Better than mixing wine and liquor, Harlem Vintage and Uptown Hound are inviting the nabe to mix wine and four-legged companions (dogs and cats are listed so far, but I am guessing one can take a little liberty with the qualifications).

This Saturday, August 18, from 4 to 7pm, indulge your pet's inner connoisseur with special treats and give-aways for the furry-set sponsored by UH. And just in case you don't have an animal with you, still stop by, as there is always the excuse of Saturday wine tastings form 4 to 7pm.

And as if that is not reason enough to stop by, remember that Harlem Vintage's Second Annual Red Hot Sale begins this Friday, August 17th, and runs thru Labor Day. Get ready for dramatic mark downs on some great vintages.

Posted by Chris at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In addition to going to the park, Cimbi's other summer ritual is shedding. (Actually, this is a year-round ritual, but it picks up to maddening levels as the weather warms.) Despite being a short haired cat with a very clean appearance, her fur ends up on the furniture, as wispy balls in corners, in our ears, eyes and noses, and on our clothes.

Sometimes it's a conversation starter (I was once asked by someone on the subway what kind of pet I had based on a glance at my shirt), but mostly it's a time consuming pain to clean up.

Our weekly cleaning ritual goes something like this: (1) sweep entire apartment (2) vacuum up hair sweepings, as they can escape from the dust pan (3) Swiffer furniture and floors (4) vacuum corners and cracks- then wave transparent vacuum canister in front of Cheryl asking "can you believe the cat still has any fur on it?" (5) wash bed coverings. This usually takes about three hours, but given Cheryl's allergies and how much we enjoy Cimbi, it's worth it.

However, a few months ago I wondered about better strategies for attacking the problem at the source. I reasoned: If I was to really brush the cat, not take a few simple swipes with the Love Glove (our rubber tipped pet brushing tool) before Cimbi decided to jump off my lap and run away, maybe I could cut down a bit on the amount of fur I needed to clean up around the place.

My first 15 minute session yielded the fur nugget seen above. This is not a loose collection of fur, but a hard mass of cat hair that does not loose shape when setting an unabridged dictionary on top of it. So I saved it in the take out container it is seen resting on, thinking that with regular cat brushing, I would only be blessed with one of these things.

I was wrong.

I now collect about one cat fur nugget of equal size a week. Stored in the same take out container, I am wondering what to do with my growing collection. I thought about putting them in ravioli and inviting people over for dinner. ("Oh, I'm so embarrassed; I don't know how that got in there. Please, try a different piece.") Or making a bizarro Cimbi who would not tear up the shades at 5am or bite us upon returning home. Knitting a cat hair sweater is ruled out, as it seems far too time consuming.

Whatever I do decide to do with the fur nuggets, I will have more time to do it, as we have been able to drastically cut back in our cleaning now that Cimbi is regularly brushed.

Posted by Chris at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A few of Cimbi's fans have written in to let me know that Harlem Fur is about her and her furry friends, not whatever it has been these past few weeks. They ask how Cimbi is doing, and what she has been up to.

So, I offer this shot of Cimbi's Sunday in Central Park. In this photo, Cimbi is pouting because Cheryl and I would not let her kill any of the birds playing around us on the great lawn. You'll also see that the photo includes a mysterious absence of sky, a near constant in the Harlem Fur photography library.

Aside from trying to kill things and pouting when she was not allowed, Cimbi entertained passersby, including a friendly woman from Holland, played with a small child and refrained from biting and scratching the whole time, and stared absently into the distance as a large dog barked at her trying to get some kind of reaction.

Posted by Chris at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A reader writes in with news on his missing cat Uli:

We are missing our cat Uli. He is a 2 year old short hair (see attached pictures) and very friendly. He wears a red collar with a little round plastic pendent. His name and our telephone number is written on it. we last saw him at 7PM in our apartment on the corner of 124th and Frederick Douglas Boulevard. We are afraid that he was able to sneak into the elevator and somehow to the street. We would greatly appreciate if you could post his pics and a little description on your site. Anyone who has seen him should contact me at (number removed now that Uli is found).

thank you
Dominik

UPDATE

Dominik writes in with a great update:

dear chris,

thank god we found him... he did get into the elevator and into the basement where he was hiding in the trash compactor....

best
dominik

If you are not feeling happy enough that Uli has been found, click thru for an even cuter photo.

Continue reading "Harlem Fur BREAKING News: Missing Cat! (UPDATED)" »

Posted by Chris at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Remember Monte, the six-toed mitten kitten Harlem Fur reader Elderta rescued off of the streets of the Bronx? It seems all of those toes are bringing him good luck.

Monte, whose name is now Willie, has settled into his new place. Elderta writes, "He's gone from the streets of the Bronx to a full floor, 2 bedroom/2bath apartment with balcony in Prospect Heights. That is one lucky little boy. I feel so happy to have taken the time to pick up a little one off the street and give him a good home."

Above is a shot of Willie (on the left) and his three year old brother, Ozzie.

Posted by Chris at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Remember back in the day, October of '06, when North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon, Rep. Mark Foley's come-ons to young male staffers were shaping the final days of the midterm elections, and a woman named Ina sent an email to Harlem Fur telling us not to despair over the nabe's lack of pet services, that she was looking at spaces to rent for a veterinary clinic?

Okay, even we needed some help remembering the last one.

When Harlem Fur received Ina's email, it was filed in a folder specifically for archiving such promises (seriously, there is one). Since the Fur had begun bemoaning a lack of nearby vet services a year ago, nearly 30 emails promising a new pet sheriff in town pilled up, all unfulfilled. So, we had assumed that Ina's promise would be like all the rest.

Harlem Fur is happy to admit being wrong.

D.V.M.'s Ina Obernesser and Mary Mansfield let the Fur know that they have signed a lease, began construction, and are planning to open Uptown Veterinary Associates this summer on 112th St. and Frederick Douglass Blvd. They are determined to be South Harlem's first veterinary clinic, and will offer state-of-the-art diagnostics, surgery, a comprehensive pharmacy, and dentistry.

Ina and Mary have only one question. "Just read your post about Animal General looking for a space in the same neighborhood......any news on that?"

That's it, Harlem Veterinary Race 2007 is on, and Uptown Veterinary Associates just pulled into the lead.

