Greetings, kitten lovers!

Perhaps that greeting is a bit too broad – after all, kittens are hard not to love. You, however, have acted upon that love to become a sponsor for our littlest Tabby’s Place residents, and what a generous act that is.

Tabby’s Place is always busy during kitten season, and this year has been no exception. We’ve had upwards of 30 kittens come through our doors, and no doubt there are still more to come. Many of our kittens have been hale and hearty, but some little kitty orphans have needed a little extra mothering along the way.

Kittens are amazing creatures – in some respects, they are the toughest little nuggets in the world. But all too frequently, we are reminded of just how fragile they are. We’ve had two litters arrive this spring in poor health, and their tales illustrate just how important it is for us to care for these littlest kitties.

Manny, Antonio, and Salma were a threesome who arrived at Tabby’s Place recently. Upon examination, all three were found to be severely dehydrated and malnourished, and they were undersized for their age. Manny and Antonio were too sick to survive for long, and while Salma tried to tough it out along with devoted care from our vet tech Denise, we lost her, too. It is heartbreaking to lose kittens – they’re so little and so loving – and it’s one of the most frustrating things we have to deal with, when the very best care we can offer just isn’t enough. We find what little comfort there is in knowing that these little babies did find a home with us and left us forever loved.

More often, though, we have the joy and satisfaction of coaxing kittens through that fragile stage to full health. Martina, Reba, and Keith (a.k.a. the Country Kids) arrived at Tabby’s Place with terrible upper respiratory infections, a malady to which kittens in particular are susceptible. Poor little kitties! Martina couldn’t even open her eyes at first, they were so swollen and infected, and her sister and brother weren’t in much better shape.

They landed in the right place, though. After several weeks of attentive care that’s included subcutaneous fluids, oral and inhaled antibiotics, and daily eye washing and ointments, these three are very clearly feeling 300% better. You can see that their eyes are still a bit goopy, but that’s not slowing them down a bit – in fact, they’re fighting getting their eyes cleaned now, and that’s a great sign.

Recently, I surprised the three of them when I stopped by to visit and was delighted to see them swarming all over their cage. Keith and Martina were in the midst of an epic wrestling match, and Reba was busy climbing as high as she could on the cage walls. As soon as they noticed me, they jumped back to huddle together; they’re still a bit skittish of human attention. I can’t say I blame them for that – after all, they’ve continually had to tolerate poking and prodding and nasty medicines – but they’re slowly coming around. It’s a delight to see these kitties, who were so sick when they arrived, growing up and reveling in their kittenhood.

Thank you so much for helping us help these little babies. The best way for kittens to grow up is with their very own mama, but sometimes they need all the extra support we can give them. Thanks to your generosity, we can provide these darlings with the very best love and care possible, and write many more happy endings!