10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, Happy New Year y’all!!!
Thank you for kicking off the New Year together and for being my Sponsor! Hope that your holidays were magical. The Tabby’s Place cat holidays were purrfect, we had lots of visitors and were gifted with toys and scratching posts. Cardboard boxes are very popular!
I hope y’all will be proud of this li’l black and white southern kitty. I had my first brainstorm of 2020! My correspondent asked if you knew what a “day in the life of Rose” is all about. I was not sure, so please hold my paw and join me for a day of fun in the Tabby’s Place lobby.
8:00AM
Rise and shine! I wipe the sleep from my eyes, and usually let out a big cat yawn. I am so content being snuggled in my cat bed that some days I could sleep the day away. When my night crate door is opened, I am greeted by a staff member with my diapie. I smile because I know that the diapie will probably not be on me too long! I start to anticipate the arrival of the volunteer feeder and get very excited thinking about breakfast.
8:15AM
I get an aerobic workout by weaving in and out of the volunteer feeder’s feet as she makes her way across the lobby. As she places down a food dish with my name, I am overjoyed. Breakfast is served! We receive VIP treatment—if we don’t like a food selection the volunteer feeder brings something else. I try to help with lobby “clean up” by emptying food dishes.
8:30AM+
With a full belly, I start to make my rounds in the lobby. I will check on the FeLV kittens through their suite window. Next on my rounds are suites B and C. With the expansion this year of “Quinn’s Corner” to welcome FeLV cats, I understand that my old suite A will be visible from the lobby, yeah!!! Once my lobby rounds are finished, I select a seat that will keep me out of the way of the volunteers who clean the lobby and our crates; they have a tough job and I don’t want to make it any harder. There are many seating options for me: chairs, cat beds, or the couch. I usually prefer my own chair, but sometimes I share the couch with Patty. My night crate is refreshed with a water bowl, dry food, and my favorite cat bed. Olive, our unofficial lobby greeter, is on a special diet and was caught putting her paw into my closed crate to scoop dry food. My dry food dish is now moved to a side she cannot reach!
NOON
I do a final grooming check, and the sanctuary doors open to visitors! I love welcoming visitors to Tabby’s Place and showing some southern hospitality!
1:00PM
Lunch is served. There is a list of cats who receive lunch, generally cats who need to gain some weight. When I was ill last year my weight dropped, and I was added to the lunch list. The good thing is that I am now at a healthy weight and don’t need to be on the lunch list. However, I do help the volunteers as needed to empty partially filled food dishes (please raise your paw and swear, this is our secret!).
AFTERNOON
I spend the afternoon engaged in lots of fun activities such as greeting visitors and volunteers, greeting delivery persons with big boxes, going to senior living centers with the “Aged to Purrfection” program, chasing the laser pointer, pummeling my favorite catnip banana with my back paws (I love me some catnip bananas!), climbing the cat trees, going on stroller rides, being read to by volunteers in the “Paws to Read” program, playing with enrichment toys (love the paper bag with catnip), posing for pictures, and enjoying treats — but the most pleasurable activity is…cat napping!
5:00PM
ANTICIPATION…Dinner is served. I go into a frenzy following the volunteer feeder through the lobby. Sometimes the volunteer feeder is not bringing my food but is using the lobby to access the hallway – you can hear my sigh of disappointment all the way outside in the parking lot! I enjoy every morsel of dinner, and if I have time, I help clear the dinner food dishes with my mouth, he-he-he. Sometimes we get special treats such as boiled chicken and this week, fresh grilled salmon. Wow, I really enjoyed my first taste of salmon!
5:30PM
Lights out…I am escorted to my night crate, my diapie is removed, and I snuggle into my cat bed. I have toys in the crate in case I want to play. My water bowl and dry food are all replenished for a late-night snack. As I shut my eyes and head into dream sleep, I think of how lucky I am to have you as a Sponsor. Sweet dreams.
I enjoyed sharing my day and hope that all your days are fun-filled too. Time for my first Health Report of 2020. I have been in very good spirits this month despite a few minor health “bumps in the road.” I was started on medications for loose stools and checked for a urinary tract infection. Staff keeps a close watch on my health. I also caught the upper respiratory infection that is making its way around the sanctuary, and am on antibiotics for that. This too shall pass; we all know you can’t keep a southern belle on the sidelines!
May your 2020 be an amazing year! Sending you whisker kisses filled with love!
Love, Rose
(With help from your correspondent, Ilene)