Greetings Mac fans!
Happy almost spring! Well, you wouldn’t know it was nearing spring in New Jersey since we have had three Nor’easters hitting the area in March already, with much snow and many folks without power for days. Luckily, Mac is safe and sound and warm with devoted staff and volunteers, and a generator to ensure the sanctuary keeps operating and the kitties get their food, meds, clean beds, and playtime. I hope wherever you reside that you, too, are warm, dry, and holding steady as the new season approaches.
The dynamics in Mac’s suite have definitely changed in the last month. Spectacular news: long-time roomie Virginia has been adopted by a forever family! We were all delighted to hear that both Virginia and another long-time resident from one of the suites, Valencia, were adopted together. One less girl in Mac’s suite makes for a little more space for Simba’s antics. And antics there have been!
Last month I mentioned that Simba, the only male in this all-girl residence, joined Mac, Missy, Virginia, and Sophia. Simba is quite the jealous type and Mac is no stranger to the green emotion either. She may not have as much weight to throw around anymore, but Mac can still be feisty. She flaunted this quality during an enrichment session with one of our volunteers recently. When the volunteer attempted to play with Simba, Macaroon lashed out, greedy to keep all playtime to herself.
I also saw this fight for the love happen when I visited Mac this weekend. I sat on the floor and Mac hopped into my lap for some pets and attention. Just a few moments later, Simba approached and through some butt sniffing and aggressive nudging, ousted Mac from my lap and proceeded to take her place. Now I am quite wary of Simba, who is know for aggression to humans and felines alike, so I just sat back and waited to see what would transpire. Simba was all love, rubbing against my chest and encouraging some light and cautious petting. But despite his new ‘calming’ collar, Simba is still Simba, and decided after he got my lap that what he really wanted was a nice bite of my hand! Luckily, I moved quickly enough to avoid any major injury.
Looking for a new adventure to keep herself occupied, Mac has started spending a lot more time hanging out behind Danielle’s computer monitor. From her hiding spot there she enjoys stealing pens and playing with Missy’s tail. Thankfully, Missy seems mostly unaware of this when it’s happening. As Danielle says, “It’s nice to see Mac’s inner kitten coming out.”
“March is a month of expectation,” wrote Emily Dickinson. While humans and cats alike look forward to the spring breeze, flowers, birds and butterflies, we are also expecting the waves of kittens to start rolling into Tabby’s Place any time now. Angela, our Development Director, wrote a new blog entitled “There are no kittens in your boxes,” explaining in a humorous fashion that there are, indeed, kittens in there right now, but you might need to look hard to see them. You can find this week’s blog here.
That kitten room will be overflowing soon enough and will bring a bright and fresh energy to the sanctuary.
In mid-April Tabby’s Place will be holding an open house to celebrate National Volunteer Week. If you are in the area and so inclined, please stop by on Saturday, April 14th from noon to 4PM and visit with Mac, meet some other cats, take a tour and learn about volunteering. Of course, Mac would love to see you anytime you can stop in. She soaks in the love like a sponge!
As St. Patty’s Day approaches, we like to remember that “A best friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” Thank you for being Mac’s four-leaf clover. We are so lucky to have your ongoing friendship and generosity in supporting her!