Diagnoses can be disheartening. Diagnoses can be dastardly. But, an FIV+ diagnosis at Tabby’s Place can lead to residency in Suite D. That is D for dynamic. Also, D is for enDearing. It only takes a minute to find out why diagnostic heartache and healing purr go side by side in a magical space.
Suite D has a long history of being home to exceptionally fantastic cats and a certain amount of fanaticism about those cats. Within the last 7 years, lap-breakers and lovebugs such as Arlo and Tennison, Shea and Oscar, JJ and Jake, and Wolfie the world wonder called suite D home until they found their forever families. Today, the marvelous feeling in the suite remains the same, but the cast of characters – oh yes, that is characters with a capital D – has changed.
You’ve heard stories of Chicken Nugget and Cornbread, cats that belong side by side, just as their namesakes belong on one plate. Poppa Lay is a warm fatherly figure in black and white. The inimitable Mr. Mustache, the feral Emperatriz, and shy Horace all can often be found basking in the solarium. But, in the main suite, it is Lina who demands her Due – yes, Due with a capital D.
The thing about Lina – okay, “A” thing about Lina – is that she may not be the first cat spotted on entering the suite. Just take a seat. Give it a minute. Maybe say something to Lina or into the ether. Maybe look around a little and settle in next to a cozy cubby filled with a curled up cutie. The beautiful, white-chested tabby with the orange collar will be happy to see you, happy to be petted, and happy to accept a treat. Lina-time commences with a capital D. That’s D for just a tiny bit dangerous.
“Dangerous” is, of course, an exaggeration. Danger is big. Lina is little…physically. Lina is sweet in a humongous way and has come a long way from the sands that cast her off for the Tabby’s Place shore. Yet, even now, she tends to get overstimulated, hence the orange collar of warning to be careful when interacting. A more important warning, right here and now, is that Lina is absolutely lovable, and soft, and PURRS, all with a capital D. Cozy up for a cuddle, be careful not to stroke nose-tip to tail-tip (remember “D” is for “that’s not a great iDea”), but definitely give chin skritches for as long as they are welcome. For that timespan, Lina’s company is guaranteed to be delicious, which is a danger in its own way, at least for the soft-hearted. She’s a perfect companion for just the right person who understands that sometimes alone-time is necessary, and sometimes a twitch is significantly meaningful with a capital D.
In the suite, a twitch from Lina might also mean that Jean Claude is nearby, perhaps too near. If there is a person present, he is definitely quite near. To one such person, Jean Claude was overheard explaining that his full name is actually Jean-Claude-frankly-my-dear-I-don’t-give-a-Van Damme. But, many Jean Claude fans simply call him JC. Whatever you call him, it all begins with a capital D. That’s D for daring, darling, and er-mer-gerd-my-heart-is-melting. As with earlier heavy-weight (more and less literally) inhabitants of suite D, Jean Claude has a big head, but he lacks the matching ego. He came to Tabby’s Place with a neck wound that was difficult to keep protected simply because his full-bodied interactions and bandages were incompatible, yes, that is with a capital D.
The cleverest of carers of cats found a solution to the bandage situation with a dashing cone of no-shame – “no-shame” because of how dashingly it fit Jean Claude’s neck and disposition, both with a capital D. By itself, buffalo print is fantastic. Enhaloing a head of sweetness like a triumphant mane enhanced both the print and the wearer, not that Jean Claude requires any enhancements. Despite arriving at Tabby’s Place with an injury and having to suffer medical care during his intake isolation period, Jean Claude is ready for any and every lap, any and all treats – plus the crumbs – and every ounce of attention, all with a capital D. This fantastic boy defines “loving cat” with a capital D, and he is ready to wow all the friends and neighbors who will come to visit him in his someday forever home. But, until his family finally finds him, JC will remain contentedly ensconced in his Tabby’s Place suite. That’s suite with a capital D, where the magic just keeps happening.