Happy October, Team TNR.

I hope this month of pumpkins and candy-hunting munchkins finds you feeling brighter than an autumn leaf. This fall is shaping up to be a wild one in the world of community cats…but then, what else would we expect?

First, let’s catch up with some old friends. Last month, we met brave Tinora, the free-roaming tortie with the mysterious, maddening illness. Against all predictions, she survived her crisis. Despite all the best doctors working together, she never got a diagnosis.

But happily for all involved, Tinora is positively thriving.

As I write this update, Tinora is continuing to get used to indoor life at Tabby’s Place. Our lovely girl has likely lived outdoors all her life, and keeping company with human beings takes some getting used to. But Tinora’s got a band of angels easing that transition.

We’ve settled Tinora into our Director of Sanctuary Operations’s office, a small, sunny room she shares with a small number of gentle cats. Dedicated volunteers spend quiet hours with Tinora in this peaceful space, talking to her, stroking her, and making her feel safe. She’s healthy now, and we’ll do everything necessary to make her happy, too.

Meanwhile, across Tabby’s Place, you’ll find another old friend: Opa. You may recall that this gentle “grandpa” of a cat came to us in August, together with his companion Oma. While “grandma” was strong (not to mention truly feral) enough to return outdoors, Opa (pictured below) was a bit too fragile to return to outdoor life.

Fortunately, there was a place for him at Tabby’s Place — and what a place, too! Opa has arguably landed the most plum position in the sanctuary, living in our Founder and Executive Director’s office. This is an honor Opa shares with one of the sweