In the garden of Tabby’s Place, some cats are daisies, some are roses … but there’s only one wild wonder known as Wilhelmina.

Hope first blossomed for Wilhelmina in a garden. A kindhearted woman was plucking weeds and patting soil around sprouts when she spotted the tabby cat. Through a happy series of events, Wilhelmina was soon repotted in the tender soil of Tabby’s Place.

Right from the start, “Willie” unfurled her petals with joy. From her earliest days in our Quarantine wing, Wilhelmina delighted in human affection, purring in our arms and making up for lost time in her mission to love and be loved.

Since Willie was clearly a senior, one of our first orders of business was to run a panel of blood work. As is commonly the case in cats of a certain age, Wilhelmina has hyperthyroidism. But, if you’re feline and you must have a chronic condition, this is a good one to choose; it’s easily treated with a daily medication that has no serious side effects.

As least, usually not.

Shortly after we began treating Willie with her thyroid medication, storm clouds gathered over the garden. In a rare reaction, Wilhelmina’s kidneys went haywire. We were aware that she had very early kidney disease (again, not uncommon in a senior cat), but overnight it progressed to the danger zone. Fortunately, swift intensive treatment with fluids restored Willie’s kidneys, and she’s sunning herself in good health again.

This rocky episode means we’ll have to proceed carefully when it comes to Wilhelmina’s medication. She’s doing beautifully on her lower dose of thyroid medication, and we’ll continue to recheck her bloodwork every three to six months. As far as Wilhelmina’s concerned, everything’s coming up roses, and the best is yet to come.

With such a bright bouquet of charms, sweet and beautiful Willie is certainly adoptable. But, senior cats are adopted less often than their younger counterparts, and we’re delighted to care for Wilhelmina as long as she needs us. Please help bring sunshine and sweetness to our little flower as her sponsor.