Dear Supporters of Hobo,

Once a week I show up at Tabby’s Place and volunteer in the laundry room—cleaning the dishes and litter pans and working on the laundry. I always try to find time to visit with a few of my favorite kitties. Since I’ve begun writing for Hobo, I’ve become a big fan.

At first, I watched him from afar and noticed that true to his wonderful name “Hobo” he had a kind of restless spirit and never seemed to stay in one place for very long. If you happen to visit the lobby of Tabby’s Place—when things are back to normal and we open up, you might notice Hobo bouncing from one cat perch to another. One of the volunteers called him the “cat jumper,” which I suppose is just the opposite of a “couch potato.”

Not to say that he doesn’t have his favorite places. There’s a giant pink cat bed—about five feet by five feet that Hobo loves to sit in the middle of—like a kind of king. He looks very regal there:  his gray and white fur set off by the intense pinkness of the pillow. Of course, he’s not the only kitty who loves this particular spot. Sophia, who also lives in the lobby, is a big fan of the gigantic pink cushion. I often wonder if they ‘duke it out,’ or rather ‘paw it out,’ when deciding whose turn it is to sit in such a comfy spot.

As Hobo spends more and more time in the lobby and gets to know the volunteers, trust inevitably builds. At first, he did seem a little stand-offish. And I suppose with all the meds and treatments he’s receiving, he most likely appreciates his “alone time.”

But something magical is beginning to happen. It might be because of time passing by. Or maybe it’s because he received his last chemo treatment on March 26 (yay!), and now he has a more normal life to look forward to. BUT one of the volunteers reports that she was sitting near him when he climbed onto her back and leaned over so she could pet him. She was astonished he was being so affectionate and wanted to be so close to her. Usually has a reputation as a kitty who comes calling for treats, but this time he was all about looking for love.

When I heard her story, I decided it was time to try and develop our relationship, so I plopped down next to him. He seemed to enjoy the petting. I thought I even heard some purring. I noticed that his coat looked better. “We’ve been able to groom him on top,” someone explained, “but just don’t look underneath.” Ah, hah. He has a very sensitive stomach.

I have to admit when I took some photos earlier, I was careful to show Hobo’s good side. Then I heard that when he was photographed ‘professionally’ by Tabby’s Place, he made a special request that they use the “blur filter” to mask some of his matted fur. I was wondering how he always looked so good in those photos. The tricks of the trade. But, truthfully, Hobo is looking so good lately he doesn’t even need the blur filter!

So life is getting better all around. Hobo says he’s happy spring is finally here and eager for summer to arrive. As always, we thank you for your continued generosity.

Your correspondent,
Kate