Dearest sponsors,

Happy April. I sincerely hope it is a happy April, well and true, in your corner of the world. We are living in baffling times that will be talked about for decades — centuries? — but still, how blessed we all are to be alive…and to know the love of cats.

First and foremost, I have to tell you how moved I am by your sticking with the cats even in these inscrutable times. It is a colossal comfort, greater than you know, for us at Tabby’s Place to have you on our team. Your kind hearts are an inspiration and a lifeline, and I hope you never forget that you are very, very dear to us.

As you might imagine, the COVID-19 crisis has changed day-to-day life rather dramatically at Tabby’s Place. We are still fully here for the cats, indoors and out. Each day our lean and stalwart on-site staff nurtures and cherishes every single cat at the sanctuary. Meantime, our fearless feeders still make their daily rounds to the feral colonies, delivering dinner and affection to our community kitties. As far as the cats are concerned, there may be further servants on hand (harrumph!), but everything is still up to snuff.

When it comes to TNR, we’re not taking on any new projects or colonies until the world right-side-up again. But, it’s still been a blossoming month of news for some of our TNR alumnae.

You’ll recall grey Gretchen, who, as of our last update, was still looking at humankind with a jaded eye. I’m elated to share that Gretch seems to have cast her verdict, and our species just might be OK after all. As you can see from this video, Gretchen has an irresistibly adorable chirp, and she’s increasingly using it to chat with our staff. She’s still nervous, but loves to “make muffins” with her little front paws, and, good golly, does she love other kitties.

Gretchen’s wounds have healed nicely; now she just needs patience and cherishing to fully give herself over to human love.

Then there’s Billy Jean, a TNR alumna from many moons ago. As you may remember, Billy Jean was happily placed in a safe barn home, only to return to Tabby’s Place upon developing an excruciating case of stomatitis (a form of inflammatory dental disease). Billy Jean’s case was so unusually severe, it simply wouldn’t be kind to place her back outside…but she still didn’t take kindly to our attention. No matter; we would do everything in our power to give her a safe, happy indoor life, with minimal handling and maximum affection from other cats. (Like so many “former ferals,” Billy Jean has a bottomless love for her own species.)

Well…it appears we may have ourselves an Easter miracle.

I firmly believe that very wonderful things can come out of very bad things, and such is surely the case for our Billy Jean this quarantine-y spring. As an unfortunate side effect of her steroid treatment (which keeps her mouth comfortable at last), Billy Jean recently developed diabetes (there’s the “very bad thing”). This would mean we’d have to wrangle her for insulin injections every day, plus periodic blood glucose monitoring.

A dreadful prospect? Or the unexpected key to friendship?

To our delight, Billy Jean has bloomed thanks to this necessary daily interaction. She no longer runs when we approach; she’s a happy glutton for treats; and she will allow certain privileged members of our staff to brush her (preferably while she’s enjoying her other favorite activity, sunbathing). In the words of one such staff member and Billy Jean BFF:

“I adore Billy Jean! Initially, she looked a bit scruffy and I wanted to “sneakily” brush a couple spots. But then I realized she loves being combed/brushed. She’s still hesitant about being pet, but if you comb her she rolls to her sides and lifts her chin up to get those areas combed out, she also gives an elevator butt, and purrs up a storm! … It’s one of the reasons I love her, because I see her potential and how much she’s already grown.”

A miracle? Or the sweet, worth-the-wait fruit of years of love?

I’d call it both.

Dear sponsors, as I type this update, we’re all yearning for so much: getting to hug our families; getting to go to marvelous, mundane places like the movies again; getting to breathe an international sigh of relief that life will rise and return to normal — oh sweet, underrated, “boring” normal! — again.

As you savor these stories of the cats you’ve cherished into contentment, may we all remember that hope and life are always worth the wait. We are in this together, and we will see the other side of these strange, scary days. Big virtual hugs to you and yours this April.

Your correspondent,
Angela