We’ve felt a special affection for our Southern friends in Jersey this fall.

Where you’ve braved more hurricanes than Gov. Christie has stockpiled Twinkies, we’re reeling from our own Big One. You could have laughed. You could have called us Northeastern weenies unable to deal with a little apocalyptic storm.

But you didn’t.

You sent us electric crews and blankets and batteries and tree men. You sent us emails and prayers and chaplains and love.

And you – at least a very special crew of you on the west coast of Florida – sent us a guest blog post of great delight. Dan and Dianne of Tampa write:

“Every day I read the blog and look at the biographies of the Tabby Place cats. John Moore’s pictures of Tabby Place cats make me smile every day. Thank you for helping cats and thank you for your friendly website and blog. Angela wrote about written contributions for the blog. Here is a little true story about two wonderful cats in our lives.

“One day, I spotted a little orange marmalade kitten hiding in the trees between our house and next door. I bent down and called, ‘here, kitty kitty!’ But, he was timid and disappeared into the undergrowth.

“We had Squirt – an indoor tabby cat about 3 years old. We both work, and I thought maybe he would like a buddy, so I went inside to find something to feed the little stray so I could catch him.

“By the time I got back out, he was gone. Oh, my heart ached for the little lost, scared kitty. ‘Here, kitty kitty!’ I looked all through the undergrowth for the little cat. Dan, my husband, said, ‘what are you looking for?’ Look! Across the street, Greg and Debbie found a little orange cat!’

“There in the driveway across the street stood our neighbors, with a can of tuna open in their hands and the little orange kitty sitting between them, purring and washing his paw. ‘You can always catch a cat with a can of tuna!’

“I said I would take him…but they said, ‘No, I think we’ll keep him.’

“He grew up to be an elegant, gentle soul – a really special cat – reserved, quiet and neighborly. He got in the habit of coming over for breakfast every morning around 4 or 5 am. Sometimes, strays would visit for a few days, but Greg and Debbie’s Poos-Poos and the Millers’ Arradia were regulars. Dobby joined them before he moved inside our house, soon joined by Ed from up the block to become our cat. As years went by, our little Squirt stayed as long as he could because he know how we loved him. And then Trickster showed up – sick, scared, starved, and doing tricks to gain attention.

“Now they have all gone to the Rainbow Bridge…except Poos-Poos and Trickster. Trickster is now 6 and Poos Poos is nearing 20.

“Every morning, Trickster looks out our front door, hoping his old friend Poos-Poos has come over for breakfast. Every day, he joyously hops out to greet the old orange gentleman from across the street, and they share breakfast on the front porch.

“It makes Trickster’s day – and it makes my day.”

And you make our day, Dianne and Dan.

Here’s to many more enchanted breakfasts for Poos-Poos and Trickster. Every cat deserves the feast of affection these guys have found with you.

Thanks for giving – to them, to us – in grace and love.