Leo the famous barge cat needs a new home

You may remember this story that we reported on back on July 2... when two East Village residents were walking through East River Park and noticed an abandoned cat on the off-shore industrial area opposite the East River Environmental Learning Center.

It became a big story... after a group of volunteers rescued the cat, now named Leo. Now, one of its owners, Robert, writes in with the news that Leo needs a new home. And here's why:

Leo has been happy for months in our little one bedroom apartment in the east village, and I'm happy to say we've saved his life. ... He's now house trained and healthy with a lovely coat of fur — unlike when we found him when he was malnourished and covered in engine grease from where he'd been hiding.

So why are we looking for a new home for Leo? Well, unfortunately, we recently had our cat from the UK (we're a British couple living here) shipped over to New York to join us. He's a docile and relaxed fluff ball called Willow, and although lovable to everyone that meets him, Leo doesn't like him one bit.

In fact, Leo hates on him. It has now been 3 months and the two of them can't get on. Leo is a wonderful cat but we've come to the realization that Leo is only happy alone. He's very territorial and becomes aggressive around new cats. We are now separating the two and Leo is crying the house down and desperate to be let out of the kitchen (his favorite room with his bed), which we can't do with Willow in the room. They have now had no less than 6 fights, each more severe than the last and it's heartbreaking. I want to keep Leo and I want him and Willow to get on but they won’t.

We have been to every pet store, advice network, and generally good cat person we know and we have tried everything people have recommend. Nothing worked. We’re now completely out of options, other than to find Leo a new loving home.

Some facts about Leo:
• Leo's estimated age is 2 years old, but we suspect he’s only just there because he’s a young boy.
• He may have been mistreated (how else did he end up on a barge) or he may have been feral. I'm not sure it's the latter because he instantly knew how to use the litter, eat from his bowl, and generally make his way around the home.
• He is house trained.
• He can become agitated but generally he’s a lovely cat with a good demeanor.
• He has been trained to only scratch his scratching post

Anyone?

Here is a contact email

Previously on EV Grieve:
This cat is stranded off East River Park

A cool cat, most likely

Tonight on Seventh Street... photo by Dave on 7th.

'Daily News' covers East River cat rescue story

Here's the link if you're interested. One note... East Village resident Clotilde Testa and her boyfriend Robert Walker first spotted the cat Friday. Clotilde said that the cat's name will be Leo — he was found on a barge called "Uncle Leo." He was nicknamed Skipper, though she thinks Leo is more fitting. She plans on officially adopting Leo tomorrow.

[In the Daily News photo — Christine Berk who helped rescue Leo and Codi from the Animal Care & Control.]

Previously on EV Grieve:
This cat is stranded off East River Park

Here is Leo, the cat saved from the East River barge

Previously on EV Grieve:
This cat is stranded off East River Park

Stranded East River cat now has a Facebook page

Yesterday, we passed along word of a cat stuck on a barge in the East River just off the shore ... Since then, someone has created a Facebook page for the stranded kitty ...

Per the Facebook page, it appears that some volunteers are at the scene to try to rescue the cat.

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?"

Who thought THIS was a good idea?

A guard cat for the birds... Bobby Williams took these photos outside Furry Land Pet Supplies on Avenue A near 12th Street yesterday...

Delilah has escaped

And they likely mean Sixth Street and Avenue B....

Cat adoption center opens on East Ninth Street

Atomic Passion, the vintage clothing shop on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, closed early last spring.



The space remained vacant until a few weeks ago... after some renovations, it appears the new tenant is ready for business.

It's Ollie's Place, a branch of the Mighty Mutts organization and veteran Murray Hill cat adoption center. A fire knocked them out of their 26th Street location. (No cats were harmed — you can read about it here.) And here's the Ollie's Place website.

They're open 6-8 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 12-6 pm on the weekends.

A cat vs. dog showdown on Avenue B

From EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams.

No more Lil' Monsters on East 10th Street

Not sure exactly when Lil' Monsters, the pet care and animal rescue, shuttered at 279 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...


They opened last year around this time... I actually had to remove the post for a time. I was getting bombarded with e-mails and comments from people in North Carolina. For some reason, they seemed to think I owned the space and was responsible for kidnapping their pets. Seriously.

This is the cat that allegedly attacked a New Jersey woman at McSorley's

Thanks to the reader who passed along this adorable YouTube link of Minnie at McSorley's... Previously.

Lawsuit blockbusters! Cat scratch fever at McSorley's

The Post has this catty exclusive today....

A New Jersey woman has kicked up a feline fury at the 156-year-old McSorley's Old Ale House, by filing a lawsuit claiming she was viciously attacked by the venerable bar's pet cat and had to be hospitalized.

Cheryl Sibley, 53, of Hasbrouck Heights, says she suffered the mini-mauling in October 2009, according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week.

The suit doesn't say exactly how the terrible tabby made a meal of Sibley.

But the woman claims the "live animal" attack left her with "serious injuries" that required medical care, the court papers state.

Gothamist has more photos of Minnie.

[Minnie photo via the Post]

Dead black cat signal more doom for the Bowery?

BoweryBoogie has a rather grisly post today: That of a dead black cat spotted on the Bowery at Kenmare. What evil omen awaits us all now on the Bowery?

Cat days of August

Oops, forgot to run this feature last Friday! So this is from the one store on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street that I can't remember the name of right now.

Cat Days of August

Spotted this kitty out in Red Hook.

Firefighters also made sure pets were safe from fire

Our friend Cat Sitter in the City posted the following story (and photo credit to Cat Sitter's friend Pauline...)

I saw a few people out on Avenue A clinging to their cats, including the nice guy above, who told me that he lived in an apartment building that was evacuated for fear that it might also catch on fire. The firemen made sure to save any animals that were in the building, he noted, including his handsome cat Gus Roberts.

More on the fire that engulfed the corner of 14th Street and Avenue A here.

Read Cat Sitter here.

Junior is missing

The cat's meow on Avenue B

If you get over to the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue B, then you still might be able to claim this humongous cat tree/scratching post seen a little big ago...

Lil' Monsters opening soon on East 10th Street (cute kitties alert!)

Sounds like a fitting name for a bar around here... But as the sign says here on the storefront at 279 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, Lil' Monsters will specialize in pet care and animal rescue...



And cute kitties alert in the front window...




And please note...



They have a Web site.