Greetings!
We are knee deep in kittens here at Tabby’s Place. Admittedly that’s sometimes because they tend to climb our legs—wear long pants if you visit the Kitten Room or risk tiny claw marks from ankle to hip—but it’s also because kitten season is officially in full swing!
Our Kitten Shower in June was a huge success. Almost all of the 20+ kittens we had available that day found new families and most of them have gone to their new homes already!
But although the Shower is lots of fun for us humans, it can be a stressful day for the kittens.
While the rest of her littermates explored the big pen in the Lobby, little Xandarian huddled in a corner, terrified of all the noise and activity. She even hissed at her own brother and sisters she was so scared! She was one of just three kittens that day to not be claimed by an adopter. Luckily since that day she’s blossomed into a curious, cuddly little girl and has found her forever home. Now all she has to worry about is growing into her big ears!
Admittedly, all of the Lobby kittens were a bit nervous. I don’t think they realized they were going to be the main attraction, with only the refreshments to compete for attention. Even the custom-built ball pit, which was a hit with the Kitten Room kittens the day before, seemed to confuse and confound them. Only brave Okoye was willing to jump in. Still, they managed to charm everyone. (The ball pit will need further testing.)
Now that Xandarian is off to her forever home, only Thor remains unclaimed among the Kitten Shower kittens. He’s a shy little guy who would rather watch his surroundings with his big, soulful eyes than jump into the action. We’re sure he’ll find just the right humans to love soon enough.
And it’s not over yet! Big, boisterous Luca has joined the Kitten Room, and we still have kittens in foster homes waiting to join us at Tabby’s Place. Kolsch, Ale, Lager, Gone, and India came from a feral colony and are getting some socialization before they’re ready to talk craft brews with potential adopters. Lucy and Desi are recently weaned and will be coming in with their mother Sunflower soon. And Aioli, Hollandaise, and Cholula will be joining us soon as well. The first wave of kittens will graduate just in time for a new class to come in.
One more new addition is sweet Nina, a 7-month-old kitten with cerebellar hypoplasia. CH is a motor function disorder that causes a cat to be “wobbly.” Their movements are shaky and jerky and they have tremors even sitting still. It’s not painful or progressive, and most CH cats compensate just fine and live normal, happy, wobbly lives. Nina is currently the subject of great curiosity in our Community Room, where her roommates (especially Scoots, Peep, and Hunts) watch her every move with fascination. Nina is adjusting to her new home well and has already wobbled her way into all of our hearts. (Scoots remains skeptical… and a bit jealous when Nina gets more attention than her. I personally am hoping they’ll become friends as they’re of similar age.)
It’s looking to be a busy busy summer around here! Until next time…
Your correspondent,
Tara