Happy November, Team TNR!
I hope you’ve brought your appetite to this update. November is traditionally the month of Thanksgiving here in the U.S. … and there is a line of three dozen cats eager to personally serve you a plate of gratitude.
(It looks rather like the traffic incident in our overhead tube, pictured here.)
In all seriousness, do you have any idea what you have done this year? Caring for feral cats is always a mighty feat of love, but 2024 will go down as unmatched in Tabby’s Place history.
We had the courage to embark on our two-colony rescue mission — with 138 total rescues — only because we knew your strength and devotion were with us. While most of the Great 138 have gone on to forever homes and (as appropriate) safe colonies, there are still a Fab 40 here at Tabby’s Place … and they are all clamoring to thank you first.
You’ll recall that these cats were doing more “cowering” than “clamoring” recently. But one by one, they are letting down their armor and falling in love with being loved.
Consider Chaz, who has just moved into Tabby’s Place’s sunny Community Room. When he first arrived, Chaz appeared to us only as a silver ribbon, streaking across the room like a comet and hoping to go undetected. He hunkered down among his friends and cousins, trembling up at us with “please don’t eat me” eyes.
But today, Chaz is the master of the feast.
As he watched friends like Hummus and Salami step into love’s light, Chaz was overcome by curiosity. Maybe all these silly, soft-hearted, constantly singing humans (we can’t help ourselves) meant good, not harm. What might happen if he took a treat … just once?
He might get twenty more, that’s what.
Today, Chaz is doing a great deal of singing himself (you should hear his reedy little-old-man voice, a feline oboe with oomph). He does a funny variation of a “high five” to request more cookies and attention … and he’s learning there is no upper limit to how much a cat can be loved.
Then there’s the bashful bunch in our socialization suites. Although Vaermina (pictured at top), Aluminum, Chromium, and company are not yet “cuddlable,” they are having the time of their lives. As you can see in the overnight video captured at the bottom of this update, the once-traumatized cats are making merry muffins and delighting in each other’s company. Every day is Thanksgiving when you know the best is yet to come!
But some of the colony cats are savoring “the best” ahead of schedule. Hummus and Salami do not need to wait for Thanksgiving to start the scrumptious rumpus of life in a forever home. Adopted together, the boys are galloping, cuddling their new mama … and keeping the family up at night by pawing their faces. It’s as though they are making sure: “Are you real? Has the dream come true? Is it Thanksgiving yet?”
It is … and all because of you, dear sponsors.
Finally, I’m grateful to say that even our most “feral” colony cats are basking in a beautiful future. Namira and Azura were clearly never socialized to people, and life indoors was difficult for them. But at Tabby’s Place, every cat finds a custom recipe for bliss.
A wonderful family offered the sisters a new home in a barn “palace.” The family has a special workshop in their barn, where they do creative activities and can love the girls at a distance, respecting their temperaments. With abundant cat trees, soft beds, and specialized fencing, Azura and Namira have found a home that will keep them safe while honoring their needs.
It’s Thanksgiving over and over and over again.
And thanks to you, it’s all just begun.
As you celebrate with your dear ones (human and otherwise), know that we will all be toasting you at Tabby’s Place this Thanksgiving. You are the quiet heroes whose love changes the world. You are unwavering friends to “impossible” cats. You are the living force of happiness that erases the word “hopeless.”
Happy Thanksgiving, beloved sponsors.
With gratitude and affection, your correspondent,
Angela
PS: What are you doing on Saturday, 11/23, between 12-4pm? I sure hope you’ll be at Tabby’s Place for Thanksgiving with the Cats! This cozy annual open house is one of the sweetest events of the year, and I would be thrilled to meet you. Please join us if you can!