Outstanding October greetings, my sweet sponsor and dear friend!

I am so happy as I feel the cooler weather here in New Jersey.   I see the leaves changing colors as start to float down from the sky.  This means one thing—fall is here, my favorite time of year!  Fall provides so much fun and excitement, which I simply cannot wait to share with you.

First and foremost, let’s talk about ME!

I have been in great health and quite spirited this month.  I did have a tiny blip with another wound on my leg, but after a quick week of special care and a bandage, I am all healed up.

Of course, a little bandage did not deter me from scooting around and fulfilling my royal duties as Queen of the Lobby.  There is nothing that deters me from my Lobby greeting and directing duties!

We have enjoyed celebrating several excellent moments this past month.   The first was the close of our annual Linda Fund Matching Challenge, coinciding with the end of Happy Cat Month.  Thanks to so many special and generous donors all over the world, we exceeded our goal this year. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are.  This emergency fund helps in dire situations when time and care are critical.  Big happy Olive kisses of appreciation to everyone for your amazing generosity!

We also celebrated a fabulous anniversary!  October 5th marked the 22nd anniversary of Tabby’s Place’s Grand Opening.  So many, many feline lives have been saved and changed forever in those 22 years.  Of course, I’m one of them!  There are entire villages of staff members, volunteers, sponsors, and donors to thank for the success of Tabby’s Place. Thank you, dear sponsor, for being one of the very best!

Life in the lobby is always more fun and interesting when we have games to play, from the enrichment things the staff provides, like the ripple rug, tunnels, and puzzle feeders, or our own made-up games and toys.

One of our go-to favorites is Hide-and-Seek, and it is always hilarious when we are able to hide to the point where they frantically search for us. Berry is an expert at hiding. So is Hips, who likes to hop on carts and other moving objects in order to completely escape the lobby.

Sadly, there are only so many places to hide. The staff soon find our spots, and the game ends all too quickly. But, there is a new doorless carrier in the lobby that I have claimed as my personal domain, especially suitable for when Tabby’s Place is closed to visitors and I am taking some “me” time.  I love to scoot in there right around the time when my bladder is going to be expressed.

I quickly realized this doorless carrier is the perfect setting for a new game, which I named “Plucky Chicken.”   There are two players in the game:  me and the staff member who drew the short straw and has to help me pee by expressing my bladder.  This carrier is just perfect for our game, because they have to put their entire arm inside to reach me alllllll the way in the back corner.

So, will the staff member be plucky enough to just reach in, not knowing if I will rub their hand for scritches or share my teeth and claws with them?  Or, will they be a chicken and raise the back of the carrier to encourage me to slide out?  I keep track of who is “Plucky” and who is “Chicken.” At the end of the week, I reward the Plucky winner with a special Olive kiss, with the “Chicken” of the week getting the zonker prize!    I tell you, this is my special kind of fun!

I am really excited for the days ahead!  And so many fun and festive fall holidays to enjoy. Halloween will soon be here, and my special costume for this year is already on order and should be arriving any day!  I am just counting down the days.

I hear Thanksgiving is coming soon after, and there is a rumor going around the Lobby that someone turned me into the butt of a turkey joke on Facebook.  I am not sure what this means.  Would you please see what you can find out and let me know?   This mystery is driving me bonkers!

I do enjoy updating you every month on what is happening around Tabby’s Place. What means even more to me, though, is the monthly opportunity to thank you for always supporting me.  Your kindness adds joy to my days, and I am always grateful for you.

Lots of Love,
The Royal Lobby Queen, Miss Olive
(With help from the peasant and correspondent, Elizabeth)