October greetings, Kitten Fund sponsors!

Starting this month with kitten health news: Siamese mix Coconut is very small for her age. As a first step, Tabby’s Place medical team ran blood work and found elevated white blood cell counts and some elevated liver values. Next, to try to find out why, she was examined by a specialist in internal medicine. From experience, there was concern that she could have a portosystemic shunt, commonly known as a liver shunt, where blood that should be cleansed by the liver never gets there.

The specialist determined that Coconut does not have a shunt, but she was found to have consistently low blood cholesterol, which might help explain why she’s still so small. That’s where it stands now. You can be sure she will be carefully watched, and her care will be thanks to you and your generosity to the Kitten Fund. (Which reminds me, our Development Director Angela exulted after the life-saving Linda Fund collected its highest total ever.) Volunteer Natasha caught Coconut in a pretty pose.

At the top of the screen are four of the bottle babies described here last month.  Under the care of staff member Jae, they thrived, and all four were welcomed into Suite C. From left, Neutron, Quark, Electron, and Proton. Here’s a closer look at Quark by himself.

A September Memory: As I looked through the window of Suite C, I saw no kittens. In a way, that was unusual because a sign on the door said that six kittens were inside the room. But I figured that they were resting after a recent meal, judging from the food trays on the floor, and were out of sight in some of the numerous hidey-holes built into their room.

I quietly turned the door handle and opened the door slowly. Too slowly, as it turned out, because a swarm of kittens materialized instantly, all rushing my way. A tiny orange-and-white furball dashed past me and into the hallway. I retrieved the little one, consulted the sign on the door and learned his name is Kayko.

With everyone back inside, I sat down on the bench and, within seconds, nearly all-black Madonna made her way directly to my lap. As she settled down for some love and affection, I could see Coconut and Stromboli having a merry chase, and Proton and Neutron, wrestling from one end of the room to the other. Meanwhile, Kayko set about the urgent task of untying my right shoelace.

After several minutes, a staff member with medication opened the door, and again Kayko dashed past her and into the hallway for another brief taste of freedom before the staff member corraled him. Not long after, Jonathan opened the door, and again Kayko dashed… ah, you already guessed it.

Madonna decided to climb down, so I re-tied my shoelace and picked up a bright green cloth-covered toy. I tossed the toy in the opposite direction from the door, and as Kayko hustled to get it, I made a fast unaccompanied getaway.

Comings and Goings: Tabby’s Place’s Instagram page has good news and nice pictures of September adoptions.  Regarding intake, there were fewer foster kittens in September than usual because of the four dozen-plus adults who were rescued from a colony, as explained by Kitty LeFey.

Just one more picture: Foster dad Jeff provided this one of ginger babies Chef Boyardee, Spaghetti-O, and Spam.

News you might not expect from a cat sanctuary:   From an internal memo — “Two tires were accidentally delivered to us instead of our neighbors at Champion Tire. Please leave them in the Storage Room until the post office can pick them up and deliver them to the correct address.”

Awhile back, a nest of baby bunnies was found in one of the garden beds of Quinn’s Corner Plaza. Everyone was advised to keep their distance and let the mother be the only source of food for her babies. The mother rabbit chose a good place, didn’t she?

Until next month, wishing you all good things,
Your correspondent,

John