girl has been fostered, adopted, fostered (adopter died), and fostered again when her foster family’s dogs decided they didn’t like her.

I have her now and she is so sweet, there is nothing she’s done to deserve all the juggling she’s been through.

Streak is shy at first, but comes around when she’s comfortable, which could take many weeks. Rest assured, your patience will be rewarded!

She is spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, FIV/FeLV negative and just had a dental so is feeling great - finally ready to settle down!

Her crumpled ear needs wiping out a couple of times a week, but it’s no big deal. I’m fostering Streak and can promise you she loves having her ears cleaned!

She enjoys the company of other cats, but if you have other animals in your household, I always suggest foster-to adopt.

Please consider adopting this loving sweetheart, who’s been through so much.

Thanks for reading and sharing, Liz

09/02/2023

TODAY, Saturday 10-4 🙂 1807 Palisade Ave. Union City.
Please stop by! All proceeds benefit the last two of Maria's Cats and also TLC Rescue's TNR (trap, neuter, return) project.

SIDEWALK SALE Saturday, September 2 10-4 Decorative items, clothing, books, household items, chatchkas, knick knacks, misc. etc. 1807 Palisade Ave, Union City, 07087 100% proceeds benefit rescued...

08/24/2023

Union City, NJ

STREAK and VINCENT are friendly, healthy, attractive, middle-aged cats. They have matching crumpled ears that need wiping out a couple of times a week, but it’s no big deal. I’m fostering Streak and can promise you she loves having her ears cleaned!

These are the last two cats left from a 28 cat hoard rescued over 2 years ago when their person died.

Streak is shy at first, but comes around when she’s comfortable. She just had a dental and is feeling great - finally ready for a real home!

Vincent loves attention. He’s a playful, lap cat. Lover of people and cats alike.

Both enjoy the company of other cats, but if you have other animals in your household, I always suggest fostering first to see if they are a good fit for your family.

Please help me find good, permanent homes for these two deserving cats, who’ve been through so much.

Bonus points (and a reduced adoption fee) if you adopt both!

Thanks for reading and sharing, Liz

08/04/2023

Only TWO more of
Maria's Cats need homes.
I'll update properly later.

08/04/2023

FANTASTIC NEWS:
We've had a foster fail!!!
SpotDot has been adopted!

06/24/2023

This beautiful, sweet, 8 year old cat is currently in a crate in my basement. Not ideal, but all I could offer since I'm also housing a little kitty rescued from inside a car (a whole other story!) and Streak, one of the last of Maria's Cats. With my own Trixie and Roger, I'm currently at capacity! Anyone interested in adopting her?

This week we have been getting an incredible amount of calls for help with either kittens, injured cats, friendly cats in the street etc. To say we are overwhelmed is just putting it lightly.
Who do prioritize??….very difficult.
Several hours ago we got a call for help for a senior cat who was loosing her home & was being sent to the shelter. We all know how depressed they can become in a shelter setting.
So after several texts, phone calls & pleas for help we couldn’t be more grateful to one of our foster homes who took her temporarily.
8yr old Angelina will be going to the vet next week to prepare her for adoption. And we are hoping we can find her a permanent forever home soon. If anybody is interested in adopting this beautiful girl please message us. We would love to get her in a home as soon as possible. Despite of loosing the home she grew up in & felt safe in, her foster mom says she’s very sweet.
A huge thank you to her foster parents!! And very special thank you to ACO Fern who always cares for the well being of all the animals that he helps.

03/30/2023

Union City, NJ

Newest pictures of this friendly, handsome cat rescued from a hoarder house...

Vincent, ~6-7 years old, loves attention and will head butt you until he gets it. He’s really a fun, playful cat. He gets along with other cats, but can get a little jealous sometimes.

Vincent has a crumpled over ear that needs to be wiped out every week. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a big deal. When it’s not done, he’s more at risk for ear infection and wax build up.

Vinnie aka Vincent aka Vince is healthy, neutered, vaccinated and tested negative for FIV & FeLV

Do you have room in your heart and home for this fantastic 'lil guy?

03/13/2023

Streak's foster mom reports that she is just the SWEETEST cat. She tries so hard to snuggle with the resident cat but he's not interested :( Please help me find a home for Streak where she can have a cat best friend.