· Uptown Veterinary Associates [Official Site]

· Animal General Looking For Space In South Harlem [Harlem Fur]

· Filling Harlem Vet Void, Petland On 117th St. To Hold Two More Vaccination Days [Harlem Fur]

Posted by Chris at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Harlemite, member of the Friends of St. Nicholas Park, and avid dog lover Julia is looking to launch a new pet carrier aimed primarily at dogs (but it can be used for cats too, especially by those who enjoy taking their cat to the park). To make sure the carrier is the best it can be, Julia is looking for local feedback.

If you live in Harlem and own a dog between 5 and 15lbs, we're looking for you! I'm launching a Harlem-based dog carrier line and will be holding a focus group to get feedback on our new product. We need volunteers who love their dogs! We have a couple possible dates and will require only 2 hours of your time. Food and beverages will be served. For details, please contact Julia at papooch |at| gmail |dot| com.

We haven't seen the carrier yet, but Cheryl and I are excited for a neighborhood-inspired prodcuct for transporting Cimbi to and from Central Park this summer, as well as to and from a South Harlem vet...

Posted by Chris at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Letter from day three in Cimbi's Uptown Hound stay.)

This iz my favorit plas to stay in the stor. And luk! I hav my pilo, too. Jen tuk it to the stor thiz morning. I wuz so happy it wuz ther. I slept on it all day and it wuz niz and cozee.

I like it here so much. I even spelt that rite! Luk, I am tryin to be asleep but Jen keep taykun pikturs. Go away. I am sleeping. Zzzzz.

See you tomorrow, Mom and Dad!! Sorree I am a bad speller!

XO-

Cimbi

· Cimbi's Vakashun Part I
· Cimbi's Vakashun Part II

Posted by Chris at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Letter from day two in Cimbi's Uptown Hound stay.)

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Thaz me! Im likin fur my dad and mom. Jen tuk me and that dawg to the stor this morning and we all had brekfust. then some ladeez kam and they had a meeting. I lukd out the window a lot. The besk iz warm and I lik to be on it.

See? I do lik the desk. And it iz kloz to the treets, so the ladeez don't furgit to giv them to me!

· Cimbi's Vakashun Part I

Posted by Chris at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cheryl and I visited her parents just outside of D.C. this weekend for Easter. Being that Cheryl's kids, who are extremely allergic to cats, rode down with us, Cimbi became a point of concern. We could not bring our small animal along, and leaving Cimbi either at home or a boarding facility posses complications.

If we leave Cimbi home, even with neighbors stopping by to feed and play with her, she gets mad at having to sleep alone and pees on something. We already know that Nature's Miracle works, so no need for further testing. The one time we brought her to a boarding facility -one that we chose after a ton of research- she came back a different color and harboring a cold that brought a vet bill larger than the cost of boarding her.

So this weekend we tried Uptown Hound. Instead of Cheryl and I giving our take on her stay, we'll let Cimbi's daily letters fill that role. Pardon the spelling, she is a small house cat.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Today wuz a gud day, then dad tuk me to Uptown Hound and he wuz sad and i wuz lyk, "What iz yur prawblum? Theez ladeez ar niz." Jen wint hom to wash a dawg and Karoleen stayd with me fur a wil. Then, Jen kam bak and tuk me hom with hur. Hur haws is niz and there iz a dawg there and I likd him and he dint bother me. There is a other kat, too, but she wuz hidin frum me! I had sum treets and we all wint to bed and I slept on the bed with Jen and the dawg.

More tomorrow!

Posted by Chris at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

To anyone looking for a silky black kitten who comes house trained, your prayers are answered.

Berry sends along this email:

hey all

this kitten was abandoned in an apartment a few days ago. i found a foster home a few blocks from here. the kitten is house trained, very sweet and mild mannered. if anyone is interested in the kitten please let me know.

best

Of course, to make sure the kitten goes to a good home, there is a slight adoption fee for people not known to us.

Posted by Chris at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fellow A96 animal lover Tanya emailed us this morning to let us know that she has rescued a 6-toed boy kitten she is looking to adopt out.

Tanya writes:

Hello Animal Lovers,

I found a wonderful 6-toed boy kitten near where I work at the Montefiore Medical Center. I've temporarily named him "Monte." I believe he's 4 to 6 months old. He's super-friendly and just a joy to have around. Alas, my cat won't tolerate other kitties and I'm trying to find someone who can provide him a 'forever home.' I'm taking him to the vet today for shots, and my vet may be taking him into their shelter, but I have not heard from the lady who takes care of the shelter yet for confirmation.

If you know anyone who wants to adopt a loving and cheery 6-toed mitten kitten, please have them contact me!

There would be an adoption fee for folks I don't know, to make sure that they are serious about keeping Monte in a forever situation. They can contact me by email at elderta_2001 "the at sign" yahoo. (Ed- I tried to write Tanya's email address in a way a little less susceptible to spam.)

Thanks in advance for any contacts you can provide to get Monte a forever home.

Thanks,
Tanya

Check him out in all of his curiosity in the video below.

Posted by Chris at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In these dark days before the arrival of Animal General to South Harlem, we have only Vet My Pet events at Petland.

I am giving ample notice of the Sunday, April 29th Vet My Pet day at Petland on 117th St and Lenox Ave to absolve myself of having missed posting on the Sunday, March 25th date. (I was a little distracted preparing the words I gave at the Kazakh New Year's concert, which, btw I am not posting on here, as I don't know how the performers and dignitaries I met would enjoy being on a site that largely chronicles animals peeing in, and people crapping on, my apartment.)

The event, which runs from 2 to 4pm Sunday, April 29th, offers three vet packages for dogs and cats whose titles seem inspired by a Chinese take out menu: Happy Puppy/Kitten ($45), Happy Dog/Cat ($45), and Happy Dog/Cat Plus ($61). The Happy Family multi-pet package is not listed, but if you stick around long enough, I am sure at least one pet will serve up a poo poo platter. Speaking of which, bringing a stool is recommended. For more info, call 914-557-6812.

And as an addendum, if your pet is showing any signs of illness or change in behavior, and you have fed your little companion any of the 3.8 trillion types of food produced by Menu Foods, please do not wait until April 29th to seek vet care. For solid coverage of the Menu Foods pet poisonings, read Poop City.

