Happy April, community cat champs!

I hope this month’s missive finds you blissful among the blossoms, skipping through the sunbeams, exuberant for all that April offers…or, at the very least, doing wonderfully well.

But I can’t help it: the sweetest season is upon us, and it would be a shame if we held back from singing. So I’m here to sing you the latest stories of the little lilacs you’re helping to bloom.

But before we bask in Spring 2022, let’s rewind to a far sadder season. More precisely, a whole slew of them.

Through multiple winters, springs, summers and autumns, one courageous tabby persevered. With quiet courage, this little girl held life by the lapels, unwilling to let go even when life itself was less than kind.

And life was far less than kind.

An un-spayed outdoor cat’s days are always difficult, as litter after litter of kittens are almost guaranteed. But even living a life known for its hardship, our little tabby knew unusual suffering. A selfless mom of boundless bravery, she attempted to fight off a raccoon, only to lose all of her kittens and part of her lip in the attack. Before worried neighbors could help, she disappeared, only to reemerge this spring.

This would be the spring that changed everything.

When our little tabby tiptoed into view last month, her stripes were swollen with yet another litter. A Good Samaritan sprang into action. Since Tabby’s Place is the haven for the most hopeless, we were more than happy to welcome this weary girl and her babies.

As of this writing, those babies are still “baking” in their mama’s lovin’ oven, which has us all as excited as eight-year-olds at an Easter egg hunt. How many will there be? What will we name them? What will they look like?

Isn’t it wonderful that these are the questions consuming our minds?

Not, “will they survive?”
Not, “how far will mama have to go to protect them this time?”
Not, “is there any hope for this little family?”

Thanks to you, there’s boundless hope.

Mama Peekaboo is currently cuddled in comfort in the home of one of our most skilled staff members, Jess. As a veterinary technician, Jess is the perfect “doula” to care for Peekaboo and her newborns. As a spectacularly patient human being, Jess is the perfect saint to be tender and patient with Peekaboo’s…concerns.

Yeah, Peekaboo has a few concerns.

We can’t blame our little mama, so recently wrapped in kindness for the very first time, for questioning “kindness” as a concept. Can she trust us? Will her babies be safe?

This concern comes out as swatting and lunging, but as Jess cheerily reports, “She doesn’t lunge/hiss every time I approach, maybe only 1/4 of the time!” Apparently Peekaboo keeps a very clean playpen, preparing a warm, cozy world for the last litter she’ll ever have to protect.

Little does she know that she, too, is protected at last. Forever.

All thanks to you.

Dear sponsors, please take a moment to bask in the sunrise that’s dawning over this little family. It’s only because of people like you that Tabby’s Place can change the world for cats who no one else even sees. Peekaboo’s future is a full flowerpot of blossoms, a full year of springtimes, and one long river of love.

Thank you from the depths of my heart!

And you’d better believe there will be baby pictures next month!

With love and gratitude,
your correspondent,
Angela

PS: Breaking news…Peekaboo has given birth! Stay tuned for details in May…

PPS: In other news, by now you know that Tabby’s Place is building an expansion called Quinn’s Corner, for vulnerable cats with feline leukemia virus (FeLV). As we prepare to open our expansion later this year, our need for volunteers increases. Volunteers are a huge part of our operation, as we could not run Tabby’s Place without them.

Beginning in May, we will launch an intense volunteer recruitment campaign to find those willing to give the gift of time and make an impact on the lives of our cats.  If you know of anyone who would be interested in volunteering (perhaps even you!), please let them know we will soon be reaching out with more details. (They can sign up to receive our emails here; scroll down to the “subscribe” box.) There are many types of volunteer duties to fit diverse abilities and schedules.

Thank you, as always, for helping to spread the word about Tabby’s Place!