Dearest Friends of Pepita,

As spring peeks around the corner, we hope you are enjoying the last bits of winter and are ready for the bright spots of green on the trees and the daffodils poking through to rise up in glory.

Pepita has enjoyed the warmer days in the solarium, but she has not been a fan of the crazy wild winds on some days. I find that she loves to park herself on the thin blanket that covers the heating pad on top of Hazey‘s crate in the solarium. Pepita can be a bit of a hog about it, not inviting others to share in the warmth and even—in a not so ladylike moment—chasing Vinnie away. She is looking forward to long days of sunshine and birds chirping.

Our Your Feline Valentine event was a wonderful day of visits from existing sponsors and prospective sponsors, as well as some first-time visitors!  We unveiled a new sponsorable kitty, Colonel Peabody, who delighted the visitors in our lobby.

I was happy that several of you had a chance to spend time with our sweet girl, and I know she appreciated all the extra attention that day. It was so special that she was able to thank some of you in person for all you do for her. For those who could not make the event, know that we are thankful for you each and every day!

March has already been a busy month. On March 1, we blended our own wonderful Paws to Read program with the Dr. Seuss Read Across America event. This brought numerous little readers to Tabby’s Place to read to the cats and meet our special guest, Cat in the Hat! The cats always enjoy hearing the soft voices and relishing in the petting and love that the youngsters bring on that day.

March Madness is taking on a new form at Tabby’s Place: Meow Madness (which you can find on our Facebook page). In the first round, Pepita was pitted against Anka, and we were all so excited to vote for our gentle girl. But, unfortunately, Anka took the win, and now we await the results for the final four and then the overall winner. Even though Pepita didn’t make the second round, it was still great fun to have her pitched in the bracket.

On International Women’s Day, March 8th, Pepita was honored on our blog, in a post called Interspecies Women’s Day. Click here to read the tribute to many of the female kitties at Tabby’s Place.

March is also the unofficial start of kitten season, although we see kittens all year round! Pepita remembers her days as a kitten, and when she came to Tabby’s Place to start her life here. She wishes all the best for the tiny ones and is especially grateful to all our donors for helping us to take in Berry, a tiny kitten born with spinal bifida. He plays so exuberantly, you would never know he has advanced needs. He seems not to know he is any different than any other kitten.

On the medical front, Pepita’s skin irritation is clearing up well. The vet team has lowered her steroid dose, in an effort to taper her off of it completely. She has been noted to be licking with some unusual frequency, but the vet team checked out her mouth, and there is nothing amiss. They did note that her one lower canine seems to be getting caught on her lip, so that could contribute to the licking. We are also concerned that she may be getting too much fiber in her diet, and that it is causing some challenges for her. Our awesome medical team will continue to monitor the situation.

We can never truly express how much your support means to us. Know that our hearts are full with joy when we think of you, dear sponsors. Pepita invites you to visit so she can thank you in person!

Your correspondent,
Sheila