My 2011 Marathon - by Hal Rounds

Los Angeles Marathon March 2011

Chris arrived Thursday night. The following day I took the day off from work. Miriam, Chris and I went to the Marathon Expo at Dodger Stadium to get our shirts and bibs. It was much better than last year, and more spread out instead of being jammed into a tiny area. Chris and I got our bibs, I was 624 and he was 1317.  Then we looked at the expo, we liked the K Swiss shoes and got various freebies like energy drinks, nuts, and bottles of ice tea. The Honda van had everyone's name on it, we found ours.

It was a nice sunny day, so we went to the French Garden south of downtown for lunch. It was great to sit on the patio under an umbrella to keep the sun off. I had a Brie sandwich, Chris had Tilapia and Miriam had a delicious seafood pasta. Chris and I split a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Miriam was the designated driver, so she took us over part of the old 2008 Marathon route to Boyle Heights and back on the 6^th street bridge. We then picked up the new route and drove it all the way through Hollywood and Westwood to the 405 freeway! We enjoyed seeing the landmarks and “attractions” so we would know what to look out for on Sunday.

Saturday dawned breezy, cloudy, but not raining. We had been following the weather forecasts closely; there was still hope because the “heaviest” rain was supposed to come through late Sunday afternoon. Chris and I went for a 2 mile stroll at the beach Saturday morning. We watched the DVD “Into the Wild” in the afternoon, which seemed an appropriate title as the weather was looking more problematical; we had had good weather for three weeks and now a winter storm was coming through. So I decided to take my gore-tex rain jacket for Sunday.

Miriam and my step daughter Susan cooked a nice carbo-load dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (with red wine of course) On my final 20 mile training I had had a big steak the night before which seemed to give me lots of energy, so we decided to have lots of meat before the Marathon too. Chris headed to bed at 8, I went at 9 and slept fitfully till 2AM. I got up, noticed the wind and light rain, and got to Chris's door just as he was opening it to get up. I felt demoralized by the weather and did not want to do the marathon, if Chris had not been there I probably would have bailed out, which would have been too bad since it turned out to be such a great day in the end.

We dressed, had oatmeal, and then headed out to Santa Monica. Intermittent light rain....we got to the Civic Center parking structure about 3:30, parked on the first floor (maybe even the same spot as last year!), and hung out nice and warm in the Jeep till 4:15 when we headed out to get the shuttle bus. As before, the shuttle was efficient and quick and got us to Dodger Stadium in less than a half hour....so we had to get out into the wind, rain and cold, too bad!

We put on our three layers of sweaters each (which I had got at the Salvation Army Thrift store). We hung out in the stadium for a while, Chris gave one of his jackets to a teenage girl (Nancy) who was looking cold. She told us she had been a volunteer the year before and was now going to run the Marathon, she said she liked running in the rain! We also gave her a couple of safety pins she needed for her bib. I had my Mocha Clif Shot (with 50mg of caffeine) as my “coffee”. This year we were only allowed in the stadium seats, not the outfield like last year, which would have been too wet anyway. We managed to find a restroom which was under the stadium (and supposed to be closed) so we avoided the long lines.

At 6:30 or so we went to the corrals. Chris headed for his seeded corral “C” since he had done 4:29 last year. I ended up near the front of the unseeded corral. They announced that Sumo wrestler Kelly Gneiting had weighed in at 400.6 pounds as he was going for the Guinness World Record of heaviest person to complete a Marathon. I had seen him at mile 16 in 2008 - in which he had not registered with Guinness so he had to do the marathon again! I saw his video for 2008 on Youtube, it's pretty good.

 The wait was OK, since the excitement was building and it had stopped raining (YAY!) so I did not have to stand in that stupid pen in the rain.  Some clowns climbed into the corral ahead of me over the fence, but a least they didn't land on top of me! The race was delayed, as they were a little slow in getting all the logistics cleared away; apparently all the medical, traffic and police units have to call in that the course is safely closed to cars and OK for the runners. The wheel chairs were supposed to start just before 7, I think they got off 20 minutes late. Then the elite women got their 17 minute head start, then finally the elite men and all of us got the start at about 7:45. With of course “I Love LA” by Randy Newman playing on the sound system.

It took only about 4 minutes for me to shuffle to the start line, so that was good, we were all very excited to be off and running. Before mile 1 it has begun to rain lightly, I put my jacket on which I took off again when the rain “stopped” before Mile 2.

We ran through the China Town dragon gate, the road got pretty crowded so I ran along the sidewalk. Some of the old Chinese ladies seemed a little puzzled as to what was going on. Then near Olvera Street, past the old church “La Placita de Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles”! We often go to a nice restaurant called “La Golondrina” in Olvera Street so I know this area pretty well. Then a jog through Little Tokyo, turned to down town with nice views of City Hall, the LA Times building, and the downtown skyscrapers. I stopped to take a few pictures along the way.

We got to the foot of “Taiko Drum Hill”, the Taiko Drummers and Disney Hall are at the top. I thought it was strange that there was no marker for Mile 4, this proved to be a problem for the rest of the race since I found that almost all the mile markers had blown down in the wind; the markers are giant upside down U-shaped tubes blown up by a fan. So it was kinda hard to know exactly where the miles were. It was raining hard as I walked up the hill; I noticed my right knee was hurting, I think from running on the cambered right side of the road. In training I had just trained on the flat beach bike path. I remember from a couple of years ago if I ran on one camber (right or left I can't remember) it made my knee ache, obviously I was finding this out again. We turned right at the top of the hill, I put my rain jacket on, it was to stay on all the rest of the day!

Then a downward jog and under the Harbor Freeway, then up to Echo Park which looked beautiful in the rain. I tried to take a picture but the camera memory was full! Note: get a new memory card next year! I thought that I would stop here and there and delete a few old photos but as the rain got heavier I never felt like stopping to do this. I remember it was raining heavily there at Echo Park, and it never really let up after this. Though it did get heavier from time to time!

