Dear Friends of Pepita,

And here we are in September:  a month to welcome in the fall with cool solarium breezes, perfect for napping.  Of course, you already know this is one of Pepita’s favorite spots, but the solarium is a super popular spot for almost all of the Suite A kitties.

I’ll usually find three or four fur balls taking advantage of outside time in the solarium, with the overhead fan making the breeze even better. On my last visit, Pepita had a  whole slew of buddies out there with her, including Mary, Adam, Chewbacca (Chewie), Wonton, and Steven.

I went in with one string toy—a toy that has a long piece of fabric tied to one end. I knew Pepita would be up for playtime. But what I didn’t realize is that I would set off a 3-way competition for playtime among Pepita, Mary, and a most unlikely player, Adam!

Fluffy grey Mary is a loyal string toy player and will climb all over other kitties to get in on the action.  She even does a cute, low growl when holding the string toy in her mouth. So I expected that.

But Adam is usually pretty laid back and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him play with a string toy. Well, on this particular day, our tabby was the Energizer Bunny of string toy play.  He would jump up and down from floor to bench, chasing the fabric string like crazy. Someone must have put a lot of caffeine in that boy’s food! It was a whirlwind of fun and I did my best to share the toy amongst the three of them, as you can see from the pictures.  I think I was as worn out as they were by the time fun time was over.

Pepita has been in good health this month. Her fur is still looking great and growing a bit thicker to be ready for the fall and winter seasons.  I mentioned last month that the staff had put her on a stool softener. Alas, it has not made much of a difference, so she continues to be a bit of a challenge to express.  But her attitude doesn’t show that she might be uncomfortable. Not one bit.

Our girl is also still enjoying frequent outdoor stroller walks and chats with volunteers.  As our Executive Director said about the Curbside Volunteering Program, “There are lots of participants (humans and cats).  Everyone is happy!”

To also help the seniors stay in touch with their favorite kitties from the Aged to Purrfection program (which is still on hold during COVID time), volunteers have signed up to be Pet Pals (yes, pen pals writing about the kitties and Tabby’s Place happenings, and providing cute kitty photos) for the seniors who are interested. This program has just started but we have many volunteers who have signed up to participate.

At this tender time in the history of our country, when the world feels strange and difficult, we also remember another very strange time that occurred on a beautiful September day: September 11th 2001.  We all remember the shock of that one day, where we were, and how we felt as we lived through it. It certainly doesn’t feel as though it occurred 19 years ago.  Beautiful Pepita’s solemn gaze graced the Tabby’s Place Facebook page to remind us to never forget. I’ve included this picture in the update this month, so you can see the photo and what was written.

We all thank you for your special bond with Pepita and with Tabby’s Place. The continuing labor of love of the staff and volunteers is only possible through your connection and generosity. And this is something we never forget.

Try to pencil some joy into your life right now and we will return with more news of our gentle, sweet Pepita in October.

Your correspondent,
Sheila