Dear sponsors,

Yay for October!  I have been spending all of my time out in my solarium as the cooler weather creeps in. I am watching all of the leaves in our backyard slowly starting to turn colors and fall off the trees. Autumn is very beautiful here in Ringoes, New Jersey!

I just snuggle up in the nearest bed and take full advantage of my front-row seat to all that this season brings. And, guess what sponsors?? I have not been snuggling alone! I know how happy all of my human friends have been to see me snuggling with friends. Yes, it is true! I am really starting to settle in and trust a few of my suitemates enough to even cuddle with them for naps. Oscar and Shea are my bestest buddies, and I think we are all helping each other feel safer and calmer in general.

When I feel safe and calm, all of my urges to get mad or lash out just melt away. I am attaching a picture this month of me with my friends Oscar and Shea, so you can see what they look like. When my correspondent visited me last weekend, all three of us rushed over to rub all over her legs. We were all so happy to have a visitor to love on, and she kept telling us how much joy our attention gave her. She said she was badly in need of something she called a “kitty fix,” so we did everything we possibly could to show her how much we love her. She went home covered in tiger-striped, grey, and orange fur!

And I didn’t even mind sharing her attention with Oscar and Shea, which may be hard for you to believe, considering I am always the first kitty at the door to greet visitors. I love to hog all of the love and attention from every human who walks through that door! But I also see how much joy it brings to Oscar and Shea, so I am happy to share it with them. There is always plenty of love to go around here, believe me. We have so many humans who love us and take such amazing care of us, we are just so grateful every single day.

It is because of you, my dear sponsors, that I live this life full of love and the best care any kitty could ever hope for! And I wanted you to know that all of my work to learn how to be a better cat is truly paying off. As you’ll see from my other picture, I was all smiles for my correspondent when she visited, even though I was sharing her with other kitties. She is always telling me what a ham I am for the camera. She says that of all the kitties she has ever known, I am the best at being photographed. I guess it’s because I look straight into the camera when she takes pictures of me. I am never shy! I love having a spotlight on me.

After our photo session, she gave me lots of pets and told me about her plans for Halloween. She is going to a party for the first time in many years, and it is hosted by her niece who apparently is a huge Halloween fan. But this person loves the scary parts of Halloween, not the goofy costumes and candy part. So she is a little concerned about how scared she may be by all of the spooky costumes and decorations, but she promised us that she would be brave and go anyway.

She is always encouraging me to be brave enough to try things that might scare me a bit, like letting my guard down and letting other kitties in. I am learning that lots of the kitties here have a past that has affected them in some negative way just like me and that we are all working on being our best selves. Our human friends are teaching us new ways to get along with everyone around us so we can someday find a forever home with a new family.

For now, though, my family here is expanding and changing every day. I was just telling my correspondent that I am very curious about my roomie Cisco lately, who gets a special medical treatment twice a day. Our super fantastic team here gives him something called “subcutaneous fluids,” and I’m not sure why, but I worry about his health and I try to keep him company while he gets his treatments. Sometimes I even cuddle up next to him, just to let him know that I am there for him.

And we were all thrilled for one of my suitemates, Tennison, was adopted this month, and we welcomed a new girl named Norah who just moved in. I for one am happy to have a girl around. In my experience, too many boys in the room can mean trouble. So it will be interesting to see what a little female energy adds to our dynamic here in Suite FIV+.

I think there are only good things for me in my future, and I just know that it is all because of you! Your sponsorship has given me everything I have, and I can’t thank you enough! Until next month, my friends… I love you!

Love, Rufus
(With help from your correspondent, Florie)