You know how the weather announcer predicts tomorrow will be partly cloudy, but then tomorrow decides to be partly sunny?

This is nothing like that. This is also exactly like that.

We have an updated forecast for Sunday, May 18th.

In descending order of importance, May 18th is National Cheese Souffle Day, the 2025 Tabby’s Place Kitten Shower, and National Visit Your Relatives Day.

I assume you are planning to celebrate all three, but we need to talk about the second.

Since we’re family here, I’ll get right to the point. The Kitten Shower will be attended by approximately zero kittens.

This is not for lack of kittens. Not exactly. Spring sent enough kittens to fill a Beyoncé concert. We just can’t seem to hold ’em. The Darling Dozen have gotten adopted faster than we can two-step.

Meanwhile, we’ve welcomed seven new kittens, but we can’t let you hold ’em. They are sparkling with ringworm.

(No, really, they are sparkling with ringworm. Under a black light, this harmless, highly contagious fungus glows. If you have ever wondered what kittens look like at a rave, now you know.)

Ringworm will end, and the sun will rise again. But, that can’t happen by May 18th, which brings us to the historic first Kitten Shower with no kittens.

We’re not about to let these scattered kittens rain on our shower. The event is on. In fact, we’re hoping you’ll celebrate National Visit Your Relatives Day right here at Tabby’s Place.

We have a cavalcade of cats who would love to become your kin. As far as they’re concerned, they are all still kittens.

Sweet Pea (age 3) is still a kitten. Appearances are deceiving. Sweet Pea has the dainty build of a yak. Sweet Pea makes Homer Simpson look like a prima ballerina. A kitten could get lost in the rolls of Sweet Pea’s gut. So could a minivan.

But Sweet Pea’s most enormous organ is his innocence. He has not outgrown the idea that everything is amazing at all times. He asked me to tell you that you are the most amazing entity of all time.

Winona (age 3) is still a kitten. Storms can either turn you cynical, or they can keep you young. Winona has chosen the wiser way. When her first adoption did not work out, Winona doubled down on play. She has risen to the role of jubilant jelly bean, shaking down each hour until it drops fun into her paws.

She is equal parts sweet and strong, a marshmallow streaked with steel. She has opinions (for instance: cats are questionable; cheese souffles are trustworthy). She has dignity. She has big plans for a big family reunion, but that depends on getting you in the door.

Bob (age 9) is still a kitten. Bob was born with markings that look like a trucker’s headset. His meow has more octaves than Mariah Carey. It is for your ears only. Bob is deaf, but he can hear your heart from across the room.

When he peeps like a parakeet or hurls his whole handsomeness at your feet, he is tuning into music that matters. Bob is listening to hear you say that Bob matters. Bob still sees a kitten in the mirror. Bob hopes you do, too.

Savannah (age 7) is still a kitten. She lost the person she loved more than life. But she is still alive, which proves she is still young inside. You must be a kitten if you can continue on after you have lost everything.

The vet record says “seven,” and the menu says “prescription diet for gastrointestinal issues.” But Savannah looks for someone to gaze deeper. She looks like a nebula, all scarlet starlight and midnight swirls. She looks to you to assure her she is not finished, but only begun.

Sylvester (age 3) is still a kitten. If you are ever besieged by catnip villains, Sylvester will save you. Sylvester can disassemble a toy in the time it takes to say “oh, my!”

Sylvester can do anything he puts his mind to. That is true for everyone from gerbils to grandpas, but most of us forget. Sylvester remembers, which is proof he is still a kitten.

Sylvester’s mind is on you, and the fact that he can only take care of you if you take care of him. That’s how it works, when you are a kitten.

Corvus (age 6) is still a kitten. Corvus was a kitten when he was adopted in 2019, and he does not have any evidence that circumstances have changed.

Corvus also does not have any evidence that gravity is more than a suggestion. Corvus declines this suggestion.

Corvus is inclined to believe that you, Corvus, and Oreo have some better suggestions, if you just put your heads together.

Wait, you don’t know Oreo (age 3)? Oreo is a kitten. Oreo is actually double-stuffed with kittenhood, so he has extra in case of emergency. Corvus and Oreo need to be kittens together, forever. Corvus and Oreo are looking for a third kitten to complete their family, and they are looking at you.

We are all looking at you, Tabby’s Place family. There is no need to look at the forecast. The Kitten Shower is on: rain or shine, kittens or … other kittens.

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