Happy New Year, community cat champs!

We’re knee-deep in winter now, with blustery days and post-holiday blues testing our inner sunshine. But no matter how frosty it gets, sunny hope isn’t hard to find for the cats in our TNR program, thanks to you.

First, a happy coda to last month’s update: both Maurice and Constance have been adopted! Our feral-born babies rang in 2019 ensconced in love and affection. Thank you for making this possible!

But, as you know so well, not all stories speed into sunshine so quickly. So I’m especially grateful for your long-haul love for the tough cases…like Pete.

Technically, his full name is Peg Leg Pete. But I’m a big believer that no one should be known primarily for their hurts and hardships, so let’s stick to Pete. In the bleak midwinter, the (mis)adventures of Pete led to some terrible trouble.

Pete was already three-legged — OK, three-and-a-half-legged — before the trouble started. His front left leg is a little nubbin, most likely the result of umbilical strangulation in the womb. Undaunted by his stub, Pete hobbled and bobbled around just fine outdoors. Three legs are plenty for a brave boy like Pete.

Unless one of those three is hurting horribly.

By the time a Good Samaritan spotted Pete, his remaining front leg was in desperate condition. Pete had a large, painfully open mass attached to his right front foot. Without his other front leg, Pete was forced to put his weight on his injured paw, wounding himself worse and worse by the day.

But bright sunshine was about to burst forth on Pete. As soon as we heard of this courageous community cat, we hurried him to Tabby’s Place, where intensive care soothed his pain, and intensive affection assured him he was adored. Despite all he’d endured, Pete jumped into this whole “love” thing with all three-and-a-half legs. He was exquisitely patient for his bandage changes and rolled gleefully for belly rubs, and the highlight of his day became getting picked up and snuggling.

Still, Pete’s worries were far from over. Our vet team feared the mass on his front paw might be cancer. That would lead to a long road of amputation and possibly even prosthetics. (Three legs is plenty, yes; two gets tricky.)

But, oh, dear sponsors, the season of miracles didn’t end on December 26th.

Pete, it turns out, did not have cancer. Instead, he had a severe but survivable case of “pillow foot,” formally known as plasma cell pododermatitis. This is a relatively common, poorly understood disease of the paw pad in cats. An inflammatory disease, pillow foot can be treated with medication and wound care. Although Pete’s case is unusually severe, he’s healing nicely thanks to medication and diligent cleaning and re-bandaging of his paw. We’re thrilled with his progress and confident a forever home is in Pete’s near future.

Thank you, dear sponsors, for banishing the January blues for this brave boy. It is, as ever, an honor and a deep delight to serve the Petes of the world with you! Until next month, may you be warm and blessed!