Posted by Chris at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Gothamist today reports that pet food company Menu Foods is recalling over 80 brands it produces, including Iams and Eukanuba canned and foil pouch products. Pet owners are warning that their animals have been vomiting and suffering kidney failure. At least ten pet deaths have been reported so far.

Gothamist commenters tell of dehydration and long, expensive vet visits. One commenter recalls how her infant daughter had been notorious for getting into the cat food until recently and asks "I wonder how many other little kids have had a bite of this poison, or how many broke senior citizens for that matter..."

To see a list of all recalled products, visit the Menu Foods website. Additionally, the company designated two phone numbers that pet owners can call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708. If calling, be warned, a commenter on Gothamist tells of being on hold for more than a half an hour.

In the photo is Cimbi, in her evening toilet-paper bathrobe, eating a dinner not made by Menu Foods.

Posted by Chris at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Harlem Fur could not have picked a better first 365 days to be in existence.

First, we had Posh Paws open, and with it Harlem had high-end pet products. Next, Morningside and St. Nicholas Parks made great steps in local dog run creation, giving our canine companions an off-leash place to smell each others' rear ends. Then, Animal General let us know that it is seeking to expand into the hood, and with it will come quality vet care.

Now, Uptown Hound has opened a storefront on Adam Clayton Powell and 121st Street, offering dog walking, pet sitting, grooming, behavior training, bespoke William Wegman Crypton fabric pet beds, and- what few ever imagined Harlem would be home to- DOG YOGA! Yes, Harlemites can now take yoga classes with their dogs.

Owner Jen Cox has more energy than most dogs, and used it to run through a sample of her current customers:

- Milo, 6-month old Boston Terrier/Beagle mix, who is also part lovable crazypot. Milo is, in my opinion, a reincarnated ninja who uses a technique I like to call "death by ball", wherein he makes you throw him the fuzzy ball until you pass out from exhaustion, then he kills you by jumping up and down on your chest in a vain attempt to make you get up and throw the ball again. Genius.

- Peedee, a 4-month old Westie who is cute beyond belief, but who will also kill you (his technique is death by lick)

- Truman, a 1-year old Cairn Terrier (or, Terrorer, you can be the judge. His favorite food is rubber balls.)

- Molly, a 14-year old Yellow Lab (who won't kill you ... unless you have a chicken bone in your pocket)

- And, my dog, Louis, a Collie/Great Pyrenese mix, who really couldn't care less about you or anyone else. And this makes us love him the most. It's always the one you can't have ...

We have Louis in the top photo, and walk-in customers Janell and Pebbles right below him.

For those who are in the area this Tuesday, March 13th, Jen will be interviewed by the BBC at 4pm for part of a program on Harlem entrepreneurs.

Store hours are Tuesday thru Sunday, 12pm to 7pm, and Monday by appointment only.

· Uptown Hound [Official Site]

Posted by Chris at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Lucy is another cat who enjoys playing outdoors. However, on the day I saw her just outside Central Park on Lenox and 110th Street, she was on her way to the vet. Lucy has been battling a cancerous tumor for the past couple years. Lucy's owner recently lost her mother to cancer, so she is greatly appreciative of the fight the cat is putting up against the disease.

Posted by Chris at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is the type of pet-rification Harlem Fur was born to post on.

Animal General called me recently not to check up on Cimbi, as they do even for their healthy patients, but to ask if I knew of storefront space in South Harlem for an expansion of their practice. I don't, but maybe someone reading this does know of 1,700 animal-friendly sq feet in the nabe.

You may remember that back in May I was bemoaning the lack of veterinary services in South Harlem. After seeing long lines each day the Petland on 117th Street and Lenox Ave held a Vet My Pet event, I checked Switchboard.com for vets in the area to see what options are available. Here is what I found:

For the vets closest to us, Switchboard returned Henry M. Fierman, DVM at 250 W 108th St (212-864-3631), who is 1.5 miles to the South, the 145th Street Animal Hospital at 454 W 145th St (212-234-8087), which is 1.8 miles to the North, and Oliver's Dog & Cat Clinic at 2232 1st Ave (212-348-7070), which is 1.6 miles East... This leaves a huge section of Central Harlem without a vet close by.

Cheryl and I take Cimbi to Animal General at 87th and Columbus, which is 2 miles away- not that much further away than the other vets. Also, being that it is close to the 1/9 stop at 86th Street, it is much easier to get to than vets requiring cross-town travel.

But more than travel convenience brings us to Animal General. After the first visit, Cheryl and I knew that the doctors and clients at Animal General really care about pets. As we were waiting for Cimbi to have her first check-up, a woman in the lobby explained that a beloved neighborhood dog was in for surgery, and residents from the block like her were stopping by at different times to keep the pooch company. I thought, 'why can't we have a place like this in our neighborhood?' Now we soon will.

· Animal General [Official Site]
· Filling Harlem Vet Void, Petland On 117th St. To Hold Two More Vaccination Days [Harlem Fur]

Posted by Chris at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

The ASPCA and partner organizations are going city-wide with a month-long pet adoption celebration that includes a countdown to Valentine's Day this weekend. (I know this is kinda late in the posting, but hey, cut me some slack as I reintegrate into life.) This is a great opportunity to spin Valentine's Day to co-workers: "Oh, I have a new life partner. We've already moved in together."

For those of you reading this right now, run. You have about an hour and seven minutes to get to the Commerce Bank at Broadway and 94th Street (1/9/2/3 to 96th) for the nearest-to-Harlem weekend adoption site.

For those of you reading this in the near future, hope is not lost. The North Shore Animal League will be at the Petco on Broadway and 92nd Thursday, February 15th, and Thursday, February 22nd, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m both days (also 1/9/2/3 to 96th).

And for those looking to give a dog a bone outside of the Harlem area, on February 13th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Leashes and Lovers is hosting a "For the Love of Your Dog" Valentine's Eve Party, an exclusive, dog-friendly private event. Location is Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery (at Spring). For those without a pooch, dogs are not required, and the ASPCA will be on site with adoptable canines. Woof woof.

· I Love NYC Pets [ASPCA]
· For the Love of Your Dog Party [Leashes and Lovers]

Posted by Chris at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The candidate did well on Tuesday and was happy to admit winning. Now, we are just waiting for the opponent to admit loosing.

