Welcome to the magical world of Brielle.
The word “magical” is admittedly overused these days. Cereal is “magically delicious.” Glitter Silly Putty is “magical fun.” Even deodorant will probably soon claim to be “magical.”
But in Brielle, we have a creature who is fully deserving of the term. With a diamond glitter in her eye and a dance in her short-legged steps, Brielle has been bringing her own brand of luminous, loving magic to Tabby’s place this winter.
Even in a season of sleigh bells and surprises, Brielle sparkles like no other. It is my joy to share her story and her shine with you, and I cannot thank you enough for loving her.
I have the delight of sharing my days in Brielle’s glow, as she resides in the Community Room, where most of us have our office space at Tabby’s Place.
Like all Tabby’s humans, I make some effort not to have “favorites.” Like all Tabby’s humans, I inevitably fail. And, like all Tabby’s humans who have eyes to see and ears to hear, I am helplessly, hopelessly in love with Brielle, who has swiftly become one of my Favorite Cats In The History Of Cats.
Perhaps it’s her gleeful confidence. Most cats, upon moving into a new room, start out with suspicion, eyeing neighbors and humans with concern and keeping a safe distance. Not the tiny tuxie who knows she’s pure magic: from her first moments in the Community Room, Brielle practically pranced.
On our very first meeting, Brielle offered me her marshmallow-soft belly, purring and rolling when I skritched her, curling and uncurling her tiny paws with bliss. As she gazed up at me, I was washed over with a sense of grace. To love and be loved in return so immediately, freely, and unconditionally, was a gift. She absolutely expected to be adored — and I was absolutely, eternally in her thrall.
As Development Director at Tabby’s Place, I get to manage all the hardworking and creative volunteers who write updates for our Special Needs cats. Generally, each cat has a personal volunteer who reports his or her news to sponsors each month. But, from those first moments of loving Brielle, I smittenly knew that I had to write for her myself.
Brielle expects the world to wrap her in sunshine, and she gets exactly what she expects. Whether basking in windowsills or engaging in snugglefests with lucky humans, Brielle serenely sees the joy in each moment — and creates joy for all in her orbit.
Alas, this month there has been a minor cloud across Brielle’s sun. Initially, it comes across as cuteness: our chatty girl is chattier than usual. Much chattier. She chirps. She chatters. She trills. She wanders and wanders (and wanders some more). Her rolling is a blend of “adorable” and “desperate.”
Brielle…is in heat.
As of this writing, we’re awaiting results of the test that will definitively tell us if this is true, but our vet team is 99% sure that Brielle must have an ovarian remnant hiding deep within. This is not all that uncommon, and it essentially means that although Brielle was spayed, she wasn’t completely spayed — ergo the heat symptoms.
The bad news in all this is that (a) cute as it is, Brielle is currently quite frustrated, and (b) she will need surgery to finish that spay.
But, as befits Brielle, the good news outweighs the bad. If, in fact, Brielle is not completely spayed, it’s likely this is the reason for her history of inappropriate elimination. A rap sheet of “peeing outside the box” tends to be a deal-breaker for most adopters. But if we can eliminate the cause of her inappropriate elimination once and for all, her odds of adoption will skyrocket.
Wait, did I say that was good news? I’m not ready to say goodbye to one of my Favorite Cats In The History Of Cats just yet. But to love Brielle is to want the best for her — and nothing would be better than the forever home of her dreams.
Until that should happen, dear sponsors, it is a deep delight to care for Brielle with you. This Christmas, New Year’s and beyond, may your days bubble over with joy and grace. Brielle and I thank you for your generosity to this most magical little cat. God bless you!