Happy May, marvelous Team TNR!

I hope springtime is surprising you with sweetness everywhere you turn. I think of you as the people of hope, and in so many ways, this is your season.

It’s no coincidence that this is also “kitten season,” when the tiny and the trembling turn up at our door pleading for kindness.

If our purpose on this Earth is to care for someone smaller than ourselves (and I believe that is the biggest and most beautiful thing we can ever do), you are truly living that calling. I can’t thank you enough for your generosity.

You’re the reason we’ve been able to welcome a whirlwind of little “wildflowers” without roots. Kitten season reminds us why we do TNR in the first place. Every time we spay or neuter a feral cat, we save generations from desperation. We long for a day when no kitten struggles to survive, and no mama cat grows weak and weary trying to save her babies.

But until that day should come, we are here for these feral families, because you are here.

This time last month, we’d just welcomed an expectant tuxedo named Naomi. Days away from giving birth, she snuggled into a foster home with a volunteer experienced in caring for nursing moms and newborns.

Your donation helps to provide the training for such foster families, and thanks to you, Naomi and her “triplets” are thriving. Tiny Tiffany, Jeff, and Jimmy will grow up totally unacquainted with fear.

But not every feral kitten is so fortunate as to have his mama by his side. One of April’s littlest TNR tots was hours away from tragedy.

Frank’s cries were faint, but a caring neighbor stopped everything at the sound of those mews. We do not know what happened to the little orphan’s mother and siblings, and his lonesome hours outdoors were taking a toll.

A newborn alone is easy prey for fleas, and Frank was anemic from their onslaught. He’d also developed an ulcer on his tongue, and his weight was perilously low. His first hours with us would be critical.

In a real way, you arrived on the scene as Frank’s mom. Yes, you should know this. Whether you are a college student, a mom of ten, or a fella who happens to be named Frank yourself…you are also a “mama cat” at Tabby’s Place. As a sponsor of the TNR Fund, you become “mom” to every shivering sweetie you help to save.

And you did save Frank. I’m overcome with relief as I report that he is thriving, chirping, and reminding us all of Frank Sinatra as he giddily does everything “My Way.” (His current project: “breading” himself in as much wet food and then kibble as possible at mealtime.)

But even frail Frank looked like a bodybuilder compared to our next arrivals. Just when Frank’s strength and song were returning, three hours-old orphans were fading on a Philadelphia street. Some miracle of mercy led a kind stranger to Barkey, Bonk, and Bump just in time.

The city shelter did not have the resources to revive such new newborns. But because of you, Tabby’s Place has unique expertise in saving the smallest.

(We also have a cheerful contingent of Philadelphia Flyers fans, myself included, which is how the trio were named for three hockey rookies. Note the tiny stick and puck in their photos.)

Tragically, the littlest baby, Bump, could not be saved, despite our team’s tireless care and boundless love. Yet you were with him in his too-brief life, delivering love every hour. We are so grateful that he was ours, and we were his, and we know his life mattered. We will never forget him.

And Bump lives on in his thriving sisters. Bonk and Barkey are gaining ounces and courage by the day, as you “mother” them through your generosity. You are here in the hands of every vet tech and foster parent, kissing the kittens’ tiny heads at each bottle-feeding, and warming them ’round the clock.

But what about the kittens who have outgrown the palm of your hand…but still feel scared and small?

Team TNR, you are here for “little ones” of all sizes at Tabby’s Place. Your love spans a lifetime for shy siblings Trinket and Tchotchke, who you’ll recall came back to us after they grew too sickly and fragile to remain in a feral colony.

Although these timid “twins” are not yet ready to be kissed and smooshed, they are feeling safer by the day at Tabby’s Place. Tchotchke had surgery to remove his cancerous mass, and his prognosis is quite hopeful. Both of these gentle souls are delighting in the company of other cats, bountiful meals, and the eye-blinks and non-anxious nearness of our volunteer socializers.

There are so many ways to be a kitten, but only one way to be fully alive: to love.

I will close with one last glimpse of the love you provide day after day at Tabby’s Place. We’re grateful to have opened Perry’s Pantry, a resource for neighbors who find themselves in need. We hope this free pet food pantry will be a lifeline for both families with pets and folks who care for ferals. You can read more about Perry’s Pantry here.

Thank you, dear sponsors, for being a living springtime in so many lives at Tabby’s Place. As the breeze tickles your face and the scents of lilac and honeysuckle fill your lungs, may you feel spring’s sweetness as a “thank you” from life itself.

And…happy Mother’s Day!

With love and gratitude, your correspondent,
Angela