We then followed Sunset through the Silver Lake district. I don't think they have a lake there, maybe just on the streets where we were running. I chanted “Si se puede” with some Spanish speaking spectators. I noticed my anti-chafe stuff on my thighs seemed to be washing away in the rain so I got two big dollops of vaseline from a young latino volunteer holding a big platter of the vaseline, and put the stuff on my thighs so my shorts would not chafe. At this point I was mainly walking since my knee hurt too much to run, but that was OK, I was having a great time. The rain was a liberating force, as it seemed we didn't need to prove anything except to finish today.

I high fived about a dozen young people from Beit T'Shuva, a Jewish charity that helps recovering addicts. I noticed they were all happy to get high-fived since most runners were cutting that corner and not coming over to them.

On to Hollywood Boulevard at Mile 9 (had that blown over? I seem to remember that was one of the few markers still standing.) Then another mile to the main tourist part, with the Pantages and El Capitan Theaters. Here the rain started bucketing down even harder, and we all cheered! Yay! I found out that this had been the reaction of the runners in other places too; Diane  (who I work with) was in her kitchen in Santa Monica, she heard the rain start pouring down even harder and she heard a big cheer go up from the Marathon route on San Vicente outside her house!

I walked up onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame to look at some of the stars as I went along. Past the Hollywood Wax Museum and the Guinness World Record  Museum (appropriate for Kelly today!) At Grauman's Chinese Theater I took a look at some of the hand prints of the stars there, then down Orange Street back to Sunset. After about another mile and a half, reached the halfway point (13.1 miles) at about 3 hours, slower than last year or in training but that didn't matter anymore. A nice down hill past Carney's Hot Dogs (a yellow train car). Some day I will have to go there and have some hot dogs – I've been there just once about 20 years ago!

And in to West Hollywood. Greeted by the Cheer Leaders in Drag (like last year), who I all high fived. There were also a couple of guys dancing on a stage in their underpants (in the cold!), and it was nice to hear some Taiko drummers which helped boost the energy level too.

We then headed into Beverly Hills. On Doheny I finally took off my soaked baseball cap and put on my wool beany hat, pulling it down over my ears and to the rim of my glasses. Still feeling real good despite the rain. I was soaked through but it didn't bother me. Feet doing OK, no soreness or blisters. This residential area of Beverly Hills was tree lined and calm.

After Mile 16, I noticed a girl who was freezing cold in a black tee shirt and black shorts, she was shivering. I offered her an emergency poncho which I was carrying in a pouch but she said No thanks I am going to bail at Mile 17! The marathon organizers had finally set up tents where they were giving out space blankets and putting plastic bags on some of those who wanted them. I was really impressed by the many SRLA (Students Run LA) kids who were out today, and they all seemed determined to finish despite the cold and wet.

Further in to Beverly Hills, then down the posh shops on Rodeo Drive. I jogged this part.

Then Mile 18 into Westwood, there were supposed to be 400 cheer leaders there in “cheer alley” but they were long gone because of the rain. I did see some cheer leaders at one point doing there routines under cover at a gas station by the route; that was nice. Also all the volunteers who got soaked giving us water and gatorade in the cold deserve a big THANK YOU! Some of the volunteer kids in their bright yellow volunteer tee shirts were soaked to the skin but they were still there! What amazing people were out today!

There in Westwood I realized how much I loved this marathon experience today, I really felt great!

A downhill and a few modest uphills and we were at Mile 19. I felt a little sad since I knew it was “almost” over. I could see the 405 Freeway in the distance so I knew we were almost there. Mile 20, another unmarked mile that was hard to tell where it was, then under the 405 Freeway. A band called the “Bassment Junkies” was playing there to keep us runners entertained.

We then entered the Veterans Administration complex. I was sad to see that the flags were not out today, I guess because of the rain. The Clif people were handing out Clif Shots, I got a Citrus one which was quite good. During the previous hours, I had consumed some Clif Blox and Clif Shots to keep “fed”. I also think the carbo load dinner last night did its work well too.

A guy named Miguel started talking to me and we walked together up the hill. He was number 15939. He works in security at the airport, near where I work. He said this was his 11^th marathon, and his second in the rain. It was odd at first to be walking with someone as we passed through Mile 21, but it was quite pleasant. We talked about our jobs and families, and the kinds of music we liked.. We were on the home stretch now and pretty comfortable, though I should have put on my wool gloves and my hands were feeling a bit stiff., Still raining heavily. At one point we left the road because it was flooded and walked in the muddy grass for 50 yards or so.

At the cross street of 26 th Street (about Mile 23, we were on San Vicente) I called Diane on my cell phone so she would come out to say hi to us as we would be coming by here place. We were also walking with another guy named Patricio at this point. Diane's place was at 7^th maybe a quarter mile before Mile 25, Diane came out under here umbrella to say hi to us, I introduced her to Miguel and Patricio. It was a treat to see her here near the end of the marathon, like I did last year when I came by.

I could see the high rise apartment building at the beach before we got to Mile 25, so I knew we were almost there. Mile 25, then round the corner south onto Ocean...then the wind really hit us! Wow! We had luckily been pretty sheltered from the wind all day but the 30 mile an hour cold breeze off the Pacific Ocean was a big change. Check out this Youtube video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD7fHIVPvow  , it was like this!!!!! I have so much respect for everyone that was in the race today, almost 20,000 people made it all the way!

About half a mile from the end, Miguel jogged off ahead so he could finish at a run, I just kept walking and in fact slowed down just before the finish line to get a good look around before the end of this year's marathon journey. My time was 6:32, I think I got in at about 2:20 PM. I got my medal, then got some pictures taken by Marathonfoto. I didn't pause to get any snacks, I was getting cold now!

I made my way to the end of the runners zone, and out through the exit, through a big crowd of mainly very worried looking hispanic parents under umbrellas waiting for their kids to come through. I know I would be very worried about my kid if they had just been out doing 26 miles in the pouring rain with little protection against rain and wind!