Since then, the more mundane things in life have returned to a place of importance; the electric and cable companies needed to be reassured that I am a good customer and do now plan to make my payments on time, no food in the refrigerator is actually a concern because I am here long enough to eat, and I spent two hours shredding the accumulated credit card offers I received over the past month.

But most important, Cimbi is here to stay. Even with the meticulous cleaning Cheryl and I though necessary to keep her allergies from acting up having been neglected for at least the last four weeks, Cheryl is fine. No sneezing, no itchy eyes.

Posted by Chris at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Once again, Cimbi (and Cheryl and I) would like to thank everyone who is sending in ideas for dealing with allergies and offers to re-home her. She is especially excited with the number of Uptown residents willing to open their doors to her. After all, she is Harlem Fur. We are getting back to everyone who writes in, which is taking a little bit of time.

I should also clarify Marley's situation, as I may not have been as clear as what I could have been. Don't worry, it has a happy ending.

As I wrote before, Marley was literally deathly allergic to something in our apartment. A couple days after he came, Marley would dry cough day and night between breathing with his mouth open. Two trips to the vet and X-ray examinations from two veterinarians showed that Marley had an allergic reaction that was causing his throat to close, making breathing incredibly difficult. Our vet told us Marley did not have a simple cold. He lives off of Central Park West in the 80's, so he has to be good to afford that address.

For nearly two weeks, Cheryl and I tried antibiotics, two different inhalers, and pills to suppress Marley's reaction. Additionally, not knowing what was causing the allergic reaction, we switched out Marley's food and litter, and cleaned the apartment as best we could without using harmful cleaners. The only noticeable effect this had on Marley was his medicine drying out his mouth and making his bowel movements hard enough to cut diamonds. He hated the pills and inhaler mask, and grew increasingly less trustful of Cheryl and I when we picked him up, least he should be pumped full of some new medication.

Cheryl and I both agreed that all of this was horrible for Marley. If it had just been her allergies alone causing problems, I know Cheryl, against my recommendations, would have held onto Marley as long as she could have. For his health as much as hers, however, we wanted to get him somewhere outside of the apartment as soon as possible.

Also, as I wrote before, I called known no-kill shelters in the area (I think eight in total), but all said that they were full. I finally went back to the 110th Street shelter, armed with the medical reports and his small portable pharmacy to argue Marley's case. And as I wrote before, the person working intake at 110th Street was impressed with how much effort we had put into Marley's allergies. As a result, they said they would take extra consideration of Marley. They kept their word, and found a rescue organization that took Marley. This is not a lie that they fed me. I spoke to the general manager about Marley, and this is really what they did for the little cat.

I would like to add that I am disappointed some people, although just a small minority, have such a negative view of the people who work and volunteer at the 110th Street shelter. Granted the facilities are not the most uplifting I have seen, but the people who work and volunteer there do care about animals. This is where we adopted Cimbi from two years ago, and the staff was incredibly helpful.

When I first came in to surrender Marley back to the shelter, they were not happy with me at all, as it seemed Marley simply had a cold. However, after reading over the vet reports, and seeing what we did do for him, they were very helpful in working out the best possible solution. As I said, the person working intake that day told me they would watch out for Marley, and they did.

Posted by Chris at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Cheryl, Cimbi and I want to say thanks to all of the readers who are sending in ideas for dealing with Cheryl's allergies.

· Cat Lovers Lining Up for No-Sneeze Kitties [New York Times]
· Finally, you can enjoy the purr without a sneeze [International Herald Tribune]
· Company To Grow Custom Cats That Wont Cause Sneezing [Boston Globe]
· Cats in the News [Gothamist]

Posted by Chris at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

Cimbi makes it into an October 4th IHT story on hypoallergenic cats. Cimbi, as one can understand, provides the example of a non-hypoallergenic cat.

Cheryl and I are deeply grateful for Elisabeth Rosenthal including Cimbi in the article, as it should help in our quest for finding her a new home. Despite all of the allergy complications Cimbi causes, we don't want to give her to just any person.

There have been some unintended effects on Cimbi thou as her notoriety grows. She now smokes Gauloises, said collaborating on an album with Stephane Pompougnac "might be cool," and wears a shell of ennui so impenetrable not even Joyce Cohen's cat dancer can hold her attention.

· Finally, you can enjoy the purr without a sneeze [International Herald Tribune]
· Cimbi Is Looking For A Good Home [HarlemFur]
· Joyce Cohen: Writer, Cat Toy Expert [HarlemFur]

Posted by Chris at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cheryl and I really wanted to keep both Cimbi and Marley, the orange marmalade tabby we adopted less than two weeks ago that she was insanely allergic to, until we could find a proper home for them. However, Marley had to go back to the pound he came from this weekend. Cheryl made the decision not so much because of her own insane allergies, but because the cat was deathly allergic to something in our apartment.

Marley had a reaction to something we could never pinpoint. A few days after coming into our apartment, his trachea swelled so much it nearly closed.

We tried changing the litter and the food. We constantly dusted (using dry pads sans cleaning chemicals) and vacuumed. We gave the cat his medicine as best we could (cats really do not like using an inhaler). Nothing worked.

If it was not for Marley's allergies, Cheryl probably would have tried to keep him, as he reminded her of an orange cat she used to have. However, his condition was bad and, due to vet bills, was easy to quantify.

· First vet visit (with 5 day dosage of liquid antibiotics): $385
· Second vet visit (with Aerocat inhaler chamber and prednisolone): $145
· Albuterol inhaler: $25.99
· Flovent inhaler: $187.99 (yes, that is the real price)

Anyway, you get where this was going.

So this weekend, with both Cheryl and Cimbi looking heartbroken, I brought him back to the 110th Street animal shelter. I had called around trying to find a different place to take him, fearing what his fate might be at 110th Street, but everyone I spoke said their place was full. We even tried friends and neighbors.

Much to our relief, the person working intake at 110th Street was impressed with how much effort we had put into Marley's allergies. As a result, they said they would take extra consideration of Marley, and watch to see how he was doing. Whew.

We are still looking for the right home for Cimbi. After we saw how much she enjoyed Marley's company, we now want to make sure she will be with a friend where she goes.

