Dear Team Steven,

They say April showers bring May flowers, but no one tells you what monsoons in May and June will bring! It has rained so much here at Tabby’s Place that our farmers should expect a bumper crop of vegetables this year. Cherny’s Garden will be especially beautiful this season. Of course, it is a favorite spot for cat stroller rides: full of dazzling blooms, buzzing bees, and beautiful butterflies. If we could only trade some damp and dreary days for a few sun-washed afternoons!

For now, Steven remains content to observe the outside world from his favorite window ledge in the hospital office. Getting cold and wet when you have arthritis simply isn’t an option, but the weather never seems to dampen his spirits … or his drive to seek out attention or food.

Our Tabby’s Place Board Secretary, Sheila, reports that Steven was “all love, all the time” when she visited with him last week. When Sheila entered the hospital, Steven came running from the bunk bed he shares with Baby. “He couldn’t get enough love from me,” Sheila reports. Whenever she stopped petting him, Steven would give her the “I’m STILL adorable, so keep petting me” look. His fur was so soft and his purr so warm and friendly, Sheila could have stayed there all day with him.

For a new volunteer named Zach, seeing Steven is the highlight of his shift at Tabby’s Place. “Typically, I spend the beginning of my shifts cleaning litter boxes,” he says. “It is not the most exciting job on paper, but when you are surrounded by a small army of cats, it can be very entertaining. After I finish my work, I visit our friend Steven. Know three things about this marvelous cat: 1) He loves a comfy bed, 2) he loves eating, and 3) he is addicted to getting pets. We spend most of our time relaxing and talking. I pet his head and scratch behind his ears while I tell him about my day. He simply nods his head, happy to have the company.”

Like most of us at Tabby’s Place, Zach believes Steven is a very happy cat. He says Steven really seems to appreciate the people helping him and grasps the idea that people like you help him from afar.

In any case, Steven’s appreciation seems to know no bounds. “Getting to know Steven over these past few months,” says Zach, “I feel I’m starting to understand his moods a little better. When I open the door to see him, he looks just as excited as I feel. When, eventually, I have to leave, we both feel disappointed. For those of you who can’t visit Steven personally, I am very happy to do it for you and very thankful for the support that you provide him.”

I echo Sheila and Zach’s sentiments. As Steven’s sponsor, you are an integral part of his support team. Our great big philosophical senior orange fluff ball lives such a serene and happy life because all of us dote upon him. A terrific fellow like Steven deserves to be the center of a whole great big bunch of loving attention.

And, with all of his personal needs met, he has time to ponder the mysteries our great big wide world offers up daily … like, “How does one get it to stop raining so one might go for a stroller ride?”

Would that life could be so simple and serene for the rest of us, right?

Your correspondent,
Tina