Here at Tabby’s Place, the lightest winds are tickling Sootie’s hind end, and the reason is just so very embarrassing!! Oh, the shame! Oh, the mortification! Oh, how humiliating!! Okay, well, it could be all of those things, except Sootie is a cat. And, Sootie isn’t just any cat. Sootie is Sootie, and that means that she is one seriously sweet, black cat who doesn’t give a fig leaf if her rear end is exposed. Sootie doesn’t even mind that it’s winter in Ringoes, NJ, despite her bare bottom. The question, though, remains: why is Sootie’s backside bare?
Why is there a breeze where normally fur would maintain warmth and modesty? To put it delicately, Sootie has some challenges. Those challenges occasionally require special clean-ups. When such clean-up needs are on a frequent-enough repetitive cycle, the best thing that can be done is a bit of barbering, which, in such cases, is called a hygiene shave. Thusly, Sootie has been em-bare-rassed because of some tummy troubles. Or, well, maybe her tummy is okay. Technically, her tummy does its job. But, what happens next doesn’t always go so well, or at least not as solidly as it should. Yep, this is, yet again, about poop. Tabby’s Place is, after all, a cat sanctuary, so it always comes back to poop.
And, that brings us back to Sootie and her back end. And, in case anyone thinks there is any shade being thrown here, think again. Sootie shamelessly and delightedly wiggles her short floof of a tail when she’s getting petted in all of the proper places. She is absolutely indifferent to the state of bareness that is more typically seen on certain species of baboons. She is equally indifferent to effectively having her personal air conditioner turned on in winter. Warm bedding, a personal space heater, and plentiful snuggles are amply supplied to counter any coldness. So what if she was em-bald-ed on her backside for cleanliness purposes?
The magnificent medical team has taken this issue by the proverbial horns. Along with receiving a peculiar haircut, Sootie has been relocated to the lounge where her meals can be more carefully moderated and modulated. Sootie will also have many more eyes on her every day. Staff will be able to keep a close watch on how she does with changes to her diet. And, hopefully, once her fur grows back in they’ll be able to leave it as lushly thick in the back as it is everywhere else. As to Sootie’s personal take on all this, it has nothing to do with what happens below her tail.
For Sootie, the shift to the lounge boils down to love. With more access to more people, there will be many more opportunities for snuggles and pets than even the Community Room had allowed. From the start of the day to the end, staff and volunteers will be available at Sootie’s every beck and call. They’ll love her stem to stern and top to tail and everything in between. Sootie will have absolutely everything she needs, provided by the most loving, wonderful people in the world: the amazing Tabby’s Place staff, stunning volunteers, and devoted donors.
With all of this kindness surrounding her – bald butt or furry all over – the only embarrassment Sootie has is one of riches: all the attention she can stand, all of the fish mush she needs, and all of the kindness and caring that any she could want. Sootie would like to express her appreciation personally, but she is in the middle of a cat nap just now.