Has there ever been a month more life-giving than April? Alright, that is a trick question. I have been hanging around cats long enough to believe that every month is tightly packed with promise, whether the ice frosts the panes or the forsythia frolic in the breeze.
But even if we learn to love the whole year as much as the cats do, there’s something otherworldly about April.
No, that’s not it. There’s something gloriously this-worldly about April.
Take it from Dwight, one of the happiest gents ever to gallop through our TNR program. Dwight is one of the wisest cats we’ve ever known. He is brilliant enough to remain permanently dumbstruck by life. He loves the sunrise and the tall grass and the way dandelions dare you to wish upon them. He loves his extra toes. He loves being alive and being Dwight and being close enough to people to smell the floral aroma of their love without having to touch them.
He is an everything enthusiast. I would like to be considerably more Dwightly.
Dwight in a feral recovery cage
Until recently, Dwight had everything going for him. A devoted caretaker met his needs before he ever felt needy, and nobody reminded him of the day he was neutered. (We do not speak of such things.)
But one day, Dwight showed up with a serious injury to his left eye.
Fortunately, life does not have to be perfect to be beautiful. Dwight lives inside that beautiful, all-season promise: “once a Tabby’s Place cat, always a Tabby’s Place cat.” Devoted to him for life, our team would repair his injury with delicate surgery, then nurse him back to health until he was ready to return home.
Now, I won’t add a flowery border to the truth. Dwight was not delighted to be back at Tabby’s Place. It turns out he is an almost-everything enthusiast. Dwight gently reminded us that truly feral cats long for the outdoor life.
He did not need to wait long.
Dwight’s cozy house
Today, Dwight is healed, hale, and happier than a double-decker bus of kindergartners with creamsicles. (I think Dwight is rubbing off on me.) His grateful, smitten caregiver reports:
“He has been doing great! We decided to call him ‘Thumbsy’ because of his thumbs, hahaha. When we got home with him and I took him out of the car, he was going nuts, like he recognized the area. So we took him to the back patio, and let him out. He went from scared to instantly super happy. You could tell he knew where he was and he was glad to be back, because he was rubbing on the bushes and meowing. It was really cute.
It only took him a couple days to get used to the new house we got him (attached picture). We put his food in there, and he has been eating no problem. Actually, as I am writing this right now, he is in the house chowing down, LOL! We also got an outdoor cat heating pad, so he has a heated room, and then a separate room for the food.
Dwight delights in his favorite field
He was especially happy to see our dog, oddly enough! All in all, he’s been doing great! I even pet him a few times, but he will only let me do it by our sliding door. We are glad to have him and thank you guys for nursing him back to health! We are happy he is back in his fields and everything around here that he seems to love.“
Dear sponsors, this is only possible because you are Dwight enthusiasts. You see the priceless value and dignity of feral and free-roaming cats, loving them as much as the kissable tabby on your couch. I wish every living creature had a heart like yours.
But Dwight does, and he and I are both “you enthusiasts.”
May you have an exquisite April!
With love and gratitude, your correspondent,
Angela