Posted by Chris at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

One of the last things I thought I would do on Harlem Fur is announce that Cimbi is looking for a new home. However, it turns out that Cheryl's allergies are acting up in ways that are not safe for her health.

As I have noted before, Cimbi does not like being alone, so we sought to get her company. Cheryl and I had an un-blogged about search for a dog, which concluded with us giving up the ghost. The breeders we spoke with convinced us that we do not have enough time for a dog. (I really don't think that is the case. People, no matter how busy, make time for what is important to them.) So, going sans dog, Cheryl last week adopted an orange tabby about Cimbi's age named Marley (named after the dog in the book Marley and Me).

Since then, Cheryl's life has been hell (and by extension mine too). What she thought was a come and go summer sun rash exploded up and down both of her arms, she began sneezing like crazy, and for the past four nights she has had seizures. For some reason it only dawned on us today that this is all due to the new cat kicking up the allergens to a near fatal level. But, looking back before Marley showed up, the lesser form of the rash and the less frequent sneezing outbursts are explained- it was Cimbi.

And to really make things weird, Marley turns out to be allergic to something in our place. Three days after he showed up, he went from a normal, curious cat, to a small, furry sneezing machine. He's stumped the vets, as we keep our place insanely clean (using natural cleaners, as per a WSJ article).

Anyway, as much as I would like to put them out on the terrance right now to live until they are adopted so that my girlfriend will not die, Cheryl has convinced me to let them stay in the apartment, thou they and their mountain of toys are now banned from the bedroom.

So, if you or someone you know would like to adopt a beautiful, yet somewhat misbehaved, cat with mild Internet notoriety, or if you would like an orange cat, or both, please drop me a line via either the comments section or the email address in the upper right hand corner of this site.

Posted by Chris at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Sylvie, the silver mother cat who was missing after escaping from her carrier on the way back from the vet, has returned. She is now safe in her apartment with her kitten. Her owners, who rescued them off of the street, are looking for a good home to place them in, together.

Both cats are very sweet. Winnie's 2 year old daughter hugs and kisses them and the kitten sits on her lap. Additionally, they are both neutered/spayed and have their shots. If you are interested in adopting the pair, please call Winnie at 646-425-5946.

And speaking of not feeling comfortable when one's pet is not around, I read this story today in amNewYork:

A southwest Missouri woman has asked the Springfield-Greene County Health Department to allow her to take her pet monkey into local restaurants as a service animal.

Debby Rose, of Springfield, says Richard, her bonnet macaque monkey, provides emotional support that allows her to overcome an anxiety disorder and go out in public places such as restaurants...

Family members said Rose's anxiety is disabling. Without her monkey, she's less able to manage normal tasks, such as grocery shopping and dining out because of severe anxiety.

I wonder what dining out with a bonnet macaque monkey would be like?

Debbie leans in close and softy says "Richard, I am so glad you could come out with me. You know how afraid I am."

Richard takes her hand in his two and looks at her. "Debbie, where else would I want to be tonight?" he asks in the way only he can.

She used to find his touch uncomfortable, as if he was aping her. Now, after all this time, she realizes he has no opposable thumb, and welcomes his simian caress. With her hand in his, Debbie relaxes, not knowing if the warm feeling on her face is from the macaque's calm reassurance or the small table candle now close to her chin.

"Sometimes," he says to her, "I feel scared or angry at the world. I want to jump up and down, bare my teeth, grab a handful of my own feces and smear it on the wall. But I don't, because I stay strong Debbie. I know you can too."

"Oh Richard."

Or maybe not. Anyway, here is a nice picture of a bonnet macaque.

Posted by Chris at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Sylvie, the silver haired mother cat in the photo on the right, busted out of her carrier today on 118th Street and Lenox. The feline, who is wearing a red collar, was on her way back from the vet were she was spayed. Her owners are concerned as her stitches are relatively new. They are sure she is in pain, and said her kitten, a 5 month old male, misses her.

If you see the cat, please drop a line. Her owners are more than willing to help catch her.

Also, Sylvie and her kitten were brought in as strays, with the idea that they would be adopted out once they were done with all of their vet work. If you or someone you know is interested in adopting, drop a line for that as well.

Posted by Chris at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Friends of St. Nicholas Park will be having a second cleaning for the new dog run this Saturday at 11am. The location is just to the West and North of the 135th Street entrance. The last cleaning drew a fun, involved crowd.

Also with Friends of St. Nicholas Park, there will be a fundraiser on the 16th for the new dog run.

Morningside Park Dog Run's new fencing is in!!! There will be an opening ceremony for the fencing, but I don't know when. I have been checking the website, but have not seen anything yet.

St. John the Divine Feast of St. Francis on October 1st. I cannot wait. Apparently and inordinate amount of pets are brought, and the result has to be hilarious.

5th Annual My Dog Loves Central Park fair on October 14th. I don't know what this is, but it sounds good. Check out the PDF flyer on the website.

Posted by Chris at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The story of yesterday's kitten in St. Nicholas Park has a great ending (beginning?):

Chris and Shawn:

Nicolette (Nikki) and I are getting along wonderfully! I couldn't have chosen a better match myself.

She sat quietly inside the bag on the walk home and when we arrived she came out and explored the apartment. She felt very comfortable after she'd given the place the once over. She has been playful and even used her box a couple of times!

I can tell this is the start of a wonderful new relationship.

Thanks so much.

Berry

Thank you Berry!

Posted by Chris at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, I wrote eariler today that posting would be light this week, but that was before I knew of a found kitten this morning in St. Nicholas Park. Besides, I feel good having my 100th post on Harlem Fur be one that helps out a small animal.

Friends of St. Nicholas Park President Shawn found the black, grey, and white kitten this morning, and brought him home. However, his dog senses a little competition, and Shawn senses that he should find a home for the feline sooner than later.

If you or someone you know would be interested, please drop a line either via this post or the email address in the upper right corner of the page.

Posted by Chris at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Lady's Owner Not That Much Of A Tramp After All

Josh gives this update on the pooch whose owner was contemplating pulling his version of a Helena "Gala" Diakonova on his dog, Lady, and it is a good resolution:

An update on Lady:

Though unable to find a new home for Lady, her owner's wife (in Puerto Rico) has convinced him to take the dog with him when he returns to the island from New York.

