Hello, Shifty fans!

I am happy to report that our friend Shifty seems to be adjusting quite well to life at Tabby’s Place.  Sometimes, an older cat will have more difficulties making “late in life” adjustments and have trouble adjusting to changes in his environment.  It is a lot to expect of senior cats at times, and they take these changes to heart.

I think in the case of Shifty, he has adjusted just fine to life in the Employee/Volunteer Lounge. The room can get busy, with everyone coming and going throughout the day.  As you can see by the photos sent along, Shifty has developed his own means of relaxing via the activity.  He is still receptive to pats on his head, a loving touch or stroke of affection down his back.  But the lure of the sunshine coming in the big picture window by the cat tree proved too much of a temptation for Shifty to ignore…..

I could not help but notice when petting him that Shifty’s coat is much more soft and luxurious than it was when he first arrived at Tabby’s Place.  High-quality foods, fresh water, and medications now provided show the positive results of good care. He is having trouble again with his stomatitis (painful inflammation of the oral cavity); steroids are key in easing his pain. However, as mentioned in our previous update, administering steroids regularly to help with the pain of this condition is risky.  Using steroids on a regular basis can lead to the development of diabetes.  Our veterinary staff must monitor him closely for the return of diabetes (he has dealt with it before).  But pain control is vital to his quality of life, so we will, of course, move forward to treat his diabetes, should it return.  Right now, Shifty seems to be doing well; we here at Tabby’s Place consider “status quo” a positive sign!

On a fun note, Shifty is a volunteer favorite.  When I mention in conversation to other volunteers that I am Shifty’s correspondent, I receive the same response each time:  a smile of delight, with the comment “Oh, what a nice boy he is!”  Everyone loves him and is happy to share their little tidbits of news to help let me know how he is doing.  The staff also loves him, and life in the Lounge he calls home is a guarantee that everyone in the Tabby’s Place family has contact with him at some point during their day. I imagine staff lunch breaks with Shifty overseeing from his comfortable window perch must be a highlight of his day.

Thank you, dearest sponsors, for your most gracious gifts each month towards Shifty’s care. Those gifts are going a long way towards providing the care and support he needs to be the BEST cat he can be.  The charm? He now seems able to do that part well on his own!

Thank you, for helping to make this possible.
Your correspondent,
Kim