May Greetings to You, and to All Fenek’s Friends!

There’s better news to report this month. At this time last month, Fenek had just been diagnosed with heart disease and required immediate treatment for fluid buildup in his lungs. That has since stabilized, according to medical staff, with the help of heart medications, and so it’s good to be able to say he’s doing better. Still not all the way back, but better.

It’s one more thing to add to the list of medical conditions for Fenek. High blood pressure, diabetes, and something in his ear that’s concerning, but can’t be aggressively treated until they’re sure his heart is up to anesthesia. One of the heart medications that he is now on acts as a blood thinner, which created a nervous situation one evening when a staff member pinpricked Fenek’s ear for his blood glucose, and the ear kept bleeding for a while. It’s a lot for one small cat to have to endure, but he’s doing it, and thanks to you, Tabby’s Place can have everything done for him that he needs.

Meanwhile, back in the lounge, I’m told that one afternoon, Fenek was snuggling on the lap of our senior vet tech and Shifty decided he wanted to snuggle as well. Shifty jumped onto the chair and curled up beside the occupied lap without any interaction with Fenek. Maybe he’s kinda grumpy after all this medical attention, but Fenek tolerated this only for a short time before stretching over and giving Shifty a nip to tell him to back off. Since this isn’t the first time Fenek has been observed starting something, they’ve decided to put him on a behavior medication to help improve his disposition.

I’ll have to take their word for this, because I’ve never seen Fenek do that, and he’s never admitted to me that he did it. This fine, calm, Distinguished Gentleman cat shuts out the rest of the world when enjoying his lap time with me.  This past month, I learned something more about him, too. Before visiting Fenek, my bright idea was to get a nice, soft blanket from the laundry room, so he’d have a comfy place to curl up on in my lap. So much for my deep thought — Fenek walked across the blanket and onto an adjacent chair until I removed the blanket, and only then did he climb onto my lap and lie down for some good Quality Time.

Now before I go, I have a message to pass along to you that, as a volunteer, is close to my heart. Fenek and everyone at Tabby’s Place would love your help in expanding our family—with volunteers! Last month I mentioned our need for additional volunteers as we prepare for our Quinn’s Corner expansion, which will open later this year. From cleaning to feeding to delivering tender affection, volunteers make a huge impact on our cats’ lives. If you have a heart for cats, we have a role perfectly fit for you at Tabby’s Place.

If you, or anyone in your own “family” of cat lovers, can come aboard, please visit our volunteer page, submit a volunteer application, or contact our Director of Volunteers, Karina Jewitt, at kj@tabbysplace.org. Volunteers must be 12 years or older, and a parent must accompany those under 16 during their volunteer shift. Please share this opportunity with your loved ones! And if you live a bit too far away to join us in person, know that you are still very much “right here” with us through your generosity…and we are so very grateful!

Until next month, wishing you all good things!

Your correspondent,
John