Streak is ~6-7 years old and was recently returned when her adopter died and no family member wanted her :( She’s friendly towards cats and people alike. Like most cats, she’s a little shy at first, but warms up quickly. She’s a very gentle, loving cat, who loves attention.

She's healthy, fully vaccinated and FIV/FeLV negative.

Bonus points (and a reduced adoption fee) if you adopt her along with one or both of the two other remaining cats from Maria's hoard. Insta-cat-family!!!

Location: Union City, NJ

03/04/2023

You might recall Marco, Maria's cat who had his ears removed. Here's the latest update from his new "mom": "Marco is my beloved baby boy. He loves kisses, cuddles, stealing my lap from my other kitty, playing with treats and the laser pointer. He is here forever and ever!"

What a very lucky cat he is!

02/10/2023

Union City, NJ

In September of 2021 my neighbor Maria died, leaving 28 cats. Sadly, Vincent, SpotDot and Streak are still in need of forever homes.

All three are friendly, healthy, neutered, vaccinated and tested negative for FIV & FeLV

Vincent, ~6-7 years old, loves attention and will head butt you until he gets it. He’s really a fun, playful cat. He gets along with other cats, but can get a little jealous sometimes.

Vincent has a crumpled over ear that needs to be wiped out every week. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a big deal. When it’s not done, he’s more at risk for ear infection and wax build up.

SpotDot, ~7-8 years old, is laid back, a little slow to warm up, but a very pleasant, playful, chill cat once he knows and trusts you. He’s named for the spot (or dot) at the end of his tail. My indecisiveness about what to call him led to his combination name. He’d be content either as an only cat, or with a companion.

Streak, ~6-7 years old, was recently returned to me when her adopter died and no family member wanted her :( She’s friendly towards cats and people alike. She’s a little shy at first, but warms up quickly. She’s a very gentle, loving cat, who loves attention.

Please help me find good, permanent homes for these deserving cats, who’ve been through so much.

Bonus points (and a discounted adoption fee) if you adopt more than one!

Thanks for reading and sharing, Liz

01/23/2023

Union City, NJ

In September of 2021 my neighbor Maria died, leaving 28 cats. Sadly, Vincent and SpotDot are the last two still in need of forever homes.

They were in PetSmart for a couple of months, but nothing panned out for them, and they didn’t seem happy there, so I pulled them out and placed them in temporary foster homes, where they are thriving.

They are both friendly, healthy, neutered males who have been vaccinated and tested. Vincent is around 6 years old, SpotDot around 8.

Vincent loves attention and will head butt you until he gets it. He’s really a fun, playful cat. He gets along with other cats, but can get a little jealous sometimes.

Vincent has a crumpled over ear that needs to be wiped out every week. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a big deal. When it’s not done, he’s more at risk for ear infection and wax build up.

SpotDot is more laid back, slower to warm up, but a very pleasant, chill cat once he knows and trusts you. He’s named for the spot (or dot) at the end of his tail. My indecisiveness about what to call him led to his combination name. He’d be content either as an only cat, or with a companion.

Please help me find good, permanent homes for these two deserving cats, who’ve been through so much.

Bonus points if you adopt both!

Thanks for reading and sharing, Liz

01/14/2023

UPDATE: Topsy Turvey News... Bad news is that SpotDot's adoption fell through. Good news is that Streak is in a very nice foster home.

Maria’s Cats, Union City, NJ
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS…

Good News: Looks like SpotDot is going to be adopted! More about that when it’s final.

Bad News: The lovely woman who adopted Streak last summer has died and no one in the family is willing to take her. Poor Streak is now staying alone in my cluttered office awaiting a new home.

Streak is around 6 or 7 years old, spayed, vaccinated, healthy, FIV & FeLV negative. She’s friendly towards cats and people alike. She’s a little shy at first, but warms up quickly. She’s a very gentle, loving cat, who loves attention.

Since being rescued from a hoarding situation last year, she's bounced around so much - I would love to bypass a foster home and get her right into a permanent home, but if foster is all you can offer, I'll take it!

When you adopt a middle aged cat, you know what you’re getting! Please consider helping Streak out by welcoming her into your home. You won’t regret it!

