Dear Colleen Supporters,

When I look at Colleen, all I see is a beautiful cat. Those green eyes are to die for. And in my opinion, the black and white patterns of her fur are the mark of exquisite styling.

So imagine my surprise when I was visiting her the other day–on a Friday, and a gentleman came in to drop off a few prints he was donating for the Catoberfest auction that Tabby’s Place is running as a fund raiser. It seems he’d called and spoken to one of the volunteers at Tabby’s Place and now, good to his word, he’d arrived with a painting and some prints as his donation to the cause. Nice guy to do such a generous thing, I was thinking. And, of course, no one comes to Tabby’s Place without talking about the cats they see or the cats they own. This particular gentleman mentioned that he’d recently lost a cat, but he and his wife had decided, for the moment, to remain cat less. She’d even decided to remain in the car–to avoid all temptation. Fine.

But then the gentleman spotted Colleen. Actually, first he spotted Franny and asked some questions about her fur. Angela was there to explain that Franny was old, very old in people years, and that her grooming wasn’t quite what it used to be. His glance fell to Colleen. “Hmn. That’s some cat.” And the way he said it — his phrase–that’s some cat–was code for “that’s a fat cat.”

Colleen?

Angela laughed, and not wanting to be rude, entirely cognizant of the very generous gift the man had just made, said, “Well, she has what we call a full figure.”

The subject quickly changed, and after the gentleman had gone, I sat on the floor next to Colleen, refusing to accept that she was a “fat cat.” There seemed nothing wrong with her figure in my estimation.

It’s true–she likes to eat. But I think–as she saunters along in the Community Room–she carries herself well. I like her swagger.

When we were alone again, I admit I gave her a few extra pets and hugs. “You are one beautiful girl!” I assured her, just in case she picked up on the stray remark that flew out of his mouth. But Colleen didn’t seem to be too concerned.

She’d found a nice cozy bed to cuddle in, and she seemed perfectly content to knock her face against my hand a few times, the old Colleen gesture. I wondered what was up and when I received her updated medical report, discovered that her steroids were reduced in the hopes that even at a low dosage, her face wouldn’t bother her. Well, maybe it does, just a little.

Colleen also has a small lump under the skin of her lip, but no one is worried about it. Her ears are still “gunky,” it’s said, but I didn’t notice anything during my visit. The staff diligently cleans them out, and she’s good to go.

So, medically, our Irish girl is doing just fine! And as the summer is coming to a quick close, Colleen and I want to wish you some nice sunny days and hopefully some time in your life to enjoy them.

Colleen and I would like to invite you to Catoberfest on Saturday, October 6th at Tabby’s Place. The big day includes a silent auction, book signing by Gwen Cooper (author of Homer’s Odyssey), live music and all kinds of lectures and goodies. The kitties would love to see you, and you can click here for more information about the event. In case you can’t join us in person, you can start bidding in the cats’ online silent auction this Monday (9/17) by clicking here. Every penny raised will help care for the kitties.

Thanks, as always, for your generous support of Colleen. I hope you get a chance to drop by and visit. One hug and kiss from Colleen is priceless!