Dearest Sponsors,
I just realized that no matter where we celebrated New Year’s Eve, we all welcomed 2022 together! I fancy a new year because it is a chance to experience new adventures. There has been a rumor for years that the Tabby’s Place cats have a big New Year’s Eve party.
The truth is that we celebrate like everyone else (human or feline). We enjoy a nice supper with a hand full of treats, spend a relaxing evening together, and are usually curled up in a cat bed asleep before the new year arrives. When I look back on 2021, I remember all the good things the year gifted me. I will always remember my dear cat friends who received their angel wings last year and are forever in my heart. Despite several health issues, this li’l ol’ black-and-white southern belle stayed strong. The best part of waking up on January 1, 2022, was knowing that you are my sponsor, and we have a whole new year ahead. I want to start our new year off with a big thank you and a special sponsor hug! I hope that if you are able, you will visit me this year.
I hope that your holidays were filled with happiness and good eats! One of our volunteers is a teacher, and her students created a project where they made holiday cards for Tabby’s Place cats. Each student selected a cat and created a beautiful holiday card. I was tickled pink and so very grateful for my special card. The students also donated a mountain of cat food, treats, litter, cat play boxes, and toys. It makes my heart feel so good to see such kindness from youngins. We had a few days of mild temperatures in December, which meant stroller rides were back! I plotted my stroller conquest and waited out of sight for Anka and his stroller to return to the lobby. As the volunteer lifted Anka out of the stroller, ninja Rose sprang into action. I scaled the stroller like King Kong going up the Empire State Building. I was in the stroller in no time, and even though I was on the list for a stroller ride, I could not resist an adventure.
At the end of the year, volunteers who took time off for the holidays had their shifts filled with substitute volunteers. My correspondent, bless her heart, was able to fill in on many shifts. That meant that lickable treats came my way quite often. The lickable treat, which usually is served right from the tube it is in, is served by my correspondent to me in a food dish, so I can eat like a proper southern lady. As much as I love the treats, what I loved most was spending the extra time together. My correspondent was thrilled to have time to take lots of photos of yours truly—I love me some glamour shots!
Have I told you how much I love being in the lobby, especially during the winter? There is always a warm cat bed or chair with my name on it. Remember my wish last month for snowflakes? Recently, we were gifted with our first snowfall in Ringoes, NJ. All of the lobby cats enjoyed watching the snowflakes swirl around and around. I was in snowflake heaven!
The new year also brought happy changes with lobby residents. Elvira was adopted, and sweet Bjork and Marley joined us. Even though Marley is a VERY large tabby, she has a cutest l’il ol’ squeaky voice.
My health update this month is smile-worthy! I gained a bit of weight last year, probably because I enjoy going from food bowl to food bowl to sample my roomies’ meals. I also welcome crunchy cat treats. I am tickled pink to share that today I am looking slimmer but most importantly I am at a healthy weight. My non-food reward is being able to wear disposable diapers which keep me very clean and dry! While the diapers might not be as decorative as my fancy diapers, my bottom feels adorable. This is our first secret of the new year: the new diapers are much harder for me to remove, but I am working on it! In other health updates, I started the month with another urinary tract infection that responded to antibiotics (woo hoo!) and cleared up. I had some mild mouth inflammation and some loose stools. The vet staff says this is nothing alarming, and as always, I receive VIP medical care, Tabby’s Place style.
Sending snowflake whisker kisses to start your 2022!
Love,
Rose
(With help from your correspondent, Ilene)