Saturday, July 2, 2011

This cat is stranded off East River Park


East Village resident Clotilde Testa writes to tell us the following ... she was walking through East River Park "and noticed so many stray cats, one of which was stranded and abandoned on the off-shore industrial area opposite the East River Environmental Learning Center.

"That poor fella looks like he's starving to death and stuck off shore. He was meow-ing away. Do you know someone who might be able to help?"

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, you can help!!! Throw some food over.

Anonymous said...

fuck it, i'm a go check it out myself.

EV Grieve said...

I was afraid I'd hit the cat with the can of food by mistake.

VH McKenzie said...

Looks like you can call 311:


From the ASPCA website:

Helping Animals

1. Report Cruelty:
In NYC: (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450
In NJ: (800) 582-5979 / online form
Outside NYC and NJ: Reporting Cruelty FAQ.

2. Found/Lost/Stray Animals:
NYC Only: Center for Animal Care and Control (CACC) at 311

Anonymous said...

For goodness sake, don't call the ACC! They kill 30+ cats on an average day - several kittens for "temper!" (And the ASPCA oversees the ACC, so... Not much of a great idea either.)
Why not call for help from the FDNY? Fire departments help with animals stuck where regular people fear to go. If someone cared enough to take a picture, maybe they could go there with the firemen?

Clotilde said...

I am heading there now and gonna call and see if someone can help. I have just moved here from London so wasn't aware of who could possibly help. Fingers crossed I can help the bugger.

number1rider said...

ANY UPDATE ON THIS CAT PLEASE ? THANKS

Anonymous said...

We are there now and trying to help. 311 was a waste of time, and 911 fdny won't help out either. Anyone got a very long ladder?

Anonymous said...

We are there now and trying to help. 311 was a waste of time, and 911 fdny won't help out either. Anyone got a very long ladder?

number1rider said...

is the cat there ? call the PD - some one has to come - they cant just leave the cat there to starve - start screaming for help -LOUD

Anonymous said...

Go to a Bodega on Ave D, get some cans of cat food with pull tops, open them and toss them near the cats.

Anonymous said...

Go to a Bodega on Ave D, get some cans of cat food with pull tops, open them and toss them onto the boat.

Anonymous said...

Please, please, as a Londoner myself who's found out about all the horrors of the NYC ACC, I beg you... if you get to this little chap (or lady!) PLEASE don't hand him/her over to these kill shelters. He'll have 3 days' grace if he's lucky.. Better that you contact one of the no-kill rescues in the city if no-one can offer him/her a safe place to stay for a while. Thank you so much for caring about this little furbabe...

number1rider said...

o.k WE NEED NAMES OF PEOPLE OR DEPARTMENTS YOU CALLED - WE ARE GONNA TRY TO GET THIS ON THE NEWS. BUT WHO DENIED COMING OUT PLEASE ? I NEED THE NAMES OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE TELEPHONE NUMBERS - MY EMAIL DIRECT IS elnumero1rider@msn.com - we have to keep waiting for aproval here - we need a repply so you can get help there PLEASE . thanks, Alexandra 858-335-0431

number1rider said...

omg this is terrible waiting to hear something

Marina Guvenc said...

I have a reporter waiting to cover this. Please email me your phone number now. marina.guvenc@gmail.com

Clotilde said...

I have called every number that has been thrown my way but looks like no one can help. It's ridiculous. If someone has a very long ladder then Rob and I would gladly jump on there and rescue the cat ourselves but sadly we don't. What could we do?

Anonymous said...

I dont know the area but are there any boaters that go thru there ?? Canoes/Kayaks? Maybe someone can get out there with a boat and grab the cat Just a suggestion I cant believe the fd wont help tell them its your cat maybe get them over there or if its not that far out maybe a long board or boards screwed together could be placed out there and the cat can just walk back to land POOR KITTY =(

number1rider said...

CLOTILDE - please give us info on who you called and the numbers - we have a reporter to go out there tomorrow - we need to rat out those ass's that wouldnt help please .

Anonymous said...

