May greetings to you, and to all our kind and caring Kitten Fund sponsors!
For a while, April looked like a month of SINO: Spring In Name Only. Around my neighborhood, trees remained bare, and wildflowers generally were nowhere to be found. The creeping speedwell had appeared, but I’ve seen those tiny blue flowers in late February, so they’re hardy little wonders. More concerning, in our yard the wood violets weren’t on time. No wood violets by mid-April is out of the ordinary.
I’ll tell you what else is out of the ordinary: a Kitten Suite with no kittens. The remaining two kittens from March, shy Petra and outgoing Pepper, both gained Awesome Adopters during the past month. (Just re-upping this from last month’s letter: “If [Pepper] displays that behavior when a guide leads a visitor to her Suite, she will soon have a forever home, too.” Not that it took that much precognition or second sight to predict that an adorable and loving kitten would charm a potential adopter into making a commitment. I may just as well pat myself on the back for correctly predicting where the sun will rise tomorrow.)
So for a short time, there was a room at Tabby’s Place without a cat to call its own. But then along came Taro. This pure white 3-year-old came from Lebanon, and staff realized early on that she would require more space than most, so Suite C was ideal. She traveled thousands of miles to Ringoes, New Jersey, to become our honored guest, with a room all her own.
But, I hasten to add, this is not to say that there were no kittens under the care of Tabby’s Place. As Foster Coordinator Tiana succinctly put it: “Kitten Season is open.” A few weeks ago, each of three queens gave birth to four of a kind. Doing the math, that’s 3 adults and 12 kittens who needed help right away.
Tabby’s Place was up to the task, with experienced foster moms who stepped up for their care.
* Drew took Chloe and the cheese kittens Parmigiano, Reggiano, Pecorino, and Asiago.
* Tiff has Hope (a “wonderful mommy”, she says) and her babies, Mercy, Quimby, Ricochet, and Zeke.
* Donna now is hosting Buffy and her 4, who go by the names Robby, Myrna, Dana, Whit. (I’m told those are characters from the TV show “The Pitt.”) Donna says, “The kittens are all very well socialized and they love to hang out with me. They all get along, very bonded and playful and sweet.” It should come as no surprise that “Buffy is an excellent momma. She’s mellow and very attentive.”
And one more thing to note is that our Kitten Shower event is coming up very shortly. You can read more about it here!
But let’s not forget that even with good mother cats and with experienced, caring foster moms and dads, Tabby’s Place couldn’t give these little ones the care they need without your ongoing support. Thank you for your help and generosity. I’ll keep you informed as the kittens grow and what is to come for them. Of course, I’m looking forward to meeting them when Suite C once more becomes the kitten room.
It’s always nice to have something to look forward to, such as watching little lives develop, whether they’re families of newborn kittens, or wildflowers that are now abundant in warm spring weather (even if the latter were a little late this year).
Until next month, I wish you all good things,
Your correspondent,
John
P.S.: Late-breaking news: There’s a new family in the care of Tabby’s Place. Petal (F, grey momcat), and kittens Thistle (F tortie kitten), Moss (M, grey tabby kitten), Fern (F grey tabby and white kitten), Herb (M black kitten), Cactus (M tuxedo kitten).