Greetings, Olive fanciers!

It’s time for another update on our feisty girl.

Medical news first: Olive, alas, has a UTI (urinary tract infection). She’s had these before and will likely have them again, but they’re obviously uncomfortable for her and don’t make the staff’s job of expressing her any easier.

Speaking of being difficult to express, it’s no secret that Olive has been this way from Day One, but it isn’t just the fact that she pitches a fit that makes expressing her so difficult.

Almost any photo you see of Olive looks normal, but the fact is that for a cat of her size she is overweight, and her girth makes the expressing process tougher.

It is almost impossible to put Olive on any kind of diet; we’ve done it and still do so, but her ability to steal food borders on the supernatural! She’s so clever about it.

Some of our lobby residents must be crated overnight, and many are the time I’ve seen her scoot over to a crate in the lobby. The crate will be closed during the daytime, but there will be fresh kibble in there for the upcoming evening, and Olive will put out a front paw, reach in, and twist and turn until she can hook a piece of kibble, bring it out, and eat it in triumph. If she’d restrict herself to one piece of kibble, there’d be no problem. But I’m not sure there’s ever been a cat who’d restrict herself to one piece of kibble, especially given the effort Olive goes through here.

In other news, we can see how much our lobby greeter misses visitors! She’s not fooled when staff comes through the front door bearing mail or supplies. We wish we could wave a wand (or perhaps a string toy) and return Tabby’s Place to pre-COVID visitor levels; we know our girl would be much happier.

For the present, however, we must be patient. Now, if only we could communicate that to Olive…

Times are hard for so many people these days. Your continued generosity in helping us provide for Olive means so much. Thank you!

Your correspondent,
Stephanie