12/18/2022

Union City, NJ. FOSTER OR ADOPT playful, cuddly cat

Kittens? For Christmas?! BAH HUMBUG!

Why adopt a frisky kitten that needs tons of attention and won’t let you sleep, when you can rescue a wonderful, middle aged, full grown, you know what you’re getting, what you see is what you get, CAT.

96 people shared Vincent’s post, yet NOT ONE PERSON inquired about him! I have no idea why he hasn't been snatched up yet, he’s a first rate cat, for sure!!!

Vincent AKA Vince AKA Vinnie is friendly, healthy & neutered. He’s around 6 or 7 years old, vaccinated, and tested negative for FIV & FeLV

He’s one of two cats remaining from a hoard of 28, discovered when a well-meaning woman died last year in Union City, NJ :(

Vincent has a crumpled over ear that needs to be wiped out every week. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a big deal and he enjoys it. When it’s not done, he’s more at risk for an ear infection and wax build up.

Vincent loves attention and will head butt you until he gets it. He’s really a fun cat. He gets along with other cats, but can get a little jealous sometimes.

He’s in a very nice foster home, but is more playful than the senior resident cat can handle; a frustrating situation for both of them.

Can you provide a home for Vincent? Preferably with another playful cat? Let me know!

Thanks for reading and sharing.
Happy Holidays!
Liz

11/11/2022

Special Adopter Needed for cuddly, lap cat who needs a home. Union City, NJ

It was just over a year ago that my neighbor Maria died, leaving 28 cats. Sadly, Vincent is one of the last two still in need of a forever home. I have no idea why he hasn't been snatched up yet, he’s a first rate cat, for sure!!! The report from his foster home is that he's a cuddler and a lap cat.

Vincent AKA Vince AKA Vinnie is friendly, healthy & neutered. He’s around 6 or 7 years old, vaccinated, and tested negative for FIV & FeLV

Vincent has a crumpled over ear that needs to be wiped out every week. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a big deal and he enjoys it. When it’s not done, he’s more at risk for an ear infection and wax build up.

Vincent loves attention and will head butt you until he gets it. He’s really a fun cat. He gets along with other cats, but can get a little jealous sometimes.

Please help me find a good, permanent home for this deserving little guy, who’s been through so much.

Thanks for reading and sharing, Liz

10/29/2022

Sheba died yesterday.

Sheba was a wild little cat, more fond of other felines than people. We have no idea what her background was or how she came to reside at Maria's.

When Maria's apt was being sold, I was desperate to find homes for the remaining cats and sent emails to around a hundred rescue organizations. Final Hope Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Jersey City, NJ was the only one that had a spot to offer. They asked if I had any seniors and I immediately thought of Sheba.

On April 5, I brought Sheba to Final Hope and, during my subsequent visits, it was obvious that she was very well taken care of. She made a couple of best friends and enjoyed hanging out in the linen closet with them when the door was accidentally left open.

Sheba was a spicy little cat and I'm so thankful that her last days were spent pleasantly. Thanks especially to Chris. If you'd like to donate to Final Hope in Sheba's memory: http://PayPal.me/FinalHope
https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3459269512923115251
https://a.co/3qeHrg7 (amazon wish list)
https://www.chewy.com/.../final-hope-animal-rescue
http://www.finalhope.org ❤️

10/16/2022

ANDY, aka "Angry Eyes", has been officially adopted by his foster family and couldn't be happier! In fact, he's so happy, his eyes are wide open now! No more intense, scary, glaring.

I only called him Angry Eyes to differentiate him from Andrew, Spot Dot and Marco, who look very similar. Maybe that was a mistake. OK, it was. And Kim quickly corrected me and suggested that we call him Andy.

I was sure the expression on his face was genetic and had nothing to do with how he was feeling. But... I WAS WRONG!

Look at Andy now, just days after being told that he's been adopted!!!

Thanks to Kerry & Cecily for loving Andy and welcoming him into your home

09/26/2022

THANK YOU to everyone who donated or shopped or helped at the sidewalk sale yesterday.

We pulled in ~$350/ All of it will go towards vet bills, mostly for Marco, the cat who had his ears removed, but little things keep coming up, for instance SpotDot developed an ear problem, and because he's not adopted yet, guess who has to pay for the vet bill?!

