September greetings to you, and to all our kind and caring Kitten Fund sponsors!
The Kitten Suite is full of kittens, and there’s plenty to tell you about this month, so let’s get started.
Arriving for a recent visit, I was greeted in the lobby by tour guide Kitty LeFey (who also writes our Wednesday blogs for Tabby’s Place). I told her I was going to get a wand toy to help socialize the kittens, and she advised me to take two of them because they play so fiercely that one might not be enough. I chuckled, but by the time I reached the Kitten Suite, I had two wand toys in hand, just in case.
The checklist on the door showed nine names. Inside, though, six of them were out of my reach, and with good reason. The four kittens that make up the Heated Rivalry crew, Kip, Scott, Harris, and Troy, as well as Cheesepuff and Feisty, had only recently arrived at the suite from their initial foster homes. When that happens, the standard procedure is to give newcomers time to get used to their new quarters, and these six were divided evenly among three enclosures: Kip with Scott and Harris paired with Troy, and all of them looked as though they wished they were still with foster moms Jennifer and Jill.
Out and about were tuxedo sisters Audrey and Theodora, along with little gray Husker. Theodora jumped onto the bench beside me, but it was only for a quick hello, and moments later she returned to her food dish. Audrey was not so outgoing at first, warily keeping her distance from her visitor.
While I waited for her, Husker began working on untying my right shoelace. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I got a glimpse of black and white as Audrey leaped onto the bench beside me and pounced on both wand toys. Kitty LeFey was right!
I took the hint and held a toy in each hand like drumsticks. Playing air drums like a wannabe Buddy Rich, I dangled a felt strip near each lady tuxedo, and both went after their personal toy enthusiastically.
That seemed to break the ice with Audrey, who played eagerly until I allowed her to subdue and finish off the imaginary prey. She then hopped onto the bench, and from there into my lap, where a soft fleece blanket was waiting. She was suddenly my new best friend, and I mentally noted for future reference: “a playful and loving young lady cat.”
Husker saw that and must have decided my lap was big enough for two. But due to weakness he was born with in his hind legs, he couldn’t jump up and instead started to climb my pant leg. Adorable as it may seem, that’s not something that Tabby’s Place wants to reinforce, so that behavior is discouraged. I began to reach for him, but as it turned out, it was discouraged first by Audrey, who swatted and hissed until Husker backed down to the floor. (Note to self: Edit that thumbnail description. “Audrey is playful, loving, and a bit possessive.”)
After she got off my lap, I remembered Husker and sat on the floor, where he and I soon were sharing good Quality Time together. We both got what we wanted, and I was glad to have helped him get it. You help kittens like Husker with your donations to the Kitten Fund, your monthly decision to help little lives out of hopeless situations. Everyone at Tabby’s Place thanks you for caring.
Before long, I heard a child’s excited voice out in the hallway, along with the voices of a tour guide and another adult. I’d enjoyed my visit, but it was their turn to be delighted by the kittens.
Now, let’s hear from some of Tabby’s Place’s foster families. Foster mom Jennifer was responsible for the Heated Rivalry kittens, and since they’ve taken the next step, she’s fostering a kitten named Junebug, who has already been through a lot in her young life.
Jennifer says, “She came to Tabby’s Place with a nasty URI, which we are still fighting, and parasites. Junebug is the sweetest little thing, and I mean little—currently, she weighs only about 3 1/2 pounds.”
But despite Junebug’s rough beginning, Jennifer emphasizes, “She is such a little love and makes the sweetest chirps when she sees you. I just can’t wait for her strength to come back and to see her thrive!”
Next, here’s quite a story from foster mom Lynn about being in the right place at the right time. She told me that a veterinarian was driving in the rain to Tabby’s Place “when a flash of color in the rearview mirror caught her eye. She stopped the car and a soaking wet kitten ran to her, climbed up her body and into her hoodie pouch.”
The kitten stayed there for the rest of the drive, and the doctor turned up the car heater for more warmth. Lynn says, “A Taylor Swift song was playing, and when the lyrics mentioned Stevie Nicks, Dr. M chose that name for the kitten.”
“She was estimated to be only 4-5 weeks old at the time. There was no sign of any siblings or mom in the area.”
The best part of the story: Lynn concludes, “She is being adopted by a close friend of Dr. M.”
I don’t want to sign off before linking to Development Director Angela and her Epilogues for August. Take a guess at how many cats were adopted last month. Hint: a bunch.
Until next month, I wish you and yours all good things, including the following bonus kitten pictures.
Your correspondent,
John
