Greetings, Olive Fans!

It’s almost spring and high time for an update on our girl. Olive was finally cleared from ringworm (woohoo!) and is back in the lobby. A staff member noticed a spot between two of Olive’s toes on a hind foot a couple of weeks back, and once again we had to question whether she had contracted ringworm. But it was simply a sore, and the staff have been scrubbing it gently and are keeping a watchful eye on the area. This is not the first time Olive has come up with a sore, and it won’t be the last—we can cope, as long as it isn’t more ringworm!

Many years ago now, a woman called Tabby’s Place one day to ask if we had any “difficult” cats. It seemed that she had had a very temperamental cat for many years, but she had clearly adored the cat and had recently lost him. I’m guessing she had become accustomed to the cat’s feisty nature and wanted to find a feline with a similar temperament. It’s a pity that nobody has inquired for a difficult feline recently.

True, Tabby’s Place has a number of “difficult” cats, whether that refers to personality, medical issues, or both. But we’d be hard-pressed to find an equal to Olive. Obviously, she has some tough medical conditions, but she can be awfully prickly in character, too. No sooner had she been returned to the lobby than Bellamy, another lobby dweller, began going after her on occasion, though in fairness we don’t know who started the altercations.

During the times when Bellamy is not going after Olive, he and Olive have been observed teaming up to go after lobby resident Pepita. Pepita has since moved back to Suite A, as she was becoming a frequent target of bullying in the lobby (I’m happy to report that Pepita is enjoying Suite A again, especially the solarium). And Olive’s lack of enthusiasm for her necessary daily medications and handling are familiar to everyone.

Yup, Olive is not the easiest cat to work with, but we love her in spite of that…  or possibly because of it. As always, I am grateful that you’ve chosen to help us help our little lobby greeter.

Your correspondent,
Stephanie