I JUST SEEN THIS...CANNOT BELIEVE NO-ONE WILL HELP YOU...DID ANYONE TRY CALLING THE COAST GUARD...IS THERE NOT ANYONE IN NYPD OR NYFD HAVE A HEART ANYMORE...
HAS THERE BEEN ANY UPDATES...HAS THIS BABY BEEN SAVED...

Anonymous said...

If it's a feral cat, then there is nothing you can (or need) to do about it. When it comes to life or death, the cat will swim for it. (cats are natural swimmers)
In fact, if anybody goes out there, the cat will jump in the water before it lets you get anywhere near it.

I am not familiar with this industrial structure, but the photo shows part of a rope. Is this a barge? is it moored to the shore in any way? A cat could certainly cross a rope. (chasing a rat dinner)

Anonymous said...

This # is a direct line to the FDNY...(718) 999-5555

Clotilde said...

Number1rider- we approached a passing police car an they said there was nothing they could do. Then we called 311 and also the FDNY as well as 911 but they all said that there was nothing they could do.

Anonymous said...

anyone contact ollie's place cat rescue? they are in the area.. 9th st between ave a & b. i would be cautious of causing too much ruckus. the cat may indeed jump into the water

Anonymous said...

You guys are f.ing hilarious.

Anonymous said...

The amount of people who are going to enormous lengths for a stray cat is blowing my mind. These are the same people who will pass a dozen twitching homeless people on the street every day and not even blink.

Anonymous said...

some people care about animals

Anonymous said...

Why give people a hard time for trying to help a stranded cat? I don't get people like you. Homeless people also have options for help...they can go into any shelter for help when they want it, if they need food, clothing or a place to sleep, there are options. Fact is, some don't want that kind of help. Both my grandmother and uncle were homeless for years and they didn't get the help until they wanted it, my mom tried to get them off the streets for years but they would not until they were ready...this cat doesn't have that option. People who care about animals know this and they try to help however they can. Please stop judging people who care about animals and who try to do something to help. By the way, what are you doing for homeless people? Because I think that you're on the wrong website if you're really that concerned.

Anonymous said...

I've been busy watching the Casey Anthony trial, is the cat dead yet ?

Anonymous said...

PEOPLE CHOSE TO BE HOMELESS,,,THEY CHOSE THIER WAY OF LIFE,,,ANIMALS DON'T GET TO CHOOSE,,AND THEY DON'T HAVE A VOICE,,,YES I WOULD PASS THE HOMELESS ON THE STREET ANY DAY TO GET TO A STARVING,STRANDED FERAL CAT!

Anonymous said...

Ok, calm down. I just told Chistina Datz-Romero. She is the director of the Lower East Side Ecology Center (aka East River Environmental Learning Center) and she has been taking care of the kitties down there for many years. She is going to check it out soon. If there is a stuck cat out there, she'll make sure it gets where it needs to go.

Anonymous said...

@asshats--all of you are a waste of time and energy--except for the one person who cares and knows what she is doing. Haters--you suck and are close to the edge as well.

number1rider said...

the cat is SAFE

Anonymous said...

Updating post re Christina, now that I know about the whole FB/rescue/adoption thing. I will tell her. I don't think it is one of the cats she's been caring for, because this guy wasn't fixed. Glad it's been resolved happily (or will be soon).

Clotilde said...

The whole situation has caused quite the stir, yes it is crazy but the poor cat was left without food and couldn't get on shore. I am not willing to give a blind eye when I know that there are people out there who can help. If there was a man or even homeless man stuck on that barge that couldn't get back on land then I would have done the exact same thing. And, it is true that homeless people have options but they choose the wrong ones and often want that way of life. I am a photographer and one of my latest projects was to shoot the homeless people in the East Village. In exchange for a portrait I give them money and often get to know them. Now is that walking away and disregarding a homeless man.. no. When they are rude and aggressive on the other hand I simply decide to let them get on with their way of living and get on with mine. I am not some crazy 'cat lady', in fact I have no pets here in NYC but that cat started miaow-ing away to me and my partner and I couldn't just ignore it so I decided to reach out to E.V. Grieve unaware that there would be an enormous fuss over it. Today, my boyfriend and I as well as two other lovely people somehow made it across onto the barge and spent many hours in the rain looking for this cat and eventually we found him. We will be adopting him too. Now that is a story to tell.