Heading down Ocean, then over left towards the Santa Monica Civic Center. I went to use a Porta Potty, it was nice to get out of the wind so I called Chris from inside!. He didn't answer, I assumed his cell phone was a little inaccessible. Then kept walking, my phone range but I didn't answer since I didn't want to take my gloves off. Near the parking structure two very bedraggled SRLA girls asked me if I knew where the Civic Auditorium was, I said I was sorry but I didn't, maybe one of the bus drivers could tell them. I guess they had been told to regroup there after the race before taking buses home.

In a minute I was back at the car, I opened the door, Chris was there and had the heater on full blast which was heaven! I changed clothes, and we each had a few swallows of the rum which I had in a flask in the back of the Jeep – Chris had forgotten where I told him it was! Once I was in dry clothes, we called Miriam to tell her we were on our way. The freeway was fairly clear, people seemed to be staying home because of the heavy rain! Chris and I both agreed that we felt much better than after the marathon last year. We were ready for next year!

At home, we pulled in to the garage. I thought I was OK, but my sore knee gave way as I got out of the Jeep so I guess I wasn't 100% after all! Chris and I split a 1.5 liter bottle of Piper Heidsieck champagne, Miriam fed us hot chicken soup and gave us hot towels. It continued to pour and we thought of the stragglers still out there! We were glad to be warm and dry.

Kelly came in at 9 hours 48 minutes, I guess he won't do the LA Marathon next year, but we are hoping to do so!

The LA Marathon in the pouring rain was the best ever!

 To contribute to Hal's fundraiser please go to http://www.crowdrise.com/cats123

KITTY TALES - Piper and Babies

Love Unending

In a world littered with abandoned animals, one is hard pressed to figure out which case is the most heartbreaking. Never getting the chance for a home and a life certainly is among the top. That was nearly the case for Piper's babies after she was dumped at a shelter, extremely pregnant making her unadoptable, and headed for death. Her only hope, and that of her babies, was in rescue. This is where Stray Cat Alliance stepped in and contacted Kitten Rescue in one of many partner rescues that happen all year long.

1 year old, Piper, was rescued from Carson Shelter on January 10th, 2012. She had been at the shelter since the 4th. On January 5th, just one day after arriving at the shelter, Piper gave birth to 5 kittens. From the very first day in foster care, this gorgeous mother showed her inexplicable trust in people as she happily allowed her tiny babies to be handled. Piper was so enthusiastic with the prospect of getting to be cuddled in a person's arms, that she had to be encouraged to remain in the box with her babies!

Piper was a wonderful, devoted mother. It is no small miracle that she was able to keep her babies alive long enough for rescue. While all five were still alive, they had not gained a single oz since their birth. Her body was not able to produce enough milk as it struggled to recover from the birth and fight off classic shelter illnesses. Sadly, Piper fell ill just 3 days after her rescue and refused to eat. At only 1 week old, her babies' immune systems were not strong enough to combat a common virus and had to be removed for their own safety. Thankfully, they all survived (though it was a close call for one) and were thriving in the loving care of a bottle feeder, whose care would have been required either way due to the insufficient milk production.

It took two weeks for Piper to fight off the cold virus and regain her strength. Days of subcutaneous fluids and force feeding were required. Along with three different medications that were coupled with evenings of filling the room with warm moist air to help her breathe. Throughout it all, Piper was a patient, trusting, and loving cat who wanted little more than a human to snuggle with. One of her babies did fall ill, and after a terrifying evening during which the little girl turned purple, the baby began to recover. She too was on fluids while her bottle feeder sat up with her, massaging her belly until she finally accepted a bottle at 3am that night.

When the babies turned 6 weeks old, they left the bottle feeders and returned to the foster home where their mother was. Amazingly, Piper not only was excited to see the kittens, but she appeared to recognize them! Straight away she began grooming them, even going so far as to pin them down so that she could properly lick them. From the first night they were back, Piper slept in the room they were curled up in, rather than on her foster mom's bed like usual. Piper also refused to eat anywhere else but with her babies.

Then, two days after being reunited, I heard a kitten crying. I was about to go see what was wrong when it stopped. In came Piper, carrying something dark in her mouth. She plopped it down on the living room rug where all the babies were playing, and began grooming the stray. Since then, Piper has been spotted carrying her babies around on several occasions. She runs to see what is wrong if they cry, and is always following them around the apartment. This story shows us just how strong a mother's love for her kittens can be. Without Kitten Rescue, Piper's babies would not have made it and Piper would never have gotten the chance to see her kittens grow up. I truly believe she knows they are hers and she seems much more settled now. Piper can now move on and put her experiences behind her as she searches for a forever home where she'll never be left alone again.

If you are interested in adopting Piper or her babies please contact team member, Cynthia, at cmkeag@msn.com  

THE END IS NEAR...by Joyce Kao

To start off with, here's a picture of my new adoption ready foster a.k.a. my current marathon muse. She's a total sweetheart and looks a lot bigger in this picture than she actually is in real life:

Mura and me

The LA Marathon is less than three weeks away. I just completed the big 20-mile run in my training this past weekend.  From here on out till the marathon, I taper down my mileage. I would like to say something like 'training for this marathon has been a life changing experience', but honestly, it's been kind of an tedious and painful (as well as expensive!) and right now I'm just really ready for it all to be over.  Allow me to elaborate.

1. Tedious:
Even though I am following a beginners marathon training schedule, the mileages as the marathon approaches are INSANE.  For example in the past week, I ran 40 miles total...40 MILES TOTAL. I'm still not quite believing it myself.  In the beginning when I started last August, it was 1 mile here, 2 miles there, or the occasional 3 miles.  That was maybe 10-40 minutes in the morning (no biggie).  Now I have to section out hours at a time to fit my weekly runs in. Since I am vertically challenged and not trying to win the marathon here, my pace is rather slow.  Now when I run, I have to put aside an hour to two hours, maybe even three depending on the distance I run during the week. On Saturdays, I have been setting aside 5 hours for the past few weeks to finish what I think are insane mileages.