So...hopefully a good home awaits Lady. My belief is that though her owner isn't a real dog lover, and didn't care much what happened to his pet once he left, he does treat her well--she appears well fed, and is friendly toward people, suggesting she hasn't been abused.

Thank you to everyone who helped with suggestions and cross-postings in search of new families for Lady (which can be removed now). Please forward this to anyone whose email I may have left off with my thanks and the news that they can stop trying to find a new place for Lady.

It's good to know there are so many people out there trying to help the four-legged in need.

I encourage anyone interested in a new pet to adopt from rescue shelters instead of going to a breeder (a huge percentage of animals in shelters are pure-bred, so your chances of finding the specific type of animal you want are high). If you can't permanently take in a new pet, consider fostering an animal until such a home can be found.

--Josh

Cimbi Has Play Dates Lined Up

Our neighbor, Jane, will be out of town this weekend and has asked that Cheryl and I watch her cats Butchie and Alice. We happily agreed, as Cimbi had a great time visiting when we last watched the pair.

Cimbi, as we have found, likes hanging out with dogs. However, we were concerned about how she would jive with cats. Inter-species play time allows each animal to to be king of its evolutionary branch, but cat and cat action could produce territorial complications.

Cimbi did just fine, Butchie was interested, and Alice really didn't want anything to do with her. Was that because Cimbi is a younger woman? Hiss, hiss. Spat, spat.

Nonetheless, Butchie and Alice must be excited too. They will not sit still for a photo, hence the blurriness.

Cat Boarding Recommendations Wanted

A reader writes:

I'm a loyal harlemfur.com reader who moved to harlem a few months ago. I have a quick question for you. My partner's family is visiting us next week and we need to board our cat (the family is very allergic). Do you have any reccomendations for a place that will take care of my cat?

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

The only time we boarded Cimbi, she came back nervous, exhausted, and, we swear, a different color (hence the neighbor cat sitting swap we started). And this was from a place we decided upon after a lot of research. Cheryl and I are hard pressed for strong recommendations.

Lizz from NY City Pets says that Animal General boards for patients, and that The Dog House might also be a good option.

Anyone have any favorites to pass on to Prada and her owner?

Puppy Quest 2006

Will Cheryl and I adopt this puppy? (He will not sit still, hence the blurriness once again.) The much un-blogged about puppy quest may see resolution with an expedition to Pennsylvania this weekend.

This puppy's dad is a beautiful dog who finished his championship at 12 months of age and was not just a winner, but Best of Winners, at Montgomery, the biggest terrier show in the country.

And, his dad's owner is Danish; some of my people hail from this land. I recognized the accent right away.

Cimbi better appreciate the lengths we go to for her.

Camera Hound

And to wrap up with blurry pet shots, here is Churro.

Churro, a 14 month old puppy Cheryl and I ran into on Manhattan Avenue, could not contain his excitement over being on Harlem Fur.

Then again, who can?

Posted by Chris at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Rockefeller, a three year old Norwegian forrest cat, was out for her second stroll this weekend. Rockefeller, who also goes by Rocky, gets her name from Rockefeller Park, where she was found.

Her cat line competes with her namesake for having a distinguished family history. According to Norse mythology, the goddess of Love and Fertility, Freya, had a chariot pulled by two of these large and hearty felines.

Having been a city cat for only two years, Rocky still holds some of her wild qualities. Her incessant need to stalk anything that moves compliments her lynx-like ear tufts and large, furry paws.

Posted by Chris at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I am beginning to feel that I have pioneered a a companion animal movement.

When biking in Central Park today I spotted not one, but two cats out on leashes. They were climbing around on a row of benches just outside Sheep Meadow facing Tavern On The Green. Their human was quietly looking on, with a Sherpa bag by his side.

Starsky & Hutch are the names of the two young cats. Starsky is the black cat in the background, and Hutch is the orange one in front.

Their human said he has been taking them out on a regular basis so that they become accustomed to the city. They seemed accustomed already. When I set my bike against the a bench beside them, they bounced over and began sniffing it at once. They only stopped sniffing when I offered them the chance to sniff me.

Anyway, I am glad that I have been documenting Cheryl and I taking Cimbi to the park. When it becomes commonplace to take a cat out, I will be able to lay claim to starting the trend.

Posted by Chris at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Cimbi's bath photos made it onto Stuff On My Cat!

Please vote for her, and see the amazing after-bath photo, here!

Posted by Chris at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A dirty little Harlem Fur secret is that Cheryl is deathly allergic to cats. We work around this minor inconvenience with general apartment maintenance that includes severe constraints on the use of rugs and cloth covered furniture, running a Honeywell air filter, constant clothes washing, twice daily litter box attention, a sweep-vacuum-Swifer weekly floor regimen, and frequent cleaning of the bedding. This helps to an extent.

Although we keep the apartment as free of cat dander as we can, Cheryl adds a layer of complication to the situation with non-allergic lifestyle behaviors. She encourages Cimbi to sleep in bed with us, nuzzles her face into Cimbi's side, and frequently kisses her on the head. So, in addition to keeping the apartment clean, we also have to keep the cat clean, and that means baths.

Usually the cat's bath is a private affair, but this time we have an opportunity to share the experience.

Stuff On My Cat's weekly contest that ended Saturday has a theme that jives perfectly with Cimbi's wash schedule. The contest theme of "bath time, before and after" allows Cheryl and I a rare opportunity to share the pure joy that is Cimbi's bi-weekly summer bath with people at a website who constantly ignore our submissions.

I am providing this teaser photo of Cimbi on her way to the bath, and trust that Stuff On My Cat will post the after photos tomorrow, where everyone can vote for Cimbi.

If not, I will post the after photos myself.

UPDATE
Cimbi's bath photos made it onto Stuff On My Cat!

Please vote for her, and see the amazing after-bath photo, here!

Posted by Chris at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Cheryl and I have been considering adopting a second pet to keep Cimbi company. We have been concerned that, being a very active and playful cat, she is lonely during the day.

