Long, long ago, when Tabby’s Place first opened, one corner of the building was reserved as an apartment for a live-in staff person. This was back in the days when the adoption rooms were actually used to introduce potential adopters to their cats, when the “community” part of Community Room referred to people only. In short order, though, the cats took over every little nook and cranny of the building, even to the point where the executive director’s office is more accurately known as Geoff‘s office. Silly humans, to think that we were in charge of the building!
The bedroom of the aforementioned apartment is most often home to the scads of kittens that come to Tabby’s Place each year – I can recall one visit I made when within ten seconds of sitting on the floor, I had no less than seven kittens on my lap, looking for a perfect napping spot. It was a little slice of kitty heaven (and it took me a loooooong time to convince myself to leave that day.)
Things are a little different now.
The winter is low season for kittens; in fact we only have three right now – Clem, Sadie, and Samantha – and they were all born last summer, so they’re halfway to being cats. But it’s not just the number that’s a big change. These kittens don’t like people. Yet. That “yet” is a crucial word, because at Tabby’s Place, we never give up hope that a cat can learn to trust and love us as much as we love them.
Clem and Sadie came to Tabby’s Place from Edna Mahan Correctional Facility – that’s right, these little ones were born behind bars! When we ran a Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) program at Edna Mahan back in November, we decided that these little ones wouldn’t go back to the prison. Instead, they joined Samantha in the kitten room, and while several other kittens (including others from the Prison Crew, as we called them) went home, these three just weren’t convinced that people were worthy of their trust.
We’re working on them, though. These little ones don’t have a mean bone in their bodies, they’re just afraid, and it’s going to take time to win their trust. Clem, a mini Mittens, has made significant progress already. My most recent visit with them, Clem allowed me to pet him and scratch behind his ears…after 15 minutes of cajoling. Each time I see him, though, he’s quicker to relax and interact with me.
Now, if only he could convince the girls. They’ve made progress, too – they make eye contact easily now, and some lucky volunteers can pet them – but they’re still quite wary.
Thanks to your support, we can provide Clem, Sadie, and Samantha a warm and loving home, even if they’re not entirely thrilled about that just yet. But we can give them all the love, food, and occasional petting they’ll tolerate until that glorious day when they decide that yes, people are good. Thank you for helping to give these little ones the opportunity to grow into strong, healthy cats.