Happy December, dear ones!

I hope 2019’s last dance finds you merry, cozy, and nestled in gratitude and love. That’s the condition of our community cats, thanks to you.

I’m not just saying that. The life of a free-roaming cat can be precarious at best, and it’s your generosity that enables us to swoop in exactly when they need us. Such was the story for one special girl this month.

As you may recall, Tabby’s Place has been caring for the cats of a small local railroad station for several years. The railroad kitties are a TNR success story, as their little colony has been stable, healthy, and well-loved. A team of volunteers from Tabby’s Place and beyond dutifully feed and look after the cats, and no new faces have arrived in need of neutering.

Once Tabby’s Place gets connected to a kitty colony, we remain so for the life of the cats. If one of “our cats” should ever be in trouble medically, we’re there to provide whatever they may need. And that brings me to this month’s swooping in.

Just after Thanksgiving, we received word from a colony caretaker that one of our railroad cats seemed to have an injured eye. Sure enough, it was dear old Tilly, one of the railroad crew’s oldest and most cherished members. We picked her up right away, and our vet team quickly determined that Tilly’s eye was sadly past the point of saving. It’s not clear whether her injury is due to trauma, an ulcer, cancer or infection, but there was no question that it needed to be removed. Our best guess is significant trauma to the eye with a secondary infection.

Our vet team conducted the surgery, and our whole staff worked hard to make Tilly’s recovery as comfortable as possible. As an older cat who has lived — and loved — her whole life outdoors, Tilly wasn’t so sure about the indoor life, much less our affections. But, with gentle patience, we earned her trust enough to care for her, and she recovered beautifully.

She also — no surprise — completely stole our hearts. Just call us all Team Tilly around here!

As of this update, Tilly’s future contains a few question marks. We’re awaiting biopsy results on her eye, and carefully evaluating her vision in the remaining eye. She also has some dental issues, which our vet team will address soon.

I promise you this: we will always, always do what’s in Tilly’s best interest. And we will always, utterly lavish her with love.

Dear sponsors, love is your specialty, and I’m filled with gratitude. Month after month, you choose to turn your gaze and your generosity towards the cats who most of the world overlooks — Tilly, Claire, Ida, and so many precious others. We’ve shared numberless stories of hope and survival together this year, and we know there will be so many new faces who need us in 2020. I head into that year with hope and great joy knowing the cats have you on your side.

Thank you from the depths of my heart. May you and your dear ones of all species have a blessed and beautiful holiday season!

With love and gratitude,
Angela