I have had some people ask me what I do during my runs (other than run) since these long runs can take hours at a time.  Most of the time, I'm concentrating/meditating. I'm trying to concentrate on not thinking about how uncomfortable I am while running. Music helps, especially something with a good steady beat....although I am pretty sick of DeadMau5. Video game music is also good because I think I'm getting hit points for every mile I run down (think Mario and mystery boxes every mile).

I also think about all the cats I have rescued and placed in good homes....and hopefully all the cats that I am going to help in the future. Cheesy, I know, but I definitely would not be running a full marathon without knowing that I am somehow benefitting some good cause because after all this training, it's sure as hell not benefitting me (physically), which brings me to the next point.

2. Painful
According to another team member, I am one of the few KR marathon team members who hasn't been injured yet during training. This is false.  I have developed injuries while training, but being a graduate student at the University of Southern California has it's perks when it comes to care for athletes probably because of all the great athletic teams at USC.  The doctors are probably sick of seeing my face at the campus health center. Injury was one of my main concerns when I started running. I was constantly reading articles from Runner's World and chatting with fellow runners in the lab I work in about what pain is 'normal' and what pain is not.  So far, I have been pretty lucky in being able to distinguish when to stop running and when to keep going. I have suffered through blisters on my feet, patellar tendonitis, shin splints, tense calves, tight hamstrings, lower back pain, and extreme chafing.

In addition to the actual running, a lot of time is dedicated to recovery. I have been doing physical therapy exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles before and after runs. Regular visits to the chiropractor are also a part of my schedule as well as deep tissue massages. A real deep tissue massage is NOT pleasant or relaxing. There is nothing relaxing about someone kneading, pulling, separating, and lengthening (with great force) already super sore muscles, but the faster recovery time and less pain during consecutive runs are totally worth it.

3. Expensive
Back in the day some 6 or 7 years ago when I was an undergraduate student, I ran in crappy $10 shoes, with whatever old beat up shorts and t-shirt that was in my closet...5 miles, no problem. Fast forward to the present, now I need need gait correcting shoes, special socks, sweat wicking apparel, and body lube. Since starting training, I've bought three pairs of running shoes priced anywhere between $50-$80/pair.  Running shoes are only good for 300-400 miles (can you guess how many miles I've logged?) I started out with regular running socks priced around $10 a pop.  The pair I will be running the marathon in are $60 for one pair. They're compression socks, which staves away shin splints and tense calves AND if I wear them between consecutive runs I recover faster.  Yes, they are magical that way and I will gladly pay $60 for that much less pain.

Luckily one can get sweat-wicking shirts and bottoms for fairly cheap if you skim the racks at Ross or Marshall's and you don't care about the color scheme. What's unlucky is that the extremely limited selection of sweat-wicking undergarments on the discount racks.  My discount bra nearly cut me in half for most of my training despite smearing myself with an anti-chafe stick. It wasn't until last week when I finally decided to lay down $50 to buy a proper running bra and another $14 for sweat/water-proof body lube that triathletes wear.  Now I'm no longer being sawed in half, but I'm $64 poorer. Don't get me started on my $20 underwear so I don't have to feel like I am wearing a wet diaper after I run...

I am sure that I look like a dork when I run....so if you are out there on March 18th cheering for the runners, I will be the awkward-looking runner wearing extremely mismatched gear since I can't afford to be 'fashionable' on my student stipend.

Conclusion:
With all that being said, has all this been worth it thus far?  I don't know yet.  I'm still quite a bit away from my fundraising goal. In the end, I did not do this for myself, but it is ultimately for all the current and future animals of Kitten Rescue. With less than 3 weeks left, I have to raise about $600+ to reach my goal of $1000. Efforts of sending emails, advertising on Facebook, and in person soliciting have amounted to almost $400 of donations on my Crowdrise fundraising page.

My next goal is to hold a gourmet bake sale next Tuesday at USC near the building where I work. I will be employing my wonderful fiancé's hobby of baking to make an assortment of sweet and salty confections. Hopefully that will bring in a good amount of donations. The 'hard' training part is over. Now I am in fundraising mode!  FOR THE KITTIES!!!!

To Donate to my fundraiser page go to www.crowdrise.com/joycekao.

Team Member - Cynthia McKeag

Like many Kitten Rescue foster stories, this one began with a kitty. Not just any kitty though and it began one and a half years before I even heard of Kitten Rescue. I adopted my cat, Dean, from the West LA shelter in September - plucked from a ridiculous pile of over 25 kittens all heading towards 4 months and already showing nasty signs of kitty cough. All the kittens were all ready to go that day and yet it had been over two weeks without a single adoption and the shelter was pressed for space… We all know what that means…

I never intended to adopt a kitten, in fact, I was hoping to rescue an older kitty because of their low chances in the shelter. However, a confident and chill bundle of black and silver fur told me in no uncertain terms that I had better take him home. Now, a little over two years later and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. Dean couldn't be a more perfect match for me, I like to think he was created just for me.

Now at the same time that I fell head over heels in love with Dean, my roommate - who wanted a kitten - also adopted a silver tabby the same age. For the next year and a half these boys would be inseparable. However, as we knew from the start, it couldn't last forever. My roommate moved out and I knew without a doubt that I needed a friend for Dean asap. My mom suggested fostering and I hopped online and discovered Kitten Rescue.

Dean couldn't be happier (ok, maybe he could be but that may be about to change!) and is a wonderful foster big brother and dad to the kittens. Because he's ok with the changing housemates, I have fallen in love with fostering and Kitten Rescue. So when the chance to do something more for Kitten Rescue came up, I fought my lazier instincts and signed up for the LA Marathon.

What a journey it has been! Marathon training Saturday mornings followed by adoption events all weekend and I'm ready to drop come Monday... Thankfully, I've gotten to know some amazing KR people who help out in unbelievable ways to allow me to show on Saturdays despite having to be late some weeks. While I've faced some medical challenges on this journey, I wouldn't change it for the world. It's pretty amazing to say "I only did 10 miles today" and actually mean that it was a pitifully short distance!