The brick-being-dropped-on-our-heads evidence supporting our concern happened this weekend. Cheryl and I shut all of the windows and turned on the radio, something we usually do before leaving, and then sat quietly on the couch for a moment. We were not leaving, but rather taking a moment to vegetate after a long bike ride. Cimbi must not have known that we were still in the apartment, and began a deep, sad howling like nothing Cheryl and I had heard before. Once we called to her, she immediately stopped and came bouncing over.

Now Cheryl and I feel awful every morning when we leave.

Before adopting another pet though, we would like to see how Cimbi would react to having a friend with her all day. She has wanted to play with pit bulls she saw in the park, came over with a curious expression when Romeo the boxer puppy stopped by, and had a good time sniffing Bonnie, a chihuahua neighbor. Although all of Cimbi's meetings with other animals were good, they were short visits.

So, being the season for vacations and out of town weddings, Cheryl and I are making this offer: if you have a well behaved dog or cat who you would like someone to watch instead of boarding them while away, Cheryl and I are up for hosting. Of course, we would want an initial visit to make sure the two small animals get along, and hunting dogs like Honey are out of the question. Nonetheless, this is a great way to avoid sending your companion to the kennel.

If you are interested, drop us a line at:

Joyce's Offer

Joyce, the Hunt columnist for the Times real estate section, is offering a homemade cat toy to the writer of the best poem on the subject of moving. Beat poets take note, Joyce is insisting that the poem must rhyme and scan.

Cheryl and I want to let all cat owners out there know that of all the toys Cimbi has in her toy box, since being given one of Joyce's homemade toys, she has ignored all of the others. We assure you, any time spent on a poem for submission is time well invested.

Entries should be sent to:

Posted by Chris at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So, Cheryl and I are not the only whack-o's who take their cat to the park. Beanie, who I met in Central Park, rides around in a green KittyWalk pet stroller.

And speaking of cats touring the city, Lizz at NY City Pets is looking for cat photos. As she writes, "I feel a little one sided when I post mostly dog photos... I try to catch pets on the street for photos and I obviously have trouble finding people walking their cats!"

And speaking of sending in cat photos, Stuff On My Cat is holding a photo contest whose winner will be rewarded with 4 shirts, 2 buttons, 1 magnet, some stickers, a mouse pad, a daily calendar, a brand new wall calendar and an engraved iPod.

Posted by Chris at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What is it about a New York City summer that makes the transition from smelling number 2 to smelling number 1 so seamless? Whatever it is, the countdown is on (we cannot wait to smell number 0), and it brings us back to the topic of pets. This time, however, the story has a happy ending.

Cheryl and I went to her aunt and uncle's 54th wedding anniversary just outside D.C. in Maryland last weekend, and decided to bring the cat. We left Cimbi under the neighbor's care during the 4th of July trip, as Honey the dog came with, and we feared she would hunt, kill and eat Cimbi before the weekend's completion. So, agreeing that the cat needs some time out of the city this summer, we decided to take her along on this jaunt.

From the two medium length automobile trips she took (from the 110th Street animal shelter to Long Island when we adopted her, and from Long Island back to the city when we moved), she had only a 50 percent average. On the way to Long Island, she was fine. On the way back to the city she threw up all over the back of the car. After she gave up lunch, she laid down, crossed her front paws, and stared at the celling as if nothing had happened. Cimbi, ever a creature of routine, held her stats constant on this trip.

The ride to Maryland was great. We devised a fairly clever set-up for the cat's 5 hour trip. Cheryl's car has access to the trunk through the back seat arm rest, so we put it down, and positioned her litter box in the trunk so it lined up perfectly with the opening. This worked great. We arrived happy, contributed to the celebration's merriment and revelry, and took off late Sunday for the trip back home.

The trip back was far less enjoyable. With the air conditioning out, the trunk became an oven, providing a nice, slow roasting of the cat's litter box. At 70 miles an hour with the windows down this was less noticeable than it was at zero miles an hour waiting to get into the Lincoln Tunnel. So, thinking we were almost home, I shut the arm rest door leading to the trunk. About five minutes later I asked Cheryl, "do you smell something?" My question was answered without doubt two days later when Cheryl, going to a doctor's appointment on Long Island, opened the hot car's door and nearly fell ill.

That night, looking at the car and shaking her head slowly while whispering "cat piss," Cheryl and I decided to try Nature's Miracle. Much to our surprise, the smell was completely gone by the morning, after one application, and did not return even when the sun beat down through the car's windows during the day. Amazing.

Posted by Chris at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Many people know that New York Times Hunt columnist Joyce Cohen is both a excellent reporter and blogger, but probably far fewer people know that she is also an excellent maker of cat toys.

To help welcome the three of us (Cheryl, myself, and Cimbi) into our new home at Saturday's housewarming, Joyce offered to make Cimbi a Cat Dancer. The toy is made by using a large needle to thread a long piece of florists wire through four or five inch and half long pieces of cut paper bag handles. It drives the cat nuts.

Cimbi was back on her haunches swatting at the toy before it was finished. She cried wanting to play with it as Joyce made sure the wire's end was safely tucked into one of the bag handles. After completing the Cat Dancer, our small animal took off jumping and swatting in a delighted frenzy.

Cimbi has spent the past few couple days crying for Cheryl and I to play with the dancer, and sleeping with it when she tires. At night and while we are gone, Cimbi puts the end with the bag handles on her chair and dozes with her head on top of it.

Posted by Chris at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Cheryl and I had a great weekend. We hosted the best friends and neighbors anyone could ask for at our housewarming on Saturday. Despite our last guests leaving sometime around 4am, Cheryl and I woke up refreshed on Sunday, with a life-affirming glow that comes from being around great people.

Today, after a mellow Sunday with an early bed time, I have a burning fever and all of my joints ache. Life lesson here: never let the party end.

So, until I stop drenching myself in my own sweat, I am making this post easy, and making another submission to Stuff On My Cat in my ongoing quest to get Cimbi posted. Here she is covered in sanitation violations.

Posted by Chris at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the drawbacks to South facing windows with unobstructed sunlight is that they can turn a room into an oven. Golden rays fade material, raise the indoor temperature, and magnify the smell of odorous things in their path. Take, for instance, cat urine.

Our living room window lets in copious amounts of sunlight that concentrates on a part of the couch where Cimbi decided to go wee wee. Coming into the apartment at the end of the day, I was hit with hot damp air inside about ten degrees warmer than the hot damp air outside, and with the same concentration of ammonia found in Jupiter's atmosphere. I was ready to put the couch and the cat on the curb for sanitation pick up the next day.

