Happy December, Team Moo Moo!

Our Thanksgiving With the Cats open house was a big success. But, it was a little different for us lobby cats this year.

With a large crowd expected, furniture was moved out of the lobby, and so were we. We resided in one of the holding rooms for the day. We still had visitors, just not all 295 of them!

With me not feeling my best, this was a much better situation. I still had my fair share of turkey, and correspondent Nancy made sure to give me extra servings.

Just a few days later, it was time for all the Tabby’s Place cats to attend our annual holiday meeting. Because I’m a scholarly cat, and a senior member of our Tabby’s Place community, I was chosen to chair the event. There was much to discuss.

Prior to my becoming an intellectual cat, I thought Hanukkah and Christmas were the only December holidays. I love these holidays. Nine days of opportunities for extra pets, toys, and treats is nothing short of spectacular.

But I recently learned that there are other special days in December, too. I needed to bring this to everyone’s attention. Were there additional days we should be celebrating?

For instance, December 2nd was Giving Tuesday. I suggested we acknowledge this one, and everyone quickly agreed. What a great opportunity to give our beloved humans some extra purrs, bonks, and cheek slime. With us being so gosh darn cute, they might give us extra treats in return. A win win situation if ever there was one.

Everyone voted “no” on celebrating World Soil Day on December 5th. We just couldn’t fathom why one particular day is singled out to celebrate this. Many of us soil our diapers, litter box areas, and floors daily. It’s not soiling the world, but we do a great job soiling our world. Every day is Soil Day.

At first, we were all pretty excited to add Green Monday on December 8th to the celebration list. How we love those Greenies treats. Especially me. Would we all have Greenies treats in green bowls on the 8th? This sounded great!

Further research determined that Green Monday is meant to celebrate things like solar energy and lowering emissions. I took the lead in voting this one down. I love a good sun spot as much as the next cat, but it doesn’t give me energy. Just the opposite – I get relaxed and sleepy. As for lowering emissions…. that’s not going to happen. None of us are going to have fewer or less fragrant “emissions.” Green Monday is not a feline holiday possibility.

There was great excitement about celebrating Boxing Day on the 26th. We had one hundred percent “yes” votes on celebrating this one. Nothing beats a good box.

We spent most of the meeting deciding on our wish list. All cats were polled, and amazingly the result is almost identical to last year. Only one new wish made the list.

1) Even though we get such loving care here at Tabby’s Place, we all hope for a forever home and family of our own.
2) Lickable treats
3) Soft treats
4) Crunchy treats
5) Catnip
6) Toys
7) A can of real tuna
8) Recliners in every room
9) World peace

It’s a good thing we had our holiday meeting before December began.

I’ve responded well to my heart medication, but then I started to lose weight and lose my appetite. That’s unusual for me. The staff started crating me during meal times, to monitor exactly how much I was eating.

They determined that I wasn’t eating well, and everyone was very concerned. But there’s a silver lining to this situation.

I’m so excited to tell you that Development Coordinator Lisa, who I know and love, took me home with her to be a forever foster!

My wish came true! I have a home and family of my own. Lisa and her husband have made me feel so welcome. I claimed a big bed right away. It’s so comfortable. She also rearranged her desk to make a comfortable spot for me.

I’m being so well cared for. A member of the Tabby’s Place Veterinary staff made a house call to do some blood work. She found that my potassium level was low, and that I was dehydrated. I received fluids, a supplement, and an appetite stimulant. They also lowered my diuretic, which was working too well. Just a day later, I ate a whole can of gravy and bits wet food, and polished off a squeeze-up treat in record time! I’m doing much better than when I first arrived.

I felt a little bad about leaving my job as the lobby Medications Dispensing Assistant. I was very good at staying on top of the paperwork. You know how I like to be useful.

But wait until you hear this. I have a new work from home job as Lisa’s personal assistant! I already attended my first Zoom meeting. I made sure to be visible on camera the whole time, and did my best to stay on top of Lisa’s keyboard.

My new job has some perks, too. Snacks! Lisa was eating an almond pastry, and I assisted with licking the powdered sugar off it.

It’s meant so much to me to be your sponsored cat, and I can’t thank you enough for all your generosity to me. Now that I’m nestled in a home, my hope is that another cat who needs extra help will feel the same love and caring.

I asked my correspondent, Nancy, if she would make friends with a newcomer and give him a voice. If there was ever a cat who needs the extra love and support of sponsors, it’s Chester. Few cats have arrived in such a terrible state. He endured great suffering before a kind soul brought him to Tabby’s Place. You can read about him below.

There’s a memorable Charles Dickens quote at the end of The Man Who Invented Christmas. It declares, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.”

Although it’s meant to be a message of kindness and the spirit of Christmas, I know firsthand that you live this spirit of generosity throughout the year.

God bless you, dear sponsors, for the difference you’ve made in my life. I’ll never forget it.

I wish you a joyful holiday season.