“To love what you do and feel that it matters—how could anything be more fun?” — Katharine Graham

October greetings to you, kind and caring Kitten Fund sponsors!

“How did you find out about Tabby’s Place?”

The question was put to me at a recent social event. Without going into a whole lot of detail, the latter part of 2008 was a down period for me, as well as for many others affected by the economy. Although it never felt hopeless, it could have been better, and I was glad when the adage “This too shall pass” eventually proved true.

The turnaround began just a few weeks later in early 2009, when I was looking at cat blogs and saw a link to a CBS News report about Tabby’s Place. The report probably wasn’t five minutes long, but before it was over, I was already planning to look on a map for Ringoes, New Jersey, and hoping it wasn’t too far from where I lived.

Nearly twenty years later, I still look forward to visits. Some time is spent loving on friendly cats and, at other times, trying to help the frightened ones learn to trust. And talk about fun while doing something that matters—I get to visit kittens whenever I want and then write about them.

The kittens who you help support were in need of help, and fast. They might not have been born yet when their mother was brought in, or perhaps they were spotted when they wandered into someone’s backyard, even though they were too young to be separated from their mother. Maybe they were found all alone alongside a road in pouring rain.

Some have arrived with advanced needs. One recent arrival, an all-black kitten named Martini, has cerebellar hypoplasia (CH), commonly known as “wobbly cat syndrome.” Martini has been fostered by staff member Jae, who says that “Medication is helping to manage his CH. Despite his neurological differences, he likes all the normal kitten things.”

Even at his young age, Martini has already impressed Jae. She told me, “Martini is a very spunky little dude who knows what he wants, even if his body doesn’t always cooperate with him. He is always eager to eat, and sometimes tries to jump up out of his playpen when I bring him his food. He’s pretty much constantly playing, but he also likes some snuggles in bed when he’s in the mood.”

Also currently caring for kittens with health challenges is longtime staff member Karina, who took on the responsibility for Oregano and Rosemary soon after they came to Tabby’s Place. She says, “They were typical kittens, but kept spiking a fever. They saw the vet team many times and had blood work done each time, and it’s shown they both have a very low white blood cell count. We don’t know why that is, but our vet team is in talks with an internal medicine specialist to see if we can find out what is going on.”

Karina marvels at them, saying that despite everything, “You would never know there are any issues with them. They play, wrestle and eat just like any healthy kittens.”

Any necessary level of care is part of the mission of the Kitten Fund. For example, Harris went from his foster home to the Kitten Suite within Tabby’s Place. On one recent visit, I saw he was alone in an enclosure, and he seemed to be looking at me mistrustfully. I learned afterward that he was getting extra TLC due to an eye infection that required treatment multiple times a day. A staff member reported, “He doesn’t love being caught and handled,” so the little cage was a reluctant necessity, and his mistrust of visitors was understandable.

By the next time I visited, Harris had improved and was out and about once more. He and his tabby brother Troy were chasing each other, and at one point I wasn’t sure who was chasing and who was being chased, but I sure was enjoying the show. A third kitten, tabby-and-white Wisteria, watched wide-eyed from the sidelines as one kitten zipped by, then the other.

Eventually, all three kittens were in one snuggly pile within a cubby, working up the energy for their next safe adventure. Knowing kittens, that wouldn’t take long.

Before I go, Angela’s Epilogues will catch you up on September’s comings and goings, including lots of new arrivals that I hope to tell you about very soon. Angela also rejoiced with all of us at the successful outcome of this year’s Linda Fund, which met its goal and then some. That fund gives the neediest little ones like Ringoes a chance in life.

However you learned about Tabby’s Place, thank you for your generous donations that help support its mission.

Until next month, I wish you lots of good fun and all good things—including more kitten photos!

Your correspondent,
John