While fundraising has been equally challenging - I'm oddly enjoying every moment of it. As for Dean - well, he may be getting a permanent friend sooner than I planned. And the kitty being considered isn't even one of my fosters!! What can I say, I like to break the mold and shake the system. Will I be doing the marathon again next year? Ask me again when it's over… Will I continue fostering? You better believe it.

To donate to Cynthia's fundraiser page go to www.crowdrise.com/cynthiamckeag

KITTY TALES - Edgar & Poe

"For months I could not rid myself of the phantasm of the cat; and, during this period, there came back into my spirit a half-sentiment that seemed, but was not, remorse. I went so far as to regret the loss of the animal, and to look about me, among the vile haunts which I now habitually frequented, for another pet of the same species, and of somewhat similar appearance, with which to supply its place."
- Edgar Allan Poe, "The Black Cat"

Edgar and Poe were born at West Valley Shelter on August 25, 2011. They lived the first month of their lives in a cage with their mother, Contessa. One day a Kitten Rescue volunteer came to pull another feline family. The shelter workers knew Contessa and her babies were running out of time, and Contessa was beginning to get sick from living at the shelter for so long. Euthanasia was in their immediate future.

The staff asked the Kitten Rescue volunteer to take both families, which she did. They would most certainly have been euthanized because Contessa became extremely ill and took over a month to recover and baby kittens without mothers that are not weaned are immediately euthanized. This lucky family was now safe under the protection of Kitten Rescue.

Edgar and Poe are loving, playful and feisty little guys. They make a wonderful pair and also great companions to other cats and dogs. Their favorite past time is “skiing” on their fostermom’s stack of paperwork! How does one tell them apart? Edgar is pudgier than Poe! Check out their video below.

If you are interested in meeting them please email purrfriend@aol.com

Team Member - Mi Chaing

Life as an animal rescuer is Posh and Poop.

Actually, it’s more poop than posh.  In fact, I think the only thing that’s posh is the annual Furball fundraiser when volunteers show up in clean clothes and a lint roller.  Which, by the way, I scored the volunteer of the year award for 2011…hey, that was 15 years in the making!  Thank you Kitten Rescue J  My husband thinks that award should mark my retirement…HA! 

So how did I my feline journey begin?

It started with a girls’ day out at Topanga Mall.  Kitten Rescue, a small and humble group at the time, was holding an adoption event there.  I was compelled to admire the furry creatures in person.  A woman asked if I was interested in volunteering and damn was she persistent.  She kept calling me to volunteer until I showed up.  On my way to the adoption event I got lost, went to the wrong Petco, and ended up rescuing my first cat.  During my time with Kitten Rescue I’ve taken in my fair share of bottle babies, feral kittens, the old, the abandoned, the sick and the crazy.  I’ve even expanded to fostering dogs from time to time and two of my three dogs were rescued while I was trapping cats in Echo Park.     

Over the years the cats have come and gone, well, most of the cats have gone…but as I tell my husband, it’s not about me stopping fostering; it’s about us getting a bigger place…

As for running the LA Marathon, I enjoy many activities, but running is not one of them.  However, I was inspired by Minoo's run last year, so here I am, training for 2012.  Anything to help homeless cats and dogs is worth the 26.2 miles of agony.  Great thing about training is getting into shape and eating lots of carbs (guilt-free)!  My crowdrise page might confuse some people but I’ve decided to have “Adrienne” on my runner’s bib since most non-rescue friends know me by that name, and I cringe at the thought of spectators butchering my name as I hobble by.  So instead of me…my…mae…or hey you, I’ll stick with yo Adrienne!    

To donate to my fundraiser please go to www.crowdrise.com/catwoman

KITTY TALES - Mira

Street Scamp turned Foster Princess

Kitten Rescue acquires animals in every imaginable way. In this particular case, a former adopter gave their friend our information when a stray cat showed up at their apartment. Seeing as it was against the management's policy to have pets, the kind young couple who had taken to feeding the initially reticent stray, were hoping against hope that someone might be able to rescue her. Cynthia McKeag, a member of Team KR, was dispatched to get an assessment on the kitty in question, and to determine her temperament.

It quickly became her first rescue ever when the gorgeous gray tux with soft green eyes came scampering over eagerly for petting and food. The little girl had shown up, terrified out of her mind little more than 3 weeks prior. After spending a week watching her from their apartment, the young couple had begun putting out food. It only took a handful of days before the cat was hanging out at their complex and no longer shying away from every movement. In fact, she adored being petted and would roll around on the ground, asking for belly rubs. Clearly, she had been someone's pet.

After being scooped up in a carrier (yeah, no trap needed!), the young girl was whisked off to her new life off the streets. She was named Mira, and given a clean bill of health by the vet. Mira tested negative for FIV/Felv, was judged to be about 7 months old, and had already been spayed. That's right. Someone had taken the time to fix her, but then either dumped her on the streets or she got lost and couldn't find her way home. There was no microchip, and with no lost cat posters or responses to the couple's initial attempts to find her owner, Mira became an official KR kitty.

Team KR member Elicia Richardson-Ellis took the precious girl in for her isolation period, and discovered that Mira is a huge love bug. Not only that, but she is completely at ease with dogs! Mira has now been transferred back to Cynthia McKeag, who will be fostering her. We have high hopes for this sweet teenager. We will never know how it is that she ended up on the streets, but she is pretty happy to have a full stomach, a warm bed, and someone to snuggle with.

Team Member - Kathy Eshenko

When describing the ideal cat, the words “playful”, “loveable”, “healthy”, and “gorgeous”, to name a few, usually come up.  "Crabby”, “shy”, “medically challenged” and “old”, rarely make it to the top of the list.  This is why team member, Kathy Eshenko, has a big affection for these types of cats.  The “un-adoptables” as they are called.  Ones whose chances of finding a loving and committed home, through sickness and in healthy, are slim to none.

Kathy’s first rescue effort back in 2000 was the opposite.  She hand-caught a litter of four healthy adorable kittens in her boss’ backyard and paid the price, arms badly scratched up and bloodied.  She didn’t know how to properly trap cats back then but she does now!  Those feisty kittens didn’t stay feisty for long.  On their first adoption day, three of the four kittens found homes.  Kathy has been with Kitten Rescue ever since and also volunteers at the Kitten Rescue sanctuary, Casitas.  Besides fostering she actively volunteers with fundraising, such as the Furball, garage sales, bingo night, and of course, Team Kitten Rescue!