Thanks very much! We might have another fundraising sale next Saturday; I'll have to check the weather forecast :)

PS. Pictured are SpotDot and Vincent, patiently waiting for their forever homes.

09/18/2022

Union City, NJ

It was just over a year ago that my neighbor Maria died, leaving 28 cats. Sadly, Vincent and SpotDot are the last two still in need of forever homes.

They were in PetSmart for a couple of months, but nothing panned out for them, and they didn’t seem happy there, so I pulled them out and placed them in temporary foster homes.

They are both friendly, healthy, neutered males who have been vaccinated and tested. Vincent is around 6 years old, SpotDot around 8.

Vincent is borderline special needs because he has a crumpled over ear that needs to be wiped out every week. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not a big deal. When it’s not done, he’s more at risk for ear infection and wax build up.

On the bright side, Vincent loves attention and will head butt you until he gets it. He’s really a fun cat. He gets along with other cats, but can get a little jealous sometimes.

SpotDot is more laid back, much slower to warm up, but a very pleasant, chill cat once he knows and trusts you. He’s named for the spot (or dot) at the end of his tail. My indecisiveness about what to call him led to his combination name. He’d be content either as an only cat, or with a companion.

Please help me find good, permanent homes for these two deserving cats, who’ve been through so much.

Bonus points if you adopt both!

Thanks for reading and sharing, Liz

11/12/2021

LUCY is looking comfortable in her new home! Thank you TLC Rescue for making the match

11/12/2021

Spot, Andy, Didi and Millie

11/11/2021

This is HEDDA. Originally known as “Head Butt-er Lump”, named for her attention getting head butting, and the cyst that she had on her neck. The cyst has been removed (thank you Dr. Carlos) but she still loves attention.

Hedda is a sweetheart, aged 6-7, up to date with her shots and FeLV & FIV negative. The only downside with Hedda is that she needs to be sedated prior to vet visits because she completely freaks out, acts feral & insane.

To adopt, foster, or donate towards Hedda’s care, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/MariasCatsNJ/ (Union City, NJ)

11/11/2021

11/10/2021

Percy moved to a foster home yesterday. Big milestone...
14 cats in the house,
14 cats OUT of the house

11/04/2021

FOSTER OR PERMANENT HOME NEEDED for sweet, pretty, petite, shy, young Abigail. She's around 1-2 years old & recently spayed. She's one of 28 cats that my late neighbor, Maria, rescued from the streets of Union City, NJ.

I can pet her in the crate, and even though she seems to like it, she resists, so someone who can help socialize her is ideal.

She gets along with cats, but has never been around dogs, so that's an unknown.

Abigail is up to date on vaccinations and FeLV & FIV negative, but needs to be isolated from any resident animals until she is retested for Giardia & Coccidia (she didn't have symptoms, but was treated because other cats in the household had it).

For more information, or to apply to foster or adopt: https://www.facebook.com/MariasCatsNJ

11/01/2021

Rough day at the cat house. I was there early to take Lou Lou to the vet (turns out I was wrong once again and Lou Lou is Louis). There was an emergency, so we waited for quite a while. Luckily I was prepared with a novel and knitting. Louis was very well behaved.

Not unexpected, but still disappointing, he's another older cat. 8-10 is the estimate. I have no problem with his age, but it's obviously much harder to find a home for a 10 year old than a one or two year old.

I enjoyed an appetizer of two bites from a Miller's Bakery Cheese Bun in a desperate attempt to quell my appetite when leaving the vets. Lunch was a banana and a bag of mixed raw nuts, with some popcorn and water to wash it all down. Thanks to Art for dining with me in the car so I didn't have to leave Louis alone while I ate.

Back to the cat house where I failed to get him into a crate. Started medicating everyone. Two threw up the medicine, so I tried again. They only need it for three days, but it's nasty tastying stuff, so the second and third attempts have been more and more of a struggle.

Get a text that Louis' lab reports are back and he has an infection. Goody! One more medicine to add to the mix... and he's not in a crate.

Whenever I thought I was ready to go, someone pooped or threw up again. It was never ending, all afternoon affair.

And now I return for the second visit. It'll be a quick one, barring any unforseen situations.

A little rougher than usual, but fairly typical.
My eye has been twitching all day.

Pictures are from an earlier, happier visit.