Happy New Year, Team TNR!

While some lament “the bleak midwinter,” let us make a pact: you, and the cats, and me.

Let us embrace the gentleness of January, a month for fuzzy socks and cozy conversation.

Let us accept the peaceful offer of a softer pace.

And let us marvel at the invincible summer of a little orange cat named Mandarin.

Dear sponsors, there would be no little orange cat to speak of, if not for you.

Our meek marmalade boy “shouldn’t” still be here. But, although you didn’t know it at the time, your kindness was there in his hour of need.

As you went about an ordinary day, your steadfast monthly support stood up and said “no” to the word “hopeless.” Your generosity placed Mandarin back on the tree of life.

And, in this tender new year, our tangerine tabby is learning the juicy joy of life without fear.

It has been a long road to today. Mandarin was found outdoors with a head tilt that only made him more adorable. But there was nothing cute about the cause of his quirk.

Our gentle boy quickly developed life-threatening neurological symptoms. A specialist at the emergency hospital determined Mandarin had a bilateral ear infection that had entered his brain. He was facing the fight of his life.

But he wasn’t alone. You were there.

Mandarin was a Tabby’s Place cat.

Thanks to you, Mandarin received the kind of medical treatment that you only get when you are someone’s cherished cat. He was not “just a stray.” He was not “cat #4,825.”

He was a precious soul with eyes as round as olives, a one-of-a-kind marmalade marvel who the world had never seen before.

He was ours, he was yours, and he had a name, a Tabby’s Place family, and an unlimited supply of unconditional love.

And today, he has a future nearly as bright as his sunny-sweet stripes.

As you can see, our Mandarin is still learning what it means to be so adored. The indoor life is wondrous and strange to him, and he is learning love’s languages at his own shy pace.

Catnip bananas are his Favorite Thing In The Whole Wide World, and the sunbeams in his solarium are a close second. As he gazes at us with innocent eyes, I have a feeling “kisses” will make his list in time.

He will have all the time he needs, because he has you.

Team TNR, I think of you every time I see Mandarin, the little marmalade cat who nearly didn’t make it. You are the warmth and light that loved him back to life. You carried him through an “impossible” past, and you walk beside him into each astonishing new day.

You are what love looks like, and Mandarin and I thank you from the depths of our hearts!

With love and gratitude, your correspondent,
Angela

PS: The cats received a special December gift that they’re excited to share with you: NBC featured Tabby’s Place on Philly Live! Click here to see some of our Tabby’s Place felines enjoying their moment of fame. Thank you for helping to make this possible.

PPS: Did seeing our kitties on TV make you wish you could see them in person? You’re in luck! We’re hosting an Open House called Your Feline Valentine on Saturday, 2/7, and the first hour (12-1pm) is just for you, dear sponsors. (The event runs through 4pm, and you’re welcome to come by any time.) The cats and I can’t wait to see you!