Dear Pepita friends,

Welcome to Spring!

May has arrived, and our sweet Pepita has enjoyed another month of stable good health!  That’s doubly delightful in that it opens the door to a new adventure: Aged to Purrfection! As of this update, Pepita is being tested for the program.

Aged to Purrfection, a genius idea our Volunteer Director hatched, is where Tabby’s Place takes selected sweet, well-behaved kitties who enjoy socializing with humans to senior homes to visit with the residents there. It is an amazing program, and both the cats and the seniors absolutely love it!  I know you have heard of dog therapy in hospitals. Well, this is a similar type of program, but with cats (which can be a bit more challenging).

First Pepita must master a few tests, to see if she will remain calm enough when faced with different environments and people she doesn’t know.  The testing process involves first riding in a stroller (one that has netting so kitties don’t escape) around Tabby’s Place, then taking a trip (again, in the stroller) to a local pet store. If the cat remains calm and content during these tests and interacts happily with people in public, she will be approved to visit our senior homes. We expect Pepita will pass with flying colors.

I can’t wait to report back to you next month on whether she will be spreading her joy to all the seniors.  If so, I can guarantee she will bring so many smiles and so much laughter to those she spends time with there.  She will join a number of other kitties from Tabby’s Place who take turns participating in these programs:  Pixie (our long-haired tabby paraplegic), Anka (our paraplegic from Istanbul), Carrot (our charming boy from Suite C), and Rose (Pepita’s former suitemate, who now resides in the lobby).  You can read more about the program and the benefits to the seniors in this article.

I was looking back at my last update to you and realized I had talked about the kittens rolling in. I wanted to include a picture of the two tiniest kittens, Calla and Dahlia, who I saw being tube fed. But I forgot to include the picture (duh!). So here are two pictures: one of them wrapped burrito-style when they were just days old, and a more recent one–they have gotten so big!  Our annual Kitten Shower is June 22, so mark it on your calendar for a fun-filled day of kittens.  Enjoy playtime with the kittens, refreshments, and tours.

Back to Pepita. Our gentle girl really got into playtime with me on one of my recent visits.  The long, colorful yarn on the pole toy caught her attention, and she leaped after it with kitten-like delight.  The cats at Tabby’s Place get tons of visits from volunteers, and Pepita is no exception. I’m sure all the exercise that is offered through playtime helps her stay fit and trim, despite the extra meals and treats she regularly receives.

Pepita surprised me the last time I poked my head into Suite A, as she had commandeered the ladder that we use to reach the high ramps for cleaning.  I was first surprised to not find her in the solarium, but rather inside, on what was clearly a day warranting solarium time.  From her high post on the ladder,  at face height with me, she demanded love, love and more love.  Head bonks, kisses, pets, and overall hugging took place, with Pepita as the sole recipient, since the other kitties were on the floor or on the ramp, or elsewhere, and couldn’t compete for my attention.

Thanks to your loyal support of Pepita, this delightful girl is ready for anything! Keep your fingers crossed on Aged to Purrfection, and we’ll chat again in June.

Your correspondent,
Sheila