Update for TNR Fund

Update for TNR Fund

Happy belated Valentine’s Day, beautiful souls!

Pop quiz: how do you make a feral cat feel loved?

You accept her for who she is, and speak her “love language”…even if you must speak very softly.

Loving our free-roaming feline valentines took multiple shapes this month. We’ll get to the classic heart-shaped honeys in a moment — but first, our “true feral” friends.

It’s been a weird winter in central New Jersey, punctuated by painful pops of extreme cold. We human kinds may grumble about the chill that bites our faces, but this is life-threatening stuff for the cats in our colonies.

But in the depths of winter, our community cats find warmth. More accurately, they’re given warmth by the human angels who look after them. Thanks to your generosity, our team is able to be there for the cats in the worst of weather, delivering fresh food and keeping the cats’ shelters warm and dry.

Speaking of such shelters, here’s another pop quiz: Is it best to cozy up a cat house with soft blankets or straw? Blankets sound best, but they can actually invite disaster. Since towels and blankets absorb moisture, they’ll make the kitties’ bungalows cold, wet and frozen. Straw repels moisture and keeps our cats truly cozy.

Our committed caretakers are also careful to keep a steady schedule for the cats. By showing up at the same time each day, our feeding team lets the cats know what to expect, so they don’t have to venture out into winter’s chill hunting for food.

The outdoor kids are alright, even in the worst of winter. Meanwhile, back at Tabby’s Place, we’re nurturing some TNR alumnae/i who have permanently come in from the cold.

You’ll recall precious Pete from last month’s update, and I’m elated to say he’s doing better than ever. Pete’s poor injured paw continues healing beautifully, making surgery seem less and less necessary. We continue to be astounded by how mellow and sweet Pete is for his bandage changes; this cat just can’t get enough cuddles! (See him blissfully rolling around on our Hospital table here.) And, his bottomless hunger for hugs will be answered with infinite love; Pete has already been chosen by a patient, wonderful adopter. Pete’s new “mom” will bring him home just as soon as he’s done with his wound care regimen at Tabby’s Place. Thank you for helping to make this huggy sweetheart a forever Valentine!

On the other end of the sanctuary, back in our Quarantine wing, we’ve just welcomed a wonderful kindle of cats from a rather large feral colony. We’re blessed to be working with other local groups and individuals to care for the 40+ cats in the colony, neutering and finding safe placement for the whole crew. Tabby’s Place has welcomed five of the friendliest faces into our sanctuary: Henna, Hamsa, Clawdia, Purrscilla (pictured above) and Pawla. These darlings are all so, well, darling that we know forever homes are in their future.

Thanks to you, warm days and unfailing love are in all our TNR kitties’ futures. Thank you for your faithful generosity, dear sponsors. You make it possible for us to be there for every feline Valentine in exactly the way she needs us. We love you!