Reality TV is overrated. Too many people, not enough cats. That’s where Tabby’s Place comes in. Okay, technically, the cats at the sanctum sanctorum are not housecats…yet. But, they come with all of the drama, comedy, and shenanigans found in any Real Something of Somewhere series, plus they’re cats. Regular blog readers and Facebook followers and visitors to Tabby’s Place will recognize that, as with the reality show counterparts, there is much editing of what can be shared through various social media outlets. We bring the best of the best for your greater involvement and enjoyment. Unlike those shows, however, the writing is limited to wholly honest reports of what actually happens in real time…sort of…more or less…with allowances for creativity and because the cats whisper (or purr or hiss) things in writers ears all. of. the. time.
With or without explicit feline input, there is no shortage of material, no small amount of melodrama, and no dearth of cleverness requiring the cancellation of the Tabby’s Place special series: Real Housecats of New Jersey. Technically, it’s not a series. Realistically, it is a series of happenings that just keep on…happening.
As it so happens, one recent Sunday was FILLED to overflowing with an excess of TV series-worthy events. It all started with one cat who shall totally be named, albeit not shamed: Oliver. Too smart by half and another half again, Oliver is a fast learner. Too quickly, he discovered a drawer wherein lie the treats. He also figured out how to open the drawer. [Nota bene: A lightweight, blue recycling bin is an insufficient blockade for a motivated, clever orange cat.]
A little time in the data closet, wherein all sorts of useful things are stored, yielded a temporary, yet effective solution. With bottom drawers jury rigged to move only in tandem with top drawers, Oliver was foiled! But, Hips, being a curious creature and always up for trying to get where he’s being kept from, found the jury rigging to be enticing and worthy of close inspection. Fortunately, Hips is easily distractable. Unfortunately, Hips is most happily distracted by stirring things up with his series co-stars Prescott and Olive.Olive has zero interest in and even less patience with Hips. Prescott is interested in playing with Hips, but not when she is in the middle of a nap. Cue the ruckus!
Adding to the general hubbub, Smokey will be playing his voice like a violin and sauve-ing his way into a human’s lap or arms…unless he is busy antagonizing Hips for secret reasons. All the while, Grecca will be tuning up her vocal “chords” to demand food immediately because she is clearly suffering from the most egregious neglect, having had only 3 breakfasts, 4 treats, and 2 snacks prior to lunch. What cats can bear to forbear such treatment! Certainly not Boobalah or Cora. They play a quieter game, but their performances are noteworthy: Boobalah with her signature sashay; Cora with her queenly demeanor.
And, now, new residents Stewart and Jack have been introduced to the lobby. It’s anyone’s guess what story arcs will unfold!
It’s always a cliff-hanger when one leaves Tabby’s Place at the end of a shift. What’s more, there are arcs that encompass every single cat-filled space, even when the space includes only a single cat. Anka, Lornadoone, and Arnold are each enough cat to warrant their own reality series. The kittens – oh my, the kittens – are worthy of many seasons of yet another series. The list goes on and on.
Just so, Tabby’s Place staff and volunteers go on and on. Worthy of a series of their own, the people at the sanctuary help the cats with feeding, behavioral…support (?), medical care, and comforts as both participants in the reality and watchers of all the unfolds from week to week. The work is a study in patience. The entertainments are a perquisite of the work. The cats are the reward for it all. The cats know it, and they expect us all to keep up.