Dearest Pepita Devotees,

Happy Thanksgiving month! There is so much to be thankful for at Tabby’s Place this month.  First and foremost, we are thankful that our sweet Pepita has been in good health this month. She looks great, is full of love, her fur is incredibly soft, and her eyes are as bright as the lights were in October’s Diwali festival.  Best of all, I have been able to visit with her multiple times this month and hug her endlessly! This is so wonderful after the pause when hugging was verboten during our Suite A ringworm precautions.

We are also thankful for the incredibly generous Tabby’s Place donors who made our Linda Fund Matching Challenge—the annual fundraiser for the medical needs of the cats—a huge success, breaking through to reach the largest amount ever for this late summer/early fall campaign.  This fund helps us with all the medical needs of all the cats, beyond your critical support of individual cats such as Pepita.

Even more reasons to be grateful come in the form of completed inspections that will allow us to begin operating in our Quinn’s Corner expansion very soon. We look forward not only to suites for FeLV+ cats who had nowhere else to turn…but also upgraded facilities for cleaning the daily mountain of laundry, litter pans, and dishes.  The volunteers who work in these areas day in and day out are bursting at the seams waiting to get in there and serve the cats faster and better than ever!  The excitement is palpable.

Along with the expansion, we have been able to spruce up some areas that were in much need of sprucing up. That included our Community Room and the Employee/Volunteer Lounge, which received a fresh coat of paint and new furnishings to replace the worn-out items. You can imagine, with hundreds of volunteers coming and going and lots of cats in both locations, just how much wear and tear happens over 18 years!  The upgrades to our original building as are one more thing for which we are grateful. Of course, such activities required some shuffling of the kitties, but they are all back in their regular spots and have given their ‘paws up’ approval of the changes.

Pepita continues to split her time between the solarium and the suite. We have luckily had warmer than usual temperatures for much of November, so enjoying the fresh air and watching the outside wildlife and blowing leaves was a delight for the kitties. Now the colder temps have set in and it really feels like fall, but Pepita still enjoys sprawling on the kitty towers or relishing in the warmth of the heated pads (with a little soft blanket on top) that are provided in the solarium. She continues to spread her joy at the senior homes and when visiting with breast cancer survivors at Evolve Pink.

Pepita wants you to know how grateful she is to have a warm, safe home at Tabby’s Place, and for all the volunteers and staff who care for her, visit her, and bestow love on her. She whispered in my ear on my last visit that she wants me to be sure to include how deeply in her kitty heart she feels thankful for your love, devotion, and generosity.

One of my favorite quotes about this month (and perhaps one I’ve included in past years) is from Thomas Wilder: “We can only be said to be truly alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”  All of us at Tabby’s Place are incredibly conscious of what a treasure you are to Pepita and to the sanctuary. You make us all feel truly alive as we serve the cats with you. Please know just how much you mean to us each and every day.

Enjoy this wonderful season. Pepita sends you her love and hopes you can visit with her so she can bestow some love on you!

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with joy!

Your correspondent,
Sheila