usvi-on-line
Help the cats of St. John
Help the cats of St. John
From Shelley, infrequent poster, long time lurker
I know so many here love St. John as do we, and so we're appealing to you to help the island. For some time there has been a serious feral cat population, and in the past several years, locals have battled this with a humane and diligent effort. Integral to the island cats' welfare is the Animal Care Center, which has worked very hard to get a handle on this problem through the hard working efforts of so many, including Bonny Corbeil, whose rickety knees were aided when she bought a pickup to provide transportation for the Cruz Bay side.
Pirate Bill, the local and very colorful character of Coral Bay, has been working on a purely volunteer basis for years, caring for the homeless cats. Many have seen him at Skinny's tossing horseshoes, and many have had their pictures taken with the old Pirate. But his selfless efforts entail getting traps and food for the wild critters, setting up feeding stations and trapping the little kitties for the purposes of neutering. I have personally witnessed him "on the job" and his tender loving care for the non speaking population of St. John is nothing less than heart warming. He needs a van in working condition and funds for gas to continue doing what he does both in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.
Local folks and the heroic Animal Care Center in Cruz Bay, are working to get a second vehicle on the road, thus doubling the Animal Care Center's work to include Coral Bay, where one day they hope to build a facility.
If you'd like to help, please send a check to the Animal Care Center. All donations are tax deductible, and every penny would go toward making this largely volunteer effort continue. Please help, and send your donations to -
St. John Animal Care Center
PO Box 429
St. John, VI 00831-0429
Att: Pirate Bill Fund
I know so many here love St. John as do we, and so we're appealing to you to help the island. For some time there has been a serious feral cat population, and in the past several years, locals have battled this with a humane and diligent effort. Integral to the island cats' welfare is the Animal Care Center, which has worked very hard to get a handle on this problem through the hard working efforts of so many, including Bonny Corbeil, whose rickety knees were aided when she bought a pickup to provide transportation for the Cruz Bay side.
Pirate Bill, the local and very colorful character of Coral Bay, has been working on a purely volunteer basis for years, caring for the homeless cats. Many have seen him at Skinny's tossing horseshoes, and many have had their pictures taken with the old Pirate. But his selfless efforts entail getting traps and food for the wild critters, setting up feeding stations and trapping the little kitties for the purposes of neutering. I have personally witnessed him "on the job" and his tender loving care for the non speaking population of St. John is nothing less than heart warming. He needs a van in working condition and funds for gas to continue doing what he does both in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.
Local folks and the heroic Animal Care Center in Cruz Bay, are working to get a second vehicle on the road, thus doubling the Animal Care Center's work to include Coral Bay, where one day they hope to build a facility.
If you'd like to help, please send a check to the Animal Care Center. All donations are tax deductible, and every penny would go toward making this largely volunteer effort continue. Please help, and send your donations to -
St. John Animal Care Center
PO Box 429
St. John, VI 00831-0429
Att: Pirate Bill Fund
I've both tossed 'shoes with Bill a time or two at Skinny's AND made friends with a few feral kitties. I had no idea of Bill's kindness for and connection with island cats. On our last trip down in March, it broke our hearts to have to leave one particular kitty behind when we returned home to the mainland.
Since our return I read in Tradewinds (I think) about Bonny's efforts and how she (or the former director of the shelter) brought two aging cats home from StJ to NH so now we know that we can bring kitties home, too.
I'll send a check in the morning.
Since our return I read in Tradewinds (I think) about Bonny's efforts and how she (or the former director of the shelter) brought two aging cats home from StJ to NH so now we know that we can bring kitties home, too.
I'll send a check in the morning.
Cats
Several years ago we were in St Thomas at a resort and there were several feral kittens running around. So while we were out and about we stopped and picked up a bag of cat food. Every morning and evening we put out a paper plate full of food and feed our furry friends. When we were getting ready to head back to reality we passed on the bag of food to another guest who kept up the tradition. Thats how we helped the feral cat problem, and should there be cats at our villa we will continue the tradition.
-
California Girl
I sent a donation the St. Thomas Humane Society after our 2005 trip to STT. We'd like to visit the Animal Care Center while we're on St. John in a couple of weeks. We, as cat lovers, will definitely be donating! Thanks for posting this! >^..^<
Last edited by California Girl on Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
LSU Beach Tiger
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:21 am
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
I LOVE CATS!! Last time we were on St. John, my husband & I had a private dinner on the balcony of Caneel's Turtle Bay Estate House & there were these 2 feral cats that joined us. It was so funny because one of them kept jumping on my lap while I was eating, even jumped on the table. It was hilarious, let's just say those 2 cats ate good that night.