Kathy also volunteers extensively with the Wildlife Waystation and has been with them since 2006.  Her commitment and hard work earned her the privilege of being on the Llama Team and the Grass Team, where she interacts and feeds the exotic animals at the sanctuary.      

When it comes to the needs and well-being of animals, whether it be cats, llamas, lions, tigers or bears, Kathy is always there to help and volunteer her time.  Her dedication is truly appreciated and we are proud to have her as a member of Team Kitten Rescue.  Go Kathy!

To contribute to Kathy’s crowdrise page go to www.crowdrise.com/kathyeshenko

KITTY TALES - Ziggy

Pauper turned Prince

It was Saturday night around 9:30pm on October the 22nd, when Minoo Rahbar, Team KR coordinator, spotted something black by the side of the road while on her way home. At first glance, it may have been little more than a discarded garbage bag, but after turning around for a closer look, Minoo was horrified to realize she was looking at an animal. Lying in a scruffy heap at the side of the road was the still body of a black cat. For all she knew, this poor animal was the tragic victim of being hit by a car.

Not willing to just leave him lying there, Minoo got out of her car and was blessed with a soft meow as the cat in question lifted his head in her direction. It was like a scene out of movie. Minoo dropped to the ground and spoke softly, not wanting to frighten a potentially injured animal and was blessed by a display of instant affection. Without any hesitation, this handsome fellow got up and walked straight over to his rescuer and began rubbing against her legs in a quest for love. When she sat down, he hopped into her lap as if to say: Take me with you!

He was famished and bordering on dehydrated. As Minoo waited for her friend and fellow Team KR member, Melanie Teller to arrive with a carrier, a man who lived nearby informed her that the cat had just appeared out of nowhere about a month and a half ago. With no one in the neighborhood feeding him, he had taken to scavenging whatever he could find, even trying to eat the paper out of a fast food bag in the few heartbeats it took for Minoo to fetch her phone from the car to call Melanie. A quick car ride to Minoo's place via Melanie's carrier gave the hungry boy a good meal and a huge bowl of water along with as much attention as could be showered upon him. Despite his affectionate and outgoing temperament, his physical condition lead to the conclusion that he had been living on the streets for some time.

The following morning, he was taken to the vet to determine the cause of his scabbed and scaly skin, along with a waterfall like amount of drooling. While no microchip was found, he was already neutered and judged to be about 9 to 10 years of age. The scabs came from the massive quantity of fleas roaming all over him, and the missing fur and scaly skin were a result of sarcoptic mange. The drooling was a result of ulcers and lesions in his mouth, coupled with horrible teeth and gums. There was also a small mass on his belly and he was suffering the effects of dehydration and severe anemia from all the fleas. After a nice bath, which was tolerable only because he was sedated to calm his terror, and flea treatment to keep the pests away, he was tested for FIV/FeLV and found to be negative for both.

Special donations helped raise the funds needed to get him on the road to recovery. This lucky man is now named Ziggy. Despite all he'd been through, a permanent home for Ziggy came swiftly to sweep him off into the lap of luxury. A former adopter of Minoo's couldn't get his sad face out of her mind and ended up adopting him. Ziggy absolutely loves his new home and mother, able to put his time on the streets behind him and enjoy life as a pampered pet.

This tale just goes to show you, that you never know where the next rescue will be, and Team Kitten Rescue are always on the look out to help animals in need at the drop of a hat.

SEE WHAT YOUR ANIMALS HAVE TO SAY!!

Here's our latest fun contest to help raise money for homeless animals: Donate exactly $17 to Team Kitten Rescue on Crowdrise between today, Thursday, Dec 15, and Sunday, Dec 18 (up to 11:59pm) and you will be included in a drawing to win a 30-minute session with Pet Psychic/Animal Communicator, Laura Stinchfield! ($85 value)!

http://www.crowdrise.com/TeamKittenRescueLAMarathon2012

FURRY TALES - Griffin the Puppy

In mid-September 2011 a Kitten Rescue volunteer found a young puppy whimpering at the bottom of a stairwell on her way to work. This puppy was taken to the vet and was diagnosed with two broken hips.  During surgery the vet found even more fractures. Griffin had damage to his growth plate in one leg, as well as multiple fractures. He had to have a plate and several pins put in.  He stayed at the hospital for one week and required three months of physical therapy. Best case scenario was that his hips and growth plate will heal and grow normally, and he will have full function of all four legs. Worst case scenario was that one leg would not grow properly and he would not be able to use it. Sadly, the nature of his injuries indicate it was caused by a human.  As of today his recovery is somewhere inbetween.  His right hind leg (with the pins) is strong, his left hind leg is weaker with less muscle mass.  Surprisingly, Griffin is active as any dog could be.  He runs, jumps and plays like crazy.  He is completely oblivious to his “handicap”.

Griffin had his photo taken with Santa at a recent adoption event.  He asked Santa for a forever loving home to celebrate Christmas.  He got his wish!  Griffin was adopted by a wonderful human and canine family who understood his physical therapy needs.  For an injured puppy who’s fate was uncertain, the volunteers who rescued him and nursed him couldn’t be more pleased to see him happy, healthy and loved.

KITTY TALES - Prentiss' Kittens part 2

Forever Loved.

When we last saw these adorable babies, they had just entered foster care. Since then, Prentiss' 4 kittens have grown strong and healthy at foster mom Suzanne's home. Black and white boy Scooter and his brother Jack, a fluffy tabby, were neutered a week ahead of their other brother and sister. They left their siblings behind in foster care and headed to the Petsmart, where they were abandoned, to stay in the enclosures where people could see them.

Tabby boy Jack never made it inside an enclosure. Former KR adopters were delighted to meet him and he was able to go to his forever home right away! Jack now has a new kitten buddy who had been adopted through a different rescue group and is loving life. Two days later, Scooter stole the hearts of a nice young couple who had just moved into a new condo. He is joining their family of two black and white kitties, so he fits right in.

