Dear Wonderful Pepita Friends,

Beautiful, breezy October has arrived and is well on its way to coloring our world with fall foliage here in the Northeast!  This makes for wonderful stroller walks, in which Pepita eagerly participates, thanks to a crew of dedicated volunteers in the Curbside Volunteering program. What could be better than enjoying the autumn breezes, drifting and skipping leaves, and crisp, fresh air? Pepita has had her share of strolls and is always eagerly awaiting the next one.

But we must now discuss a bit of disruption to Pepita’s world—disruption that made the kitties who live in the suites at Tabby’s Place a bit out of sorts (which they would say is a severe understatement!).  The back roof of Tabby’s Place, which covers the suites and solariums (in which there are skylights) has been leaking, and it was time for a serious repair to be undertaken.  This translates into two things that make the fur babies crazy: 1) lots of construction noise and 2) being banned from the solariums, just when the weather has been perfect for outdoor time. Knowing Pepita as you do, and knowing cats as you do, you can just imagine how unhappy those few days were for them!

I can attest to this personally, for when I came in for my Sunday feeding and cleaning shift, the kitties in Suite A were quite miserable.  And the solarium was full of debris and dust from the construction, all of which had to be cleaned thoroughly before the tube could be opened and cats allowed out there.  So to work we all went:  Brush lots of dirt from the shelves and ramps in the solarium, wipe them down with wet cloths, sweep and sweep and sweep the floor until every last bit of debris was up, and then mop the floor to ensure all manner of dust was gone! Put out newly laundered blankets and beds and water and food and all the accouterments needed for a fun time in the solarium.

I peeked my head into the indoor suite when I was almost done and out popped an excited and super anxious Pepita. She could not wait and ran right to the solarium door (not the normal way in for the cats), insistent that she be the first back out in her favorite part of Tabby’s Place. As soon as I opened the tube, a small herd of fur babies—Mary, Chewie, Adam, Steven, and Wonton— zipped through the tube and into the delightful fresh air. They were all so incredibly happy that it was a real joy to see.

Your sweet Pepita has been in good health this month. The stool softener that she started last month has made expressing her a bit more comfortable. She is no longer on the supplement to keep urinary tract infections at bay, so let’s hope they keep their distance.  I continue to be amazed at this girl’s beauty, spirit, and ability to spread love to so many.

“And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and autumn was awakened” – Raquel Franco puts it so well.  I wish for each of you the space and time to be present in this glorious season, while there are still some warm days mixed with cool ones, sometimes grabbing for a sweater or jacket and sometimes not.

Thank you for having your head and heart work in harmony in caring for beautiful Pepita so that she can always have a wonderful home at Tabby’s Place.

Your correspondent,
Sheila