I would love to help out the kitties of St. John. I would bring one home with me if hubby let.
Thanks for posting this need.
I would love to help out the kitties of St. John. I would bring one home with me if hubby let.
Thanks for posting this need.
Thank you
Thanks to all. We, too, have befriended the stray cats at our rented villas (one who showed up daily during happy hour/appetizers) or at Shipwreck, etc. While there, we've helped Pirate Bill in his efforts, with our rental car, but we are sadly there too infrequently. What is needed is the consistent work of those committed residents, like Bill and Bonny, and many more.
By the way, for those of you who remember, Bonny is the Bonny of Luscious Licks, a wonderful vegetarian restaurant from 1983-93. She's truly an unsong hero of our furry friends.
Keep the stories and support coming for the cats of the Virgin Islands. Thank you. Thank you. Shelley
By the way, for those of you who remember, Bonny is the Bonny of Luscious Licks, a wonderful vegetarian restaurant from 1983-93. She's truly an unsong hero of our furry friends.
Keep the stories and support coming for the cats of the Virgin Islands. Thank you. Thank you. Shelley
If you are visiting STJ and get a chance, stop in at the shelter-it's across from the library (which is marked in your Virgin Islands atlas 
) If you're still not sure where to go and if my poor sense of direction serves me right, it was the dead end road on the right after you pass the tamarind inn and before you pass by the old Marina Market. I've usually found someone around during the day, and they're quite nice about letting you visit with the animals on hand. In case you noticed and wondered they notch the ears of the cats they've fixed and released. They do good work!
) If you're still not sure where to go and if my poor sense of direction serves me right, it was the dead end road on the right after you pass the tamarind inn and before you pass by the old Marina Market. I've usually found someone around during the day, and they're quite nice about letting you visit with the animals on hand. In case you noticed and wondered they notch the ears of the cats they've fixed and released. They do good work!Feeding time last summer. i'm infested.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7998196@N04/473428605/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/4734 ... ecbe_o.jpg" width="576" height="432" alt="DCP_0093"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7998196@N04/473428605/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/4734 ... ecbe_o.jpg" width="576" height="432" alt="DCP_0093"></a>
Sounds like a great idea. Bill W and I send a check to the animal care center every valentines day (he really loves not having to worry about picking out a gift) and we were just talking about upping it to two checks each year. How could we resist something called "The Pirate Bill Fund". We love cats and explain to our two that our trips to St. John are really pussycat appreciation camp. I also saw that the Care center is offering up island puppies and kittens for adoption to tourists. When our boys go (they're 15 in July) we'll bring home some St. John kitties.
-
Teresa_Rae
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
- Location: Downstate IL
All of my trips to STJ have been touched by at least one very special kitty. I really feel for them.
I will definitely send in a donation.
My best STJ kitty experience was a few years ago...summer of 2004. A tabby male cat would come by every night at 8 pm for a visit. He'd meow twice at the screen door and we'd let him in. The owner of the place we were staying had never seen the cat before...he found us and knew that we were cat people.
There were a few other less friendly cats around, but we also only saw them at night...we never once saw a cat during daylight...they liked to hide from the heat of the day.
The cat was like clockwork for the week and a half we were there...he'd come by every single night at the same time, spend a couple hours with us, get a good meal, and then go on his way.
The last night of our trip, I told him that we weren't going to be there the next night if he were to come by; I told him we were leaving at 9 o'clock the next morning and said a very, very sad goodbye to him. And the next morning, appearing in daylight for the first time, at 8:55 am, there was that beloved "meow, meow" at the door...he'd come to see us off. It was heartbreaking to leave him behind.
I will definitely send in a donation.
My best STJ kitty experience was a few years ago...summer of 2004. A tabby male cat would come by every night at 8 pm for a visit. He'd meow twice at the screen door and we'd let him in. The owner of the place we were staying had never seen the cat before...he found us and knew that we were cat people.
There were a few other less friendly cats around, but we also only saw them at night...we never once saw a cat during daylight...they liked to hide from the heat of the day.
The cat was like clockwork for the week and a half we were there...he'd come by every single night at the same time, spend a couple hours with us, get a good meal, and then go on his way.
The last night of our trip, I told him that we weren't going to be there the next night if he were to come by; I told him we were leaving at 9 o'clock the next morning and said a very, very sad goodbye to him. And the next morning, appearing in daylight for the first time, at 8:55 am, there was that beloved "meow, meow" at the door...he'd come to see us off. It was heartbreaking to leave him behind.
-
islandgirl
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:26 pm
- Location: michigan
-
Teresa_Rae
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
- Location: Downstate IL
-
Teresa_Rae
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
- Location: Downstate IL