I hope this month finds you happier than a field mouse on a hayride.
Let’s start with some hugely happy news. Remember anxious little Alyssa? Born at the women’s prison and trapped through our TNR work, our tiny tabby was not so sure about human hugs this time last month. But, what a difference a few weeks make. Alyssa quickly caught on: Hey, these people are still being nice to me. My food bowl is never empty. Everyone tells me I’m pretty and kisses me even when I hiss. I think this might continue forever.
So it was no surprise when Alyssa just as quickly captured an adopter’s heart. Our little sweetheart is loving life in her forever home at this very moment.
Back at the prison where Alyssa was born, things are moving slooooowly. Quite understandably, the correctional facility has many rules and precautions in place. We’re currently going through the required steps to get each of our TNR volunteers properly vetted (no pun intended) so they have permission to work with the cats on the prison grounds. More on that next month.
Meantime, there’s marvelous news for another Tabby’s Place TNR alumnus. In a case of “there-and-back-again,” we recently rejoiced in the return of one Dwayne (pictured here). This hairy, handsome guy first came through our TNR program many months ago. At the time, he seemed genuinely feral, and he was clearly quite healthy, so we returned him outdoors with the rest of his colony.
But Dwayne had other plans.
Specifically, Dwayne planned one heck of a hike. A befuddled animal control officer called Tabby’s Place late this summer, informing us that he’d picked up one of our feral cats (as confirmed by microchip)…seventeen miles away from his colony.
We brought Dwayne back to Tabby’s Place so we could make sure he was OK. It was immediately clear that this cat would not be returning outdoors. After all, Dwayne was extraordinarily sweet…and also extraordinarily, well, weird.
I say that with all affection. But it’s true.
Dwayne had a twitchy tongue that never fully stayed in his mouth; wild, winged brownish-grey fur; and a funny habit of slobbering food out of his mouth as he ate. He was, in the words of one smitten staff member, “a hot mess.” But he came by his kookiness honestly: somewhere along the way, something had happened to him, and Dwayne was now suffering from mild facial paralysis.
“Suffering” is the wrong word, really. Dwayne wasn’t uncomfortable at all. He just couldn’t completely control his mouth (ergo his inability to groom, or eat like a gentleman). But we certainly didn’t want to put this special boy back outside — and he certainly wanted a life of hugs, not hunting mice.
As one of the sweetest chatterboxes in the 2,000-cat history of Tabby’s Place, Dwayne became an instant staff favorite. But, between his oddities and his FIV+ status, we knew he might be a hard sell for an adopter.
At least, hypothetically. You guessed it, sponsors: Dwayne has already been scooped up by his forever family!
And so it’s a full-circle journey for one wacky, wonderful TNR alumnus. Dear sponsors, thank you for making it possible for us to give the best possible life to every cat in our TNR program. Since each one is a precious individual, each outcome is different. Thank you for loving every one of them so generously!