Did you feel it this past month?
It was your love, working double-time. Some seasons shall go down in the eternal annals of TNR history, and this was one of them. You should be feeling twenty feet tall for all that you helped to make happen in January…
…but perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.
First of all, there was Blizzard Jonas. Tabby’s Place got somewhere in the neighborhood of 30″ of snow — and so, of course, did all our free-roaming cat colonies. If ever TNR is a life-saving endeavor, it’s during such times as these. As the winds howled and the snow scaled higher and higher, our TNR cats were safe and content. Working with our colony caretakers, we ensured that all our cats had shelter, food and water. From farms to barns to recycling facilities (just a few of the local spots our cats have colonized), Tabby’s Place’s TNR cats were snug as the proverbial bugs in rugs.
But one cat, the famed Maebelle, was in a bit of a pickle. Mae lives on a glorious farm — and, as you can see if you click here to view her picture, she eats very well. But during the blizzard, Maebelle’s family was going to be out of town.
There would be 30″ of snow, yes. But there would also be a hungry Maebelle…and failure was not an option.
Team TNR, would you believe two of our staff members ventured out at the peak of the storm, with 40 mph winds screaming and snow mountaining skyward at 2-3″/hour, to deliver Maebelle’s meal? As it happens, our sorry staff — or, more precisely, their truck — ended up getting stuck…for two hours. One convoy of snowplows and tow-with-a-chain later, they were back at Tabby’s Place.
But what really matters is this: Maebelle was fed, cozy and content. And, yes, probably laughing through it all.
Yes, dear sponsors, you make it possible for our team to do some outrageous feats of love.
But even post-blizzard, you’ve been helping us to swoop into serious situations for our community cats. Early February brought us two terribly injured fellas. They’re both still quite new at this point, so I’ll bring you further details in your March update, but I’m honored to introduce you to Amos and Wesley today.
Amos (pictured below left) got his name because he was “A-mess” when he came to us. We’re still trying to determine what, exactly, happened to this handsome cat outdoors, but whatever it was, it was horrifying beyond belief. All four of Amos’ legs are broken, and we believe these were separate injuries. We’d like to imagine that this was an appalling series of unrelated incidents…but there’s one detail that won’t let us hold that hope. Amos’ battered body also bears a bullet.
Yes, really.
This fearful, gentle cat has seen the worst of humanity. So we’re considering it a sacred trust to spend the rest of his life showing him the best. It’s going to take a lot of patience, love, and tender care to put together Amos’ broken pieces…but we’re in it for the long haul. We’re just so grateful this boy is here now.
Wesley, meanwhile, came to us with a more screamingly acute, but probably innocent, injury. The six-month-old silver sweetie was spotted with a gashed-open front arm. It’s most likely he wound up with this wound in an accident of some sort, but by the time he came to us, he needed immediate surgical intervention and bandage changes. As you can see above, tiny Wes is almost unbearably cute in his bandage.
Wonderful sponsors, this has been an epic month for our free-roaming cats, and you’ve been the ones who’ve made it all possible. Thank you from the depth of my heart — and Amos’ and Wesley’s hearts, and Maebelle’s well-fed belly — for your generous love.