Cheryl calmed me down, and I plodded off to Posh Paws to pick up Nature's Miracle stain and odor remover. I knew about the product from seeing it mocked on the Colbert Report, the source of most of my knowledge.

I can now honestly vouch for the product and say that it worked, albeit after four applications across two days. Not wanting to throw the couch out, we followed the instructions to a tee. (Well, except for the part about testing the colorfastness the of the target area. Who cares if the colors bleed or not when the furniture reeks like cat piss?) We soaked the target area of the cushion and let it air dry at its own pace. The smell was not gone the first time, so we tried it three more times, and by then it was no more.

We did have a couple big things in our favor right from the start. The couch is leather, so the pee pee did not soak in like it would on a fabric couch. Also, Cheryl pays more attention to the cat's diet than my mother ever did to mine. By giving Cimbi high quality food, digestive supplements, and keeping fresh bottled water available, the cat's urine has very little odor from the get go.

To be totally truthful, Cheryl swears she cannot smell anything. I swear that if you really smash your nose into the target area and breath deeply, you can still kind of smell something.

(I was going to write that if your face was pressed into the couch and you were breathing deeply, then you have more important problems than negligible odors, but then I thought about it. In all the times I can think of when someone has their face pressed into the couch and they are breathing heavily, it's a great night. So, the couch may have to go after all.)

Posted by Chris at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cimbi and I tried going to Morningside Park this weekend. It confirmed that the best, and safest, place for taking a cat outside in Manhattan is Central Park's great lawn.

Cheryl's cat allergy is a dirty little Harlem Fur secret. Ninety-eight percent of the time she keeps her allergies well under control, but Sunday helped make up that two percent when cat dander gets the best of her. Cheryl asked that I take Cimbi to the park so she could rest her nose for a while. Looking to avoid parade day crowding in Central Park, and not wanting to have to protect my animal all day from Staffordshire Terriers in Marcus Garvey Park, we left for Morningside Park after Cimbi climbed into her Sherpa backpack.

Having a cat on a leash can draw a lot of attention, and I was not looking to field questions all day. So, Cimbi and I settled down where I could read the paper on an out of the way patch of grass. At first I was a little apprehensive about the area as five unsupervised kids ranging from 4 to 7 years old were running around nearby. It turned out Cimbi liked them and they liked Cimbi. The only people they were going to bother were themselves, as they spent the afternoon climbing back and forth over an 8 foot tall chain link fence.

Cimbi likes to go to the end of her 16 foot leash and sit there looking at whatever is nearby. It must give her some sense of independence. This has never been an issue.

As the afternoon wore on, I dozed off laying in the grass with the cat's leash in my hand. I was awoken by Cimbi's cries and slight tugs from her leash. When I looked in the direction of where she was, I saw three teens on bikes circling and taunting her, their bikes causing tugs on the leash as they ran over it. They took off as soon as I got up and yelled at them, but Cimbi was terrified for the rest of our time in the park. For the next half of an hour, my otherwise outgoing cat sat glued to me and quivering. The scare ruined the day, so we went home.

Back in the apartment, Cimbi quickly recovered. I went from being her hero to being her chew toy in a matter of hours. Right now she is sitting behind me and is fine.

Posted by Chris at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I am getting quite good at finding what I want in Harlem. When Cheryl asked on Sunday where we could get wheat grass to aid our cat's digestion, we tried Karrot on 117th Street between Frederick Douglass and Manhattan Avenues.

Karrot is a small health food store featuring wheat grass, mambo juice, and Jim's Organic Coffee. I passed it when taking Romeo to the Morningside Park dog run.

Have grass it does. Carlos, the gregarious owner, said that when opened, he had a sign out front that read "Best Grass In Harlem." People would walk by, look around, stick their head in and ask things like "do you have that Thailand stuff?"

What we wanted is a little more legitimate. Karrot offers wheat grass shots, both solo and in mambo juice, and the grass itself sold in sizes from a quarter sheet to a full sheet. Carlos said the quarter sheets are popular with cat owners in the area. We took a quarter sheet, which is more than enough for Cimbi.

BONUS: Karrot has flyers for the Hudson Street Proud Pet Parade this Saturday, June 17th at 2pm. Looks like it is something for dogs, so no outting for Cimbi. To register, email cruizroberts@gmail.com or call 646-678-5372. Three top dogs will be crowned. There is a $20 admission fee.

Posted by Chris at 09:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since NY City Pets asked last month where all of the New York City cat websites are, I have been randomly looking around for ones focusing on Harlem. I am still trying to find CImbi a buddy to hang out with. After a month's search, it seems that finding Harlem cats online is about as elusive as finding my animal a playdate.

After I talked Cheryl into taking my place as Cimbi's online handler, the project was picked back up and completed. Cimbi can now be found here, where Cheryl handles all of her Catster inquiries. Playdate proposals, however, need not come through there.

Posted by Chris at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Harlem saw two great openings this weekend, and Harlem Fur was kinda there.

Bonus: If you read to the end, you can find out how a free bag of Innova cat food, courtesy of Posh Paws, can be yours!

Minton's Playhouse
Minton's Playhouse was a raging success on Friday. The jazz was hot, the joint was packed, and the drinks were surprisingly well priced. I know most of this because I took photos like the one below.

I will be posting more shots from Friday night at Minton's on Flickr. Take a peek by clicking on the photos in the right-hand side bar. I have a shot of Mr. Earl Spain, the jazz impresario who did what Robert DeNiro could not and re-opened the birthplace of be-bop. The first person to point out Dean, my co-op's president, wins a Posh Paws logo food lid.

Posh Paws
Cheryl and I made our first purchase at Posh Paws on Sunday. We bought Cimbi a blue Flexi-Mat pet bed for the windowsill. The attractive and durable fabric is machine washable and dryable, which makes it ideal for cleaning before our allergic friends come over.

Cheryl and I also met the owners, Doris and Helen, two warm people who are very knowledgeable about companion animal supplies.

Please don't think Cimbi will eat just any cat food, or Cheryl for that matter. Previously, we tried giving our animal Greenies, as we ended