Update for the TNR Fund

Update for the TNR Fund

Happy June, Team TNR!

I hope the month of the Strawberry Moon is as sweet as shortcake in your world. Your sweetness has been working harder than ever at Tabby’s Place. You didn’t know it at the time, but through your generosity, you were right here in the moments when your love mattered most.

“Tabby’s Place Moments” happen daily, if not hourly.

They can be as simple as a volunteer making the time to sit on the floor with a fearful cat, her peaceful presence a kind of promise: “you’re safe. You’re treasured. You’re fully accepted, whether you let us hug you or just let us blink at you. You can’t do anything to lose our love. Be at peace.”

They can be as jubilant as an adopter opening his heart to a cat others might call “unadoptable.” We see it so often, we’ve banished that word. But the miracle never gets old, and our hearts throw confetti for every quirky cat — cantankerous or semi-feral, elderly or anxious, paraplegic or diabetic, spectacular and beloved all — who finds a home beyond our wildest dreams.

Tabby’s Place Moments. They are signposts of a love that laughs at limits, whispers of a world where every cat is cherished exactly as they are. They’re what we’re all about.

But in the annals of Tabby’s Place Moments, few shine as brightly as the Siege of Starbucks.

If that name sounds familiar, you’re not imagining things. Starbucks sailed through our doors several months ago, as a new mom to baby Dunkin. Tragically, Dunkin passed away, adored by all who knew him. (Call it another Tabby’s Place Moment: even when we can’t save them, we can cherish them with all our strength, and send them forth on wings of boundless love.)

Starbucks made it clear that she wanted no part of indoor life. As is often the case in our TNR program, truly loving Starbucks meant accepting her for who she was, spaying and vaccinating her, and returning her to a safe colony.

But life would be different now. As a Tabby’s Place cat, Starbucks would live in the sturdy sunshine of our promise: “you will always get everything you need to thrive, regardless of cost.” Living beyond our doors made no difference; she was a member of our family, and our devotion was absolute.

Keeping that promise is only possible thanks to you, dear sponsors. And in the last days of May, you made a moment of mercy possible for our calico.

We do our best to ensure that all of our TNR cats are safe, monitoring and caring for their colonies through a team of faithful volunteers. But the life of an outdoor cat is inherently uncertain, with no guarantees other than our love. Cats ramble and gamble with life itself. And so it happened that Starbucks stumbled into terrible trouble.

We received a call that our girl had been found by a Home Depot some distance from her colony, flat on her side, struggling to breathe, with open wounds. Our team flew into action, scooping Starbucks up and working tirelessly to pull her out of her grave condition.

It was a Tabby’s Place Moment par excellence.

Think about it: an outdoor cat, invisible to most of the world, became the center of the world.

A feral cat, as far from “cuddly” as Wonder Woman is from “cowardly,” became the treasure of our hearts, as beloved as any snuggle-bug.

Chuck

A wounded cat, with nothing to offer but her need and her fear, became our priority, our precious little one, our family member.

This doesn’t happen just anywhere. But thanks to you, it happened here. Love won. Compassion didn’t count the cost. And one tender, tenacious team took a crumpled calico from agony to hope.

Once Starbucks was stable enough, we raced her to a world-class veterinary hospital, where she received intensive care for her wounds and vigilant monitoring for the onset of sepsis.

But sometimes extraordinary medical care isn’t enough.

I am profoundly saddened to share that, after two days in intensive care, Starbucks’s condition declined rapidly. If we truly loved her, we would let her go. And so it happened that Starbucks’s last moments were gentle, peaceful, and filled with love beyond the furthest galaxies. She left this world knowing that she was treasured.

Norris (who is actually a little girl)

This is not the happy ending we dream for every cat. But Starbucks’s story was far more than a tragedy. From the moment she encountered Tabby’s Place — and, through us, your love — Starbucks’s days were a string of Tabby’s Place Moments, pearls of tenderness and unwavering love.

Thank you for believing in Starbucks and every cat we serve — cuddly or fierce, in our laps or in our colonies. You know that each life is precious beyond all telling, and you dare to love when others turn their heads.

And in so doing, you’re turning this world towards the light.

In memory of Starbucks, may we love boldly, embracing each cat for the one-of-a-kind, unrepeatable jewel they are…including Chuck and Norris, two sweet scamps who just showed up in Starbucks’s colony. These babies have just begun their journey at Tabby’s Place, but there are many merry moments yet to come, surely including forever homes.

Where there’s life, there’s hope, and where there’s love, the sky is always filled with stars.

I’ll make sure to hug each of our little ones extra tight for you today.

And I’ll make sure, as June gallops into July, to give thanks for your golden hearts every day.

With love and gratitude,
your correspondent,
Angela