The weather may be screaming “winter,” but the kitten cavalcade sure seems like spring. Over the past month, we’ve welcomed wee Milka (since adopted); and feral-born siblings Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe and Tiger. These youngsters are all a bit timid, but slowly coming around in our care. “Senior” kittens Pasha (pictured below) and Sandy have evolved into ultra-friendly felines in the Community Room.
I had a bit of a surprise when I stopped in to visit with Pasha and Sandy a week ago. You may know that one of many reasons that our cats bloom when they get to Tabby’s Place is the devotion not just of our staff, but of our wonderful volunteers. That day last week, when I popped in for a hello with the kittens, one of our volunteer socializers was playing with the little ones (as you might guess, play is a tried-and-true way to reach many of our kittens). She looked up – and I realized that she was one of my “kittens”!
In real life, I teach in an elementary school, and this young woman had been one of my students starting in kindergarten. Now, here she was, years later, the two of us together on Team Kitten! We had a good chat while we played with the little ones, and later, I kept thinking about meeting her again. I was struck by two ideas in particular: first, don’t kittens grow up fast? We know this all too well, and yet it can still come as a surprise sometimes.
Even more, though, I was caught by how wonderful a community we have at Tabby’s Place. From our volunteers, to our staff, to our sponsors and friends far away, what tremendous work we can do together. Our common love and purpose for cats makes us all the better for it. You’ll often hear that a Tabby’s Place cat is a lucky cat…but don’t you feel blessed to be a Tabby’s Place person, too?
As phenomenal as our community is, we’re hoping that magic will work for a pair of shy newcomers Cassandra and Kaycee (pictured above), who just moved in. Cassandra’s already been more willing to engage with people in the few times I’ve met her, and Kaycee? Well, she’s one of those cats who, once you get past her barriers, will just melt under your hand. She spent our entire visit in the corner of a cubby in a cat tree. She was too afraid to let me reach in from the front to pet her, but when I sneaked my hand around to the side door? Is there anything quite so heartwarming as a full-on kitten rumblepurr? I see good times and good homes in the future for both of these little girls.
Finally, little Tortini‘s had a bit of a setback. Her wound re-abscessed unexpectedly this month, leading our vet team to wonder if she might have bacteria hiding in her bone. We’re treating her with antibiotics and warm compresses, and expect our sweet tortie to make a full recovery. Hopefully sooner, rather than later!
It’s bitingly cold as I write this. Winter, once again, has turned out to be chilly misery…but spring is just around the corner. Our wintertime kittens will take us through to the warmer weather, the sunshine, and surely a cascade of new little ones to love. Thank you, dear sponsors, for being part of our Tabby’s Place community.