Splendid and Happy 2026 wishes to you, my devoted sponsor and dear friend!
Yikes! I cannot believe receptionist Sharon has placed a new annual kitty calendar over her desk. It seems like just yesterday that she put up the last one!
We had suggested that she look into calendars with fishies or birds, or perhaps even rodents, just to change things up for us. She said she would give it some thought (given how well we know Sharon, I can tell you this means ‘No.’). But eh, whatever on that; I still have lots of things to tell you about!
Quiet little Ringoes, NJ, has experienced a few arctic blasts this last month, and we also enjoyed our first snow and ice storms of the winter! We were much entertained watching the people who showed up and moved around the snow outside, pushing it from one place to another. Not sure we understand the logic of it, but it is still fun to watch the snow fly!
In case you did not hear, Tabby’s Place made the news! NBC10 Philly Live featured us on a fabulous television segment, and while I did not receive the screen time I justly deserve, if you watch, you will see many familiar faces, including Angela, Jonathan, Hips, Colonel Peabody, Steven, Anka, and many more of us. This really was an exciting happening and big news for us!
I happily report I have been my usual beautiful and feisty self this month! I did have my annual check-up (ugh!), which included being weighed (double ugh!), an X-ray of my spine and some other bits, just to make sure I am kept in top form. All reports came back good, so yay for me!
I also had the privilege of being one of the first lobby kitties to check out the refreshed executive director’s office and a brand new solarium! Not as many birds to watch this time of year, but that’s ok because I was really busy checking out the bowl of Fancy Feast that is served in there. My conclusion… Yummy!
So December just sailed by in a never-ending season of celebration! Of course, all cultures and traditions are honored, from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa and more. Being the wonderful kitties that we are, we granted our staff and volunteers some time off for each of the holidays, and were sure to bestow extra kitty kisses and snuggles on each of them as our special holiday gifts. For the record, we did offer to share our treats, but they all politely declined! Which is ok, as it leaves more for us!
Of course, being a Queen of British descent, I insisted we celebrate Boxing Day as well! Personally, I do not take much pleasure sitting in a drab cardboard box, but several others around here do find it fun and exciting. I may have made the casual suggestion to poke some holes in the box and close up the top just to see what happened… but no one else seemed to see the humor in my idea. Oh well—maybe another time for that!
Just between us, there may have been a little New Year’s Eve celebration after the staff all left for the day on December 31st. What happens at the sanctuary when the lights go out remains a secret between us felines. Sorry to say, I am forbidden from sharing what happened that night, so you will have to use your imagination on this!
And with the sanctuary officially closed on January 1st, we lobby kitties took that time to all gather round and review our resolutions and promises for the new year. I am proud that I accomplished most on my long list from this time last year, with the exception of being nicer during bladder expression (let’s be real—it wasn’t like that was ever going to happen). I can tell you, this year I kept it very simple. My 2026 resolution is: “I will rule the Lobby with an iron paw.” And boy am I off to a great start! As Queen of the Lobby, I have decreed the following for the lobby peasants:
1) My handsome friend Hips is to stop his attempts to escape the lobby and not antagonize Marcia (who hangs in Jonathan’s office) or me. Wanna bet how long this lasts with Hips??
2) Colonel Peabody is not to snuggle with Tootsie, or any other females in the lobby, for that matter. Should he care to snuggle, all snuggle time shall be with me, and only me!
3) Prescott may remain the diva that she is and may retain the title of Princess, deferring to me as the Queen of the Lobby.
4) Berry, Willow, and Corduroy—well, they are just kids and may continue their usual playful chaos, so long as they keep it on the opposite side of the lobby from where I am, do not bother me, and are quiet when I am catching my beauty sleep.
5) Miss Kitty, Tootsie, and Trent are all pretty respectful and well-behaved, so for now I will allow them the freedom of their fun around here, of course, subject to change as necessary!
6) No one, and I do mean no one, is to attempt to eat my food!
The above, as decreed by My Iron Paw, shall be honored and abided by all, until further notice!
I’m excited to personally invite 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. I can’t wait to lavish you with grateful whisker-kisses, and there will be festive refreshments and cozy visiting time with all the cats. We’ll send a reminder about the event later this month, and I really hope you can join us.
Oh, did you know, January is officially declared National Thank You month? Not sure who would think it is a good idea to have just a month where you show your gratitude and appreciation to others? Because when you are a Tabby’s Place cat like me, you are thankful and grateful every single day to the people who make an impact on your life and make each and every day better.
So, during not just January, but also all the other months of the year, I want you to know I am humbly thankful for you, my kind sponsor, for your kindness and generosity in helping me live my best life. And I wish for you much health and happiness as we dive into 2026 together.
Looking forward to more fun times to share with you!
With love,
Royal Queen Olive
(With help from my devoted correspondent, Elizabeth)