“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it?” – Anne of Green Gables
“Girl, you must be 49% feline.” – The Tabby’s Place cats
When you are a Tabby’s Place cat, October is no ordinary month.
October is when human arms all grow a coating of fleece, flannel, or other hug-enhancing materials.
October is when green leaves, which are salad and therefore invalid, crisp up into frisky Fritos, come in on people’s shoes, and become the best dang cat toy since Olive caught that giant cricket in 2023.
October is when Ezekiel, the plastic skeleton, returns to the Lobby, and at night he wakes up and dances for the cats’ entertainment. (We are not supposed to know this, but I get good intel from Prescott.)
October is when high school students realize they need community service, so they sign up for the required number of hours, only to realize that they do not ever plan to leave. This pleases the cats, since high school students are all at least 49% feline, and often have Doritos.
October is when temperatures tumble, empty laps feel Arctic, and there is no blanket on Earth like a cat who loves you for the fact of your existence.
But most importantly to the cats, October is a month when we are all together.
It could have been otherwise. The odds of Berry and Deku and Betty and Oliver and Tux and ParaNorman and you and me all being here, at this moment of history, are astronomically unfathomable.
Also, we could have all been born before the invention of squeeze-treats. But here we were, and here we are, which means November is already a ten out of ten. Or an eleven.
(There are no ordinary months.)
We have weathered many blasts and blessings together this October, so let’s get to it:
Arrived: Ghost, Buffy, Stephany, Ollie, Minnesota, Colorado, Cosmo, Harmonica, Amelia, Concrete, Stella, Bedelio, Chicken Noodle Soup, Oolong, Flop, Spark, Sonny, Snoogans, Lemmy, Homer
Adopted: Gary, Feisty, Beau, Kitty Purry, Jon Bon Jovi, Miami Steve, Jelly, Francine, Blackjack, Chip, Tia, Gutterball, Nivea, Nour, Sassy, Chestnut, Earth, Wind, Fire, Sassafras
Returns: Grace (already on hold to be readopted)
Forever Foster Fabulosity: Sable, with angel Danielle
Promoted to the Lobby: Junebug
Promoted to Pumpkin: ParaNorman, pictured above
Promoted to Heaven: Mira
And now, kittens, let us welcome November with the bliss of the brave. We do not know what this month will bring. Before we see December’s face, we will meet faces we will love more than we can describe.
We will overcome adversities it is best we can’t predict. (November, please be kind, and keep the adversities as bite-sized as that stink bug Olive regretted eating.)
But, we will bear it together, and the cats will bear with us. We will find ourselves glad to live in a world where there are Novembers, for that is where we find each other.
And if all else fails, we will dance around the Lobby.
There is a lot of life left in this year.