Dear supporters of Colleen,

When you’ve volunteered for as long as I have at Tabby’s Place, you’re bound to bump into the occasional cat who’s in isolation. Not for anything they’ve done, of course. Isolation isn’t the worst case scenario for some cat who’s been sentenced to prison for fighting with another cat. Unfortunately, poor Colleen is in isolation, waiting out the dreaded six weeks, because she was diagnosed with ringworm.

When I first heard the news, I thought, poor Colleen. That poor girl. Then I thought, poor me, for I had this vague memory of having to get all suited up in surgical gear for visitation (so as to prevent transmitting ringworm to other kitties). And sure enough, that first day I could barely keep up as Jane, one of the lovely ladies who works at Tabby’s Place, demonstrated how to put the gown on, then the booties, then the cap, and then finally the gloves. Phew.

When I came back to visit, I was panic stricken. Could I remember the protocol? Luckily, Donna, a fellow volunteer, was with me. She’d come in to visit Hobbes, an orange and white boy who was also stricken with ringworm, who was in another cell, I mean, cage. Well, let’s just say, another holding area. Donna’s memory was better than mine, so I followed her lead and suited up just fine.

The next time I visited Colleen, it didn’t seem so bad. I threw on the “protective gear” rather quickly and was there with my sweet girl in no time. By the next visit, I hardly had to think about what went on first and then second – and I guess that’s the moral of the story. At first dressing for the occasion seemed so off-putting, but then, it was but a minor annoyance — and so worth it!

This poor kid, cooped up as she is in “isolation,” appreciates every visitor. Colleen is used to having free reign of Tabby’s Place, and the time she’s spending in quarantine is not fun. Our usual routine is that I open up the front of the cage and spend as much time as I can petting and talking to her. Of course, she loves to have her face rubbed, which is not surprising, especially as the latest medical news is that her facial pawing has increased. This is an issue which has plagued her for years, at least as long as I’ve known her.

The other not-so-good news is that the vet at Tabby’s Place is seeing more signs of renal disease in our sweet girl, so we’ll keep you advised of her progress. Please keep her in your thoughts.

The other surprising news, considering how spry and beautiful our Colleen is, is that we now think that Colleen is much older than we originally suspected. When Colleen first arrived at Tabby’s Place, we were told that her birthday was somewhere around 2006, which would make her around seven years old, but now we think she’s a bit older. Guestimates now put her about thirteen years old or maybe even older. Ouch. And I hasten to add she looks as beautiful as ever, even though she’s been diagnosed with ringworm!

As always, we thank you for your generous and continuous support of our lovely girl and hope that the rain and humidity doesn’t dampen your spirits. If you need an uplift or a smile, come for a visit! I promise, “gowning up” isn’t as bad as it sounds.