The following week Jack and Scooter's siblings were finally able to get fixed. However, little fluffy black girl Vader, and her tabby and white brother Sparky never left Suzanne's. As is fairly common with new foster parents, Suzanne decided to adopt the sibling pair. Her senior male cat is already getting used to having the rambunctious babies around.

All four of these kittens ended up in wonderful new homes. With kittens, it is best for them to be adopted in pairs like Vader and Sparky or have a young kitty companion to play such as with Scooter's new home. Older cats are often irritated by kittens, and a lone kitten often ends up with behavioral problems due to a lack of feline interactive play which is very different from play with people. Whether it's an active young adult or another kitten, we always make sure our babies will never be alone.

For these four kittens, what started out as a traumatizing dump has turned into happy endings. Now, it's mom's turn to find her forever home.

KITTY TALES - Prentiss and baby kittens

Dropped like a bad penny…

Cats and kittens find their way into the arms of Kitten Rescue volunteers in many ways, but one of the most heartbreaking are what we call dumps.  That's what happened to a gorgeous black and white young mother and her 4 two month old babies.  This is a story told over and over again of a female kitty barely escaping her own kitten-hood and already caring for babies of her own.  Prentiss is roughly 1 - 1.5 years of age and her only crime was that someone didn't bother to get her fixed.

Fixing cats is perhaps the single most important thing any owner absolutely must do as soon as their kitty is old enough.  With clinics all over the Los Angeles area that offer low-cost spay and neuter, there is no excuse for not fixing your pet.  And yet, when the unfortunate baby does get pregnant, these innocents wind up in shelters where entire families are euthanized because the babies are too young, or abandoned in boxes or carriers where they can only pray someone kind will take them in.  Most will face a terrifying stint in a shelter that will serve as their last home in life.

Discarded like trash; pregnant kitties, nursing mothers, and kittens that are now "too big" to keep, flood the shelters in a seemingly never ending stream.  These irresponsible owners continue to add to the over population that already sends thousands of animals to their deaths every year.  Prentiss is one of the fortunate few and that isn't saying much.  She was in horrible condition simply from the stress of being dumped in the dog aisle at the Petsmart in Canoga Park.  She was drooling and panting heavily, even vomiting on her poor babies who were wallowing in their own feces.  Apart from the fleas, they were in pretty good physical condition apart from the stress.

Team Kitten Rescue member, Kathy Eshenko, took home the little family and will continue to foster the mother through her isolation period.  It took a little while for her come around, but it is rather clear that Prentiss is used to people and was someone's pet.  The kittens were more shy than their mother but were happily crawling all over Kathy with sweet rumbling purrs within a couple days. 

The four babies, one fluffy black girl and her three brothers, a fluffy brown Maine coon looking tabby, a saddleback tabby, and a matching black and white boy, were taken in by new volunteer, Suzanne, who had just finished her orientation.  Prentiss and her babies will later stay in the Petsmart enclosures in the store where they were dumped. 

It is thanks to Kitten Rescue that this poor mother and her babies are not in a cage at a shelter right now.  We can only hope the man responsible for abandoning them will think twice before creating another situation like this one.

MEET & GREET AT FLEET FEET!

It's not often Kitten Rescue volunteers have social gatherings that do not involve cats in cages, carriers or traps, although we did have a recently rescued cat at the event (more on that story to come).  Members of Team Kitten Rescue met up for Meet and Greet #2 at Fleet Feet Sports Encino last Sunday.  This meeting focused on Injury Prevention and Trey from Fleet Feet shared helpful information on this topic.  The meeting wasn't all about the aches and pain of marathon training though.  It was a great time to shop, socialize (with humans) and win raffle prizes!  Big kudos goes to Jesec, who won the Swheat Scoop Litter competition.

Team leader Minoo also reviewed the latest scoop (not cat scoop) about the LA Marathon and Team Kitten Rescue's fundraiser on Crowdrise.com, which hit over $10,000 before the end of October!  Go Team!

To donate to Team Kitten Rescue go to www.kittenrescue.org/lamarathon

Team Member - Jesec Griffin

Meet team member, Jesec, feline foster parent and voice actor extraordinaire.  Jesec recently celebrated his 35th birthday and in lieu of gifts he asked friends to donated to his fundraiser page.  It was a success and as a result Jesec won a year-supply of Swheat Scoop litter which will come in very handy in his household of furry friends.  Read his story below!

Hall and Oates. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Cats and Marathons?

I like to run. I like to rescue cats. Much easier to run a marathon to raise money for cats than the other way around, so here we are.

I got started with animal rescue the way I think a lot of Kitten Rescue volunteers do: my tag-team partner Alyssa and I saw a problem with homeless animals in our neighborhood and we decided to do something about it. Our first strategy of paying for everything out-of-pocket and trying to foist animals off on our friends quickly ran into the reality of our pockets emptying and our friends all having plenty of cats. Thankfully, we found Kitten Rescue.

One of the best parts of Kitten Rescue is getting to know the other amazing volunteers, people who understand that if you want a problem solved, waiting around for someone else to come solve it for you isn't going to happen. 

There are a lot of animals in bad situations out there through no fault of their own, and I'm proud to be part of an organization of people trying their best to remedy that.

To make a donation to Jesec's fundraiser page go to www.crowdrise.com/jesec

A BLACK CAT AFFAIR!

As October winds down to a close and November takes its turn with autumn leaves and cranberry sauce to calm the sugar craze, a new craze is sweeping through Kitten Rescue.  That's right folks, it's time to prepare for an elegant display of sleek ebony fur as we parade out our precious black kitties at The Black Cat Event on Saturday November 5th!

The Black Cat Event is a special adoption day put on by Kitten Rescue volunteers to showcase our midnight toned felines in their first time out since Halloween took center stage.  As many of you know, black cats are considered to be the hardest to adopt due to their unfortunate stigma and simplistic coloring.  This year is going to be amazing as we flood our venues at Canoga Park, Mar Vista, and Burbank with endless lines of rich obsidian cats of all ages and sizes.  Rich red decorations will make these black beauties stand out and scrumptious vegan treats will help draw in prospective kitty parents.

