“Where do all of the cats come from?”This a very frequently asked question at Tabby’s Place. The simple answer is that they come from hopeless situations everywhere. But, nothing about cats and their situations is simple.
One somewhat simple way to answer the question is to say that Tabby’s Place is a bastion of sunlight and starlight and the light of 25 full and part-time staff members plus the light of nearly 500 volunteers. They all do their gosh darndest to use all that light to brighten the lives of kitties that have faced all kinds of challenges in all manner of places for a wide variety of reasons, but were fortunate enough to arrive at the ark that Jonathan built. Whether they come to the sanctum sanctorum from animal control, other shelters, or from good samaritans seeking help, incoming cats all go through the same intake procedures to ensure their return to health and well-being.
Recently, a shelter in Newark reached out to Tabby’s Place to find sanctuary and support for a bedraggled, small, tortoiseshell kitty named Shelly. Two persons from the shelter were her honor guard and escort for the journey. Being the tour guide on duty, I was honored with the request to provide a tour to these shining individuals once they had witnessed Shelly’s intake. As a bonus, I was able to bear witness too.
There are rarely the right words to describe moments so special and moving as when golden individuals like Denise, our spectacular Medical Director, and Drew, our shining Junior Veterinary Technician are busy doing their best work. None of the most superlative words reflect at all sufficiently on the sublime amazingness of either Denise or Drew. The view from the hallway of them gowned, hairnetted, bootied, scrubbed, and wrapped in tenderness was extraordinary. The gentle love with which they handled the fragile, new arrival was breathtaking and eye-wateringly beautiful.
There is nothing simple about what Denise, Drew, or any of the amazing sanctuary staff do day in and day out. For Shelly’s part, she remained calm. Did she understand the point of the intake exam? Did she understand that she had just embarked on a journey of love like no other? For the humans’ part, gentleness, professionalism, and efficiency for the sake of the cat on the exam table were of the highest priority.
Did Shelly sense the deep love and kindness underlying all that person-handling? Did she know the flea check, the weight check, the ear check, and all the other checks were for her welfare? She seemed to. The little tortie may have sensed that she was on her way to a home like no other.
Little Shelly is a very lucky girl. She is currently in foster care with none other than the tremendous staff member Gail, Sanctuary Associate and person extraordinaire (After all, extraordinary is just how persons are at Tabby’s Place.). Shelly is loving her foster home!
Rumor has it (The rumorer is Tiana, fabulous Foster Team Lead) that Shelly is friendly, sweet, and only the tiniest bit messy when she eats (Food + Face = All Over). Further more, this mega lap kitty adores being snuggled and kissed. Clearly, Shelly is rebounding from her hopeless situation. The “less” has already been X’d out. At Tabby’s Place, and, one day, in a forever home, Shelly will continue to thrive. It’s as simple as that. No questions asked.