Happy 2026, and January greetings to you and all our kind and caring Kitten Fund sponsors!
We’ve probably all heard that a cat can enter a room and pick out the one person who doesn’t like cats. But what if it’s one human in a roomful of cats, picking out the one feline who wants nothing to do with people?
That kind of describes what happens when an under-socialized cat is taken in at Tabby’s Place. People here love cats and want to scoop up every little furball and hold it close, but must suppress that impulse when it’s not what the cat needs or wants.
Volunteer Lauren was in that position when she began to foster a frightened young black cat named Salem. This cat came to Tabby’s Place after she was trapped outside, and she was deeply afraid of people. She came to Lauren with specific instructions not to reach for her because doing so would risk a defensive reaction that could easily result in blood.
Lauren looked for other ways to interact, and soon learned that Salem would play enthusiastically. In her words: “She loves wand toys, both the feather kind and those with flannel threads. Also, her favorite floor toys are little tennis balls and flat square catnip pillows, and she likes squeeze up treats or lick pop as rewards, rather than crunchy treats.”
As she got to know her better, Lauren adjusted the home environment. She says, “Her crate was always her safe space, and at first, I kept it open for her most of the time. Then I tried closing it to encourage her to come out of hiding. Salem would stay on top of the crate, so I moved it under the window.”
After several weeks with Lauren, Salem was brought to Tabby’s Place, and again, there was a period of adjustment for her. Staff member Jae noted that during the day, Salem could often be found hiding under the sink in Suite C. Before long, though, she settled into a small dark cubby at the bottom of a large piece of cat furniture. That’s where she was when I first visited her in November, and when I sat down on the floor outside the cubby, it was no surprise that her ears went back and she hissed.
But I knew from the others’ experience to move slowly and speak softly. Picking out a random article on my phone, I read to her for several minutes, and in a little while, she closed her eyes and allowed her ears to go back to normal. That’s where I left her on that day.
On my next visit a week later, she was in the same cubby, but this time she was snuggled with another scared kitten, a brown tabby who goes by the name Macaw. I had brought a flannel wand toy, but after seeing them so close, instead of using it for play, I wound the flannel around the top end of the wand, and they both accepted being stroked with it at arm’s length.
Combine this action with similar actions by many more visiting humans, and a cat can learn to trust. They’re small steps, but in the right direction, and hopefully toward a loving forever home.
This is an example of what the Kitten Fund is helping to achieve, with your generous support. From all of us at Tabby’s Place, thank you!
I’ll close by inviting you to Tabby’s Place for Your Feline Valentine on Saturday, February 7th. This open house runs from 12-4pm, but the first hour (12-1) is just for sponsors like you. You can look forward to festive refreshments and cozy visiting time with the cats. We’ll send a reminder about the event later this month, and we hope you can join us.
Until next month, I wish you all good things.
Your correspondent,
John
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 felines enjoying their moment of fame. Thank you for helping to make this possible!