Dearest Sponsors of Sweet Pepita,
As we get going on this bright and shiny (and incredibly cold) new year, it is also time to celebrate the birthday of one pretty purring princess—yes, it is Pepita’s birthday! If you have been her sponsor for some time, you may remember that we celebrate Pepita’s birthday on the 1st of January because frequently we don’t know the specific date when a kitty we take in was born. So Tabby’s Place uses January 1st as the birthday for any unknown birth dates, and the kitty’s age is estimated by our ace vet staff when a cat arrives at Tabby’s Place. This year Pepita turned 11—can you believe it? Her youngster attitude about life lights up my day whenever I see this young-at-heart fur baby! With thanks to Elton John, I sang to Pepita today “Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen” and “How wonderful life is when you are in the world.” I’m sure if you have had the chance to visit with her, you will agree. Onward to another year of love, care, and a good life at Tabby’s Place for our gentle purr-master.
Pepita has been in good health and spirits this past month! She continues to fully enjoy lobby life and the greater opportunities for human interaction and playtime that this affords. She enjoys wand toy play with anyone who will engage and has a special affinity for a cardboard house that arrived for the holidays (shown in last month’s update). One of the volunteers this morning told me that Pepita has basically claimed the lobby’s loveseat as hers and is owning it like it was always hers (much to the dismay of Boobalah, who used to sit there).
A new source of enjoyment for Pepita these days is the lickable treat! If you are not familiar with this special form of treat, it is a delicious paste that is served right from the tube it is in, pushed up while the kitty licks away. However, for our Pepita, her preference is to eat the treat from a dish in a ladylike fashion! So we are happy to oblige and squeeze the paste into a dish so she can enjoy it properly.
One of the many challenges of running a sanctuary includes being able to ensure that when volunteers are unavailable, as is often the case around the holidays, there are enough other volunteers who can fill in the shifts for the missing volunteers. It is so wonderful to see so many volunteers step up and ensure that all open shifts are filled and the cats never miss the cleaning of their suites and their care and feeding every single day. The Tabby’s Place staff were so kind and wanted to show their appreciation for those volunteers who came in on Christmas Day, so they put together some goody bags for us, Apparently, Pepita thought that she might be scooped up as a ‘goody’ by positioning herself in the box where the goody bags were located. Though many of us are tempted on a regular basis to take this sweetheart home with us, we know the special care she requires of having her bladder expressed multiple times a day will require a very special adopter. Until that special person comes along, Pepita is enjoying life at Tabby’s Place and making us all smile and laugh at her antics. We all thank you from the depths of our hearts for your ongoing love and support for this special girl.
Pepita had a busy month looking out the front door, watching the construction of Quinn’s Corner, our new addition. The workers were working as fast as possible to beat the winter weather, but now they are pausing a bit as that weather has set in and doesn’t permit some specific activities to be done (e.g., drywall work must be done in warmer weather). As you may recall from earlier updates, Quinn’s Corner will provide sanctuary, love, and medical care for the most vulnerable kitties in the world—cats with feline leukemia virus AND neonatal kittens.
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is difficult to diagnose and manage and requires a high level of individualized care. Few shelters have the resources to embrace FeLV+ cats, but Tabby’s Place knows these amazing kitties are full of life and deserve a chance to thrive. Newborns often arrive without their mothers, making them utterly dependent on our love and expert care. Quinn’s Corner will allow us to care for these tiny wonders, who are underserved by rescue and veterinary communities due to their fragile nature and need for intense nurture. So the construction will continue on those elements that can be done through the winter and Pepita will look forward to more activity out the front door in the spring as the temperatures rise.
May 2022 bring you joy, laughter, new adventures, and cherished memories. I look forward to bringing you more stories of Pepita in the months ahead.
Your correspondent,
Sheila