Dear Team Steven:
Happy, Happy New Year! As Tabby’s Place waves a fond goodbye to a very successful 2024 growing our mission of helping the neediest of cats, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank you for your ongoing support.
Each month, it is my great pleasure to reach out and share with you the details of Steven’s happy life here at Tabby’s Place. Without your kindness and generosity to our big, beautiful orange boy, his life would not be nearly as sweet or secure. Your continuing support of Steven also frees up funds to help other cats in desperate situations.
Simply said, we could not do our work without you. We certainly hope you will join us in making Tabby’s Place a beacon of light and hope for all our feline friends in 2025!
Now for the monthly medical update: Steven has been urinating more frequently and doing so more often outside the litter box. We ran a urine test to check for an infection, but none was present. Blood tests indicated an elevated white blood cell count, so we will continue to monitor this to nip any potential problems in the bud. Steven’s annual echocardiogram showed no significant changes to his heart and, in general, he has been given a clean bill of health.
Pardon the grammar faux pas but, as Steven often tells me, “Growing old ain’t for sissies.” Like anyone, he tells me, he has his good days and his not-so-good days. There are quite a few maladies, like arthritis and incontinence, which come with being a cat in the senior years. Frankly, Steven really doesn’t quite understand what he considers to be an overwhelmingly microscopic intrusion into his personal health. Quite huffily, he told me, “You people need to mind your own business and let an old guy have a little privacy.” I guess aging gracefully is hard work for all of us—cats and humans alike.
Secretly, you can be sure, Steven actually adores the way we dote on him. He might get a little snarky at times, but he really does bask in the attention. Nonetheless, he comes from a generation that thinks trumpeting private matters is more than a bit unseemly and definitely out of character for cats. He told me that, while he will continue to indulge his fan’s need for a monthly health update, he considers “the need to know” a uniquely human peccadillo. And he is more than a bit miffed that there seem to be no HIPAA laws for creatures of his kind. You can imagine that, on Steven’s crankier days, walking the fine tightrope of what I am journalistically allowed to share with you is quite a balancing act!
As always, Steven sends his love for you and tremendous gratitude for all you do. While he sometimes merely tolerates me and all my personal intrusions, it is you he will always adore. I remember this and it helps me greatly when I step on the old guy’s toes. Until next time …
Your correspondent,
Tina