Dear Rose Friends,
As we move through August, I do declare that this has been one of the busiest summers I can ever recall at Tabby’s Place! I was honored to welcome so many new volunteers. All the volunteers now wear these nice name badges so they can get to know each other, and s our visitors can identify them. The name badges are clip-on, which is not fur friendly, so I will skip one! My correspondent thinks it would be fun to have a cat’s name written on the name badge, and she wants to be Rose! I am smiling as I say this l’il ol’ black-and-white southern belle with the cute teeny tiny tail has received so much extra attention this summer from the new volunteers, old volunteers, visitors, and potential adopters.
I am such a proud kitty to be a resident of the Tabby’s Place lobby. If I were a bit taller (by 4 or 5 feet), I would help with visitor tours. One thing that never gets old and makes my heart feel warm is watching adopters pick up their new furry family members to bring them home. In “Rose style,” I stroll over to the cat carrier and give the adopted kitty some extra love before they head to their furever home. As you may recall, every year when the Tabby’s Place Kitten Shower is held, my correspondent and I check out every itty-bitty kitten to see if there is a mini-me. So far, we have not found one. Never fear, my mama always told me: dream it, and it will happen! Well, the Tabby’s Place event team was at the Garden State Cat Expo recently and my correspondent almost fainted when she saw a cat named Kale from another rescue who could pass as my twin brother, with a long black tail! Maybe I do have some kinfolk in these parts! Check out his photo!
The Quinn’s Corner construction is nearing completion and watching it from the groundbreaking days in June 2021 to now has been an amazing experience. We all look forward to the days when we look through the lobby doors and can see the new FeLV+ residents start to arrive. The arrival of the FeLV+ cats has special meaning to me—I do get a bit teary. Many facilities euthanize cats who are FeLV+ when diagnosed. After I was hit by a car as a kitten, the veterinarian wanted to euthanize me. My angel was Mama Ana, who was with a rescue organization and arranged that I could have sanctuary at Tabby’s Place.
Quinn’s Corner is a separate residence for the FeLV+ cats, but I know they will feel all the love that will be waiting for them! I know the construction is going towards the finish line because Olive and I saw beautiful green plantings outside. I favor the plantings instead of the old piles of dirt. My favorite parts of the construction are window frames that are painted in Tabby’s Place orange. I love me some orange! I have a funny story to share. There are these little hut structures in the new parking lot. I have no idea what they are for, so I asked my correspondent. She explained that they were litter boxes for the construction crew!
My correspondent missed a recent Saturday volunteering due to a summer cold. She asked her friend who was taking her tour shift to please send her some photos of me because she missed me. My correspondent received a text at the end of the shift with a few photos. Her friend said it seemed that I was not interested in taking photos but was more interested in strolling around that lobby to air dry my bottom (from my cooling bottom bath) and hunting for food dishes with leftover morsels. It was the honest truth, and I laughed so hard that I almost fell off the lobby couch.
I had a very busy My Health Report this month. The vet staff has been keeping an eye on me because I had more frequent episodes of chest congestion and some facial twitching. I was started on an antibiotic for the congestion and am happily much brighter as we come to the middle of the month. I also had an abdominal ultrasound which showed nothing out of the ordinary (yeah!). I was so scared that the ultrasound would show all the extra food I clear from the lobby food dishes! I also developed a urinary tract infection (which unfortunately I get frequently as a cat who is incontinent), but I was already on antibiotics that will treat the urinary tract infection in addition to the chest congestion. I think my health report next month needs to be empty!
Our summer will be ending in a fun way. Tabby’s Place hosts the “Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic” at the end of the month. I don’t believe we have had this picnic since 2019. The staff even cooks a delicious dinner for the volunteers! Volunteers receive award certificates for the length of service. This year is my correspondent’s 15th year as a volunteer, and she says her happiest moment at Tabby’s Place was meeting me and working together on my special needs sponsor updates!
Enjoy the rest of your summer, soak in the sunshine and fresh air. Sending you summer lemonade whisker kisses!
Love,
Rose
(With help from your correspondent, Ilene)