Happy New Year, community cat champions!

I hope your 2018 is off to a beautiful start and only gets better.

January is jumping with new beginnings at Tabby’s Place, from the kittens who keep coming, to the old cats who keep showing us new sparkles, to two soul-sisters who are coming to new, true life.

Over the course of many (many…) months, we’ve been working with the caretakers of a cat colony on a foreclosed property. As you can imagine, this is delicate business, dealing gently and lawfully with all the cats and humans involved. We’ve been very grateful for all the quiet heroes who have devoted themselves to helping this kitty community.

Eventually, a firm deadline loomed for getting the cats “gone.” Wonderful neighbors were willing to take on the care of some — but understandably not all — the kitties. Happily, the “obvious friendlies” could come find their haven at Tabby’s Place.

Our plan — don’t we always have the best-laid plans! — was to choose the two friendliest cats in the colony, and gently acclimate them to indoor life at Tabby’s Place. Our valiant trapper, Jess, had an easy first choice. Snow-with-spots sweetie Pancake had always meowed merrily at Jess and all the caretakers, so it seemed a safe bet that Pancake could learn to continue the conversation indoors.

Sure enough, sweet-but-shy Pancake made a smooth transition to Tabby’s Place. Although she wasn’t an immediate fan of non-feline affection, she was curious about our kindness…and eager to engage in long, thoughtful meow-versations. Pancake (pictured at right) took to indoor life like a dream, delighting in the Tabby’s Place ramps and nooks and especially the solarium — not to mention the charming company of all these cats. (Pancake loves cats more than flapjacks love syrup.)

It was a different case with the other ‘cake, though. Enter one Cupcake.We believed, based on reports from the colony caretakers, that Cupcake might be a good candidate for indoor life. She’d shown signs of interest in human affection outside; perhaps she could learn to love inside, or at least let us love her with a minimum of fuss.

Suffice to say…perhaps not.

Cupcake was so miserable, frightened and angry indoors, that we knew we’d made the wrong choice. Fortunately, a neighbor was more than happy to add her to her outdoor feline family, and Cupcake is now thriving where she truly belongs.

And Stella — call her Stellacake if you must, as I must — is now back with her bestie.

The Cupcake Incident allowed us another shot at choosing a friendly member of the colony for Tabby’s Place livin’. Sloe-eyed, fast-moving brown tabby Stella had shown serious signs of sweetness…and we knew she was sweet on Pancake, too.

We’ll never know for certain if these girls are sisters, but they’re clearly kin in all the ways that matter. No sooner were Pancake and Stella reunited that they aligned in two-headed-cat formation, cuddled together in a donut bed. They’re seldom separated even now…

…and they’re settling into our affections, too.

Dear sponsors, this business of loving feral and free-roaming cats is always complicated. We strive to do what’s in every cat’s best interest, but sometimes there’s trial and error and some more error involved. But, thanks to you, Pancake, Cupcake, Stella and all their colony friends are loved, safe from their once-precarious position, and ready for a happy, healthy 2018.

Thank you, dear ones. Have a delicious month!