Team Kitten Rescue will be sending several of their members to this special event.  Lisa Austin, Team KR member, will be bringing out not just 1 but 8 raven colored kittens to the Burbank location.  Two are fostered by fellow team member, Cynthia McKeag, who is doing her part by taking their shared non-black kitties to Westchester.  Melanie Teller, who is considering running the 5K for Team KR, will also be showing Team KR coordinator Minoo Rahbar's black foster cat at Burbank.  Many more Kitten Rescue volunteers are busy working hard gathering decorations, baking up a store, and posting flyers in anticipation of this fun filled event.

Kitten Rescue really is a team effort, from running marathons to adopting out cats.  We all do our part to help save as many felines as we possibly can and every dollar we raise goes straight into the animals.  Without Kitten Rescue, events like The Black Cat Event would never exist, and many truly magnificent cats would be overlooked in favor of more flashy kitties.  Every cat deserves a home and Team Kitten Rescue is dedicated to them all, no matter their appearance or disability.

To locate the nearest Black Cat Adoption venue near you please go to http://www.kittenrescue.org/.

Team Member - Elicia Richardson-Ellis

Elicia started in Kitten Rescue as a Community Foster in 2008 after TNR’ing (trap-neuter-return) the unfixed cats in her neighborhood.  After placing the kittens she rescued into loving homes she continued volunteering as a fostermom.  Elicia’s motivation to joining Team Kitten Rescue is both exceptional and courageous.  Read her story below!

I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in January of 2011.  I found the lump myself in late December, went in for a biopsy - and had to wait until after the holiday for my diagnosis - Happy New Year!!  Ugh.

Anyway - I elected to have a bi-lateral mastectomy because I am a high-risk patient.  Both my mother and grandmother had breast cancer too.   My mother passed away - but my Grandmother is still alive and kicking at 89 yrs old.  She is my inspiration - and since we have so many common traits (including fat ankles) - I'm sort of hoping that I get to live a long time like her.

Over the last ten months, I've been through 2 surgeries, 6 months of chemotherapy, and 7 weeks of radiation.  I lost all of my hair - and I had GOOD hair.  I also lost both of my beloved kitties - Klaus (also known as Meatus) and Miyage.  They were very old ladies - but I was devastated to lose them.  Without a shadow of a doubt, what got me through all of this is my friends, family - and my husband.  I'll never be able to put into words how grateful I am to every single one of them.

After I had completed my therapies - I was looking for a way to get back into life, into shape, and do something that would challenge me in a good way.  I also knew that I wanted to adopt another kitty.  I saw Leon on the KR website, and reached out to Minoo who was fostering him.  She told me his story, and about how miserable he was in her house because he was getting picked on all the time.  He was so beautiful and mellow - and I knew that he was going to make a big difference in my life - and he definitely has made my life much sweeter!

While I was at Minoo's house meeting Leon, she pitched me on the idea of the marathon.  I was not at all convinced that I could do it- but she assured me that if she could do it (she's a self-professed clutz) - then I could do it.  So, I decided to at least give it a shot because I needed the challenge and the Kitten Rescue fund raising aspect was a real motivation for me.  Since I was out sick for so long, I had not been able to take on fosters - so I figure that this was a good way to give back to Kitten Rescue and make up for time lost.

I'm in the slowest group right now - and will probably take a day and a half to finish the marathon- but I'm doing really well with fundraising and have already surpassed my personal goal of $1,500.00 - and am now at just over $2,000.00

In past years - I've fostered and adopted out about 15 cats and kittens - and have done temporary ISO for many, many more.  I'm thinking about adopting another cat from KR - but it will have to be a very special kitty who will be kind to Leon (he's kind of a whimp) :)

To donate to Elicia’s fundraiser page go to www.crowdrise.com/elicia.

Team Member - Joyce Kao

Meet Team Member, Joyce Kao, a Ph.D graduate student at USC. Her passions in life (other than science) are food, cats, and pole dancing.  Read her story below!

After going back and forth for a few weeks, I have decided I am going to run the Honda L.A. Marathon on March 18, 2012.  What tipped me over?  I found out that the animal rescue I volunteer for, Kitten Rescue (http://www.kittenrescue.org/) is an official charity next year.  Would I ever run a marathon of my own accord?  Probably not, but for kitties, oh yeah!  (You can guess the hierarchy in my household) Their little faces and fuzzy bodies just melt my heart and I am prone to do stupid things in the name of helping cats...like run a marathon.

This will be my first ever marathon.  I have never run long distances in my life.  I wouldn't even classify myself as 'athletic'.  My height comes out to a whopping 5' 2" on a good day so you can imagine how short my legs are and what assets I have to carry me across 26.2 miles come next March....but for the kitties and for your support of the kitties, I CAN DO IT!
In August 2008, I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to foster cats and the next week joined Kitten Rescue.  In the past few years, being with Kitten Rescue has not only increased my knowledge of what it takes to do animal rescue, but has also opened my eyes to the reality of the animal overpopulation problem especially in Los Angeles.  Yes, I saw a few cats here and there in my neighborhood, but what I didn't see were the twenty thousand cats being fed into city animal shelters and the half that were euthanized to make space for other incoming animals.  This estimate only reflects cats, multiply by two (for dogs) and you have a rough estimate of how many animals die every year in shelters.  This number is ONLY in Los Angeles alone.

Kitten Rescue tries to relieve the burden on city shelters one cat (and occasional dog) at a time.  They are an awesome organization run by people who genuinely care about animal welfare and they truly deserve every penny donated to them.  Since KR is a completely volunteer-run organization, every dollar you donate goes towards saving the lives of less fortunate cats and dogs.
To make a contribution to Joyce's fundraiser page go to www.crowdrise.com/joycekao
You can also track Joyce's marathon training progress here: http://runforthecats.blogspot.com/)