Greetings, FeLVie fans!

It’s time for another update on our FeLV+ crew, so let’s jump right in.

I’d like to introduce the newest member of our crew, Braveheart. He’s a shy but sweet grey-and-white boy who came to us from Baltimore, where he was found living on the street and in bad shape. He was covered with scabs, at least one paw was bleeding, and he had a serious eye infection. Incredibly, he was also completely blind. We cannot know how long he lived like this (or really, how he managed to survive), but luckily, someone called a local shelter, which determined that he’d been dumped by his owners.

They took him in and provided the medical care he needed so badly, but they could not keep him because he’s FeLV+; so few shelters have facilities for cats with feline leukemia. Braveheart’s luck changed when two of our devoted staff drove down to Baltimore to pick him up so he could begin a new life with us. Braveheart is still healing from his injuries and getting used to us and his suitemates. He spends the great majority of his time in his suite’s solarium, but that’s not altogether a negative, as he’s company for Pisa (pictured in the header photo), who still spends most of her time out there, too.

While he remains very nervous around people, he has accepted some lickable treats from a few volunteers who are working to socialize him. Braveheart enjoys sitting on the solarium shelves or in the window boxes; we think the fresh air might comfort him because he’s accustomed to living outdoors. We know it will take time to get Braveheart to trust us, but this is Tabby’s Place; he can take all the time he needs.

Turning to medical news, Jovi has not had the easiest month. After playing hard with a wand toy, he was seen panting, something that shouldn’t happen in an adult cat. A chest x-ray indicated cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart), and a subsequent ultrasound showed an enlarged right ventricle. Jovi doesn’t need medication for this at present, and we’ll follow up with another echocardiogram in six to eight months. Following all of that, Jovi had a scheduled dental with multiple tooth extractions. He’s recovering nicely and, for the time being, is on a wet food only diet so his mouth can heal.

In other medical news, both Kitty Purry and Leonardo Dicatrio should complete their treatment for FIP in October! We are thrilled with how well both are doing. It’s delightful to see how much more confident Leo has become. He gallops after toys; he explores the Quinn’s Corner lobby freely. He’s still a little skittish around people, but when it comes to hunting insects in his solarium, there’s no braver cat in all of Tabby’s Place. And he still enjoys hanging out with Sweet Pea.

Kitty Purry spends much of her time outrunning her brother when you throw a toy in that suite; she is incredibly fast! She’s quite a talker, too, and emits a very cute little chirp frequently. She and Regina have become friends. Regina has done very nicely over the past month. She and Kitty Purry play together, and we’ve even seen them napping together in one bed.

There is no medical news for Luke, Mr. Rogers, or Trifecta, and we’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible. Luke made me laugh by looking in the front door of Kitty Purry and Leonardo’s suite again when I was throwing a toy around for them. That seems to be a habit for him now.

I couldn’t find Trifecta when I was in on a recent Sunday, and I got concerned; could he be in the hospital? But no, our little celebrity was participating in our Aged to Purrfection program, and he was out visiting a senior community. He really is the perfect feline for that job, since he loves laps so much. And Mr. Rogers seems thoroughly comfortable in his suite these days. He’s especially fond of napping in a very large, circular cat bed in his solarium. Our Development Director, Angela, had to retract a few things about Mr. Rogers in a recent blog.  And please see the Mr. Rogers video at the end of the update for a few laughs!

I’m happy to be able to tell you that there is also very little news for our other FeLV+ suite residents. I’ve had a few concerns about Clifford, who I suspect might be bullying the girls, but to date, I’m the only person who has witnessed any of this. I only saw it happen once, and neither Batty nor Hoopla Green has had any injuries or altered behavior. Read more about Clifford, the financial tycoon, in a recent blog titled Cliffordable! Hoopla Green has been reveling in the “extended summer” we’ve had in NJ this year and loves to sit on the highest shelf in the solarium, clearly very interested in what’s happening outside.

And little Batty still comes to me for kibble. She spends most of her time in the solarium these days, but I can’t help noticing that she’s always in proximity to Hoopla Green; I’m not sure whether that means anything.

That’s “all the news that’s fit to print” for the month. If you haven’t had a chance to meet any of our FeLV+ crew yet and live within a reasonable distance, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to visit; they really are the most wonderful felines. Thank you so much for standing with us to make a difference in these cats’ lives.

Your correspondent,
Stephanie