Update for Pepita

Update for Pepita

Pepita and lobby-mate Bellamy

Happy Holidays to Pepita’s Best Friends!

Let me start with the stellar news that Tabby’s Place has beaten the ringworm outbreak I mentioned last month, and everyone has returned to their suites and rooms! It was definitely a challenging few weeks for everyone and especially for the caring staff, who had to treat the cats in quarantine as well as perform all their regular duties. Plus, there were a few days when the staff went through each room and performed a detailed physical exam—cat by cat—to ensure there were no other cats who had contracted the ringworm. Luckily those days produced no more cases and it just took a few weeks for the cats to complete their treatments and be able to return to their regular locations. Whew! It was great to see the amazing discipline that was put in place very quickly and how volunteers and staff adjusted to the strict protocols for the safety and health of the cats.

What the end of ringworm meant for Pepita is that the lovefest was back on! Lots of hugs and smooches and petting galore! She was definitely ready for all that when I saw her a few days after the strict protocols were lifted. She loves all the attention she is getting in the lobby. Anyone passing through can’t resist that pretty face and sweet demeanor—they must stop to pet her and give lap time as well. She is completely adjusted to lobby life and in great spirits these days. She (and Rose) especially like to greet the visitors who come for tours

On the health front, there is also good news.  Pepita’s urinary tract infection (URI) is clearing up on the newest medication, so that’s a relief. With incontinent kitties, URIs are quite common and it is to the credit of the amazing medical staff that they continue to try new medications when the tried and true ones suddenly stop working for these kitties.

Pepita is looking forward to the fact that the Aged to Purrfection program is restarting. You may recall that this is the program where selected cats go to visit seniors in senior homes or rehab facilities. When COVID hit, the program was stopped to keep everyone safe. But now we are reaching out to the senior homes to see if they are agreeable to starting the visits again. So far, one home has invited the cats back in, and, oh, what a wonderful time it was. We also only have 6 cats that are in the program at the moment:  Carrot, Angelo, Rose, Pepita, Tux, and Steven. The Volunteer Director plans to start screening new cats for the program soon. Any cat that joins the Aged to Purrfection program needs to be very outgoing, while also being mellow in new situations. We need cats who won’t hurt the residents we go to visit, and also cats who enjoy being in these environments. We don’t have many cats who meet all the criteria to join Aged to Purrfection, but our Pepita is one special cat who does!

Last month the kitties had a fun Thanksgiving.  On November 20, we had a “Facebook Live” event for our yearly “Thanksgiving with the Cats.”  In the past, before Covid, we had an in-person event where visitors could meet with the cats and pass out little turkey bits. We’re not quite there yet, but the event was live-streamed this year. The video is still posted on our Facebook page if you care to peek.  Pepita is so happy that these events mean even more attention in the lobby!

And so here we are in the middle of December, with everyone dashing here and dashing there to get ready for the special holidays ahead. The cats do know there is magic in the air, with lobby decorations galore and holiday photo shoots, which—of course—involve sweet-faced Pepita!  She loves the attention and she is so photogenic that she definitely could be a kitty model.  It is so nice with all the dashing about to step into the sanctuary and spend some quiet time with the cats. There is just something about the slow and steady, calming purrs that these magnificent animals produce that reduce the stress, no matter what is happening in the outside world.

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘radical generosity?’ It is the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering. Radical generosity invites people in to give what they can to create systemic change. I was reading about this the other day and it struck me that radical generosity runs deep within you as Pepita’s sponsor.  You want the best for her and don’t want to see her suffer and you give of yourself to make that happen, to support her well-being and happiness as part of an overall mission to save cats from hopeless situations.

We’ve also seen radical generosity in spades during the pandemic and during natural disasters, whenever they occur.  It’s a funny thing, but generosity unlocks doors inside us we didn’t even know about. There are a host of studies that have uncovered evidence that humans appear to be biologically ‘wired’ for generosity. We are so glad to hear this as that wired generosity in you is an amazing gift to Pepita and to Tabby’s Place.  For it is the light in each and every heart that together light up the world! Thank you for lighting up Pepita’s world each and every day!

Cocoa, festive socks, soft throws, a glow in the fireplace—we wish you the coziest things this holiday season brings!

Your correspondent,
Sheila