Happy midsummer, my friends.

Wait…we’re technically more than halfway through the summer. Right? At any rate, we are definitely, blessedly, befuddlingly more than halfway through this year.

Will we ever forget this year?

Will we let it make us better humans?

Here’s hoping the answers are “no, but for the right reasons” and “yes yes yes.” But while we ponder such things in our hearts, there’s still the business of cats to buoy our spirits.

Summer, in all its swelter and splendor, is the hot heart of “kitten season,” and this strange year is no exception. (Did feral cats get the memo about the global pandemic and adjust their activities accordingly? No, no they did not.)

At the moment, we’re tenderly raising up an army of orphans found at our ongoing colonies (including one at a local hotel) and beyond. Our extraordinary volunteers continue their labors of love from quarantine, fostering these wee ones and fostering a lifetime of trusting feline happiness in their nervous little hearts.

The world is on pause; the work continues.

Of course, where there are kittens, there are mamas and papas. You may recall “Cardamom the Mom,” mother to our Spice Litter of Anise, Cayenne, Clove, Coriander and Nutmeg. Her sweet smidgens, pictured here, were all happily adopted.

How does a cat sanctuary conduct adoptions under lockdown? Glad you asked: we make heavy use of Zoom for darling distanced introductions, then coordinate a low-contact hand-off of kitten to family — all bundled up in their carrier — in our parking lot. It’s nothing we ever imagined, but it’s working beautifully…and it’s awfully adorable to see folks get completely snockered with our babies through the power of the internet.

But back to Cardamom. We’re always grateful when TNR kittens come with their mom. As valiant as our staff and volunteers may be, we can never fully replace a real, true, feline mama. Nutritionally and nurture-wise, Cardamom was the ideal provider for her precious little potatoes. In her care, the Spicy Five thrived.

We always grow extremely attached to our brave feral mamas, and we always harbor at least a sparkle of hope that they will come to love us, too. But sometimes — most times — that’s not meant to be. Like most free-roaming cats who have never really been socialized to people, Cardamom made it clear that she really never wanted to try being socialized to people: not at this point in her life!

So, in order to love Cardamom in exactly the way she needed us most, we gently returned her to her safe outdoor colony. With her last platoon of kittens behind her, in strong and sturdy health, Cardy is living her best life. Of course, she is now a Tabby’s Place cat for life. Whatever she may need, she will always receive.

That’s all possible thanks to you, beloved sponsors. I can never thank you enough for standing by cats like Cardamom in friendship and love, especially in this inscrutable year. God bless you and know how grateful we are for all that you do!

See you in August!

Your correspondent,
Angela