February greetings to you, and to all our kind and caring Kitten Fund sponsors!
After a longer-than-expected unscheduled delay, late in January I visited Tabby’s Place. You’d probably guess that the Kitten Suite was first on my list, and you’d be right. However, I didn’t go inside the room right away.
That’s because volunteers are directed to visit our residents in a particular order. The first stop should always be the immuno-compromised cats in Quinn’s Corner (who live with feline leukemia virus, FeLV) and Suite D (who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus, FIV). That’s one very good reason, and there’s at least one more: I don’t want to pass up an opportunity to enjoy Quality Time with them.
So, when I stopped briefly outside the Kitten Suite en route to Quinn’s Corner, it was only to read the roster posted next to the door and peer through the window. On that list were three names: Bebe, Murray, and Salem (remember Salem from last month?), and all three were described as “Black”. However, there are other sources of information available to volunteers. I figured I’d do the research in Quinn’s Corner and continued down the hall.
As expected, I was greeted warmly by Trifecta and a little later enjoyed a pleasant visit with Polka while looking up photos and descriptions on my phone. By the time I returned to the Kitten Suite, it was clear there would be no difficulty telling the three black residents apart.
When I entered, a small longhair jumped down from a bench and hurried under a piece of cat furniture. Black with long hair — OK, that would be Bebe.
About halfway up the same piece of furniture a shorthaired black cat was crouching, and whose cropped left ear fit the description of Murray.
With those two positively identified, that just left Salem, shorthaired and with both ears uncropped. It was a pleasure to find her lounging out in the open, instead of hiding the way she had the last time I visited.
Right about then, a pair of Tabby’s Place volunteers entered the room and set about getting to know its feline residents. Moments later, Salem was intently watching Murray swat at a wand toy held by one visitor, and tiny Bebe was being held tenderly in the arms of the other one while I snapped pictures. (Scroll down for one of them.)
By the time you read this, all three of these kittens will have moved along. Salem and Murray have been relocated to other rooms, while Bebe was adopted just before the end of the month.
Other January adoptions included Bode and Magpie (that’s Magpie lapping at the faucet in the header photo by David M.); Tulio and Dior; Fabio and Fazio; Wiggly; DW; Huzzah; Yippee; and finally, Hooray — appropriately, because huzzah, yippee, and hooray for you, too, for helping Tabby’s Place help these little ones!
So those are the “Goings”, but at this time of year, there aren’t many corresponding kitten “Comings.” Experience tells us that lull will give way soon enough; however, for the time being the Kitten Suite returns to being Suite C, repurposed for one adult cat in need of a private space. (That happened last spring, too.)
Hand in hand with your generosity, foster families give their time so every new arrival will feel welcome. Tiana, Sanctuary Associate and Foster Team Lead, reports on her current foster Leonard: “He’s an adorable orange boy who came to us from another rescue, and he is the sweetest cat ever, with a bold and playful personality.” That shows very well on this screen in the photo that Tiana supplied.
She adds, “He has some eye scarring from a previous infection, so he sometimes has a hard time seeing well, but that doesn’t slow him down at all,” and concludes, “He’s getting adopted in mid-February.”
In medical news: Macaw, an older kitten who is a companion for Jericho in the office of our director of operations, had some GI upset this month and several days where both he and Jericho were not eating. Macaw ended up with a low-grade fever, so is being checked daily, and while his appetite has improved, he still has fluctuations in his body temperature.
Lobby resident Corduroy was noted to have some increased facial twitching and touch sensitivity in mid-month. He also seems to have caught the upper respiratory infection that is making its way around the sanctuary, and has started a course of antibiotics. Staff and volunteers have been reminded to be extra vigilant with hand washing/sanitizing while visiting with the cats.
Before I go, looking back a little ways… it was a cold and windy day in Ringoes, New Jersey last weekend, but inside, Tabby’s Place was full of warmth from cats and people, some of whom had traveled for hours in wintry weather, to enjoy each other’s company for the Your Feline Valentine event.
It has been mighty cold recently, but except for one big storm, there’s hasn’t been much snow. Tabby’s Place staff pulled an all-nighter during that late January snowstorm, bringing back memories of of an even longer vigil from 2011, the year that gave us Snowtober!
Until next month, I wish you warmer weather and all good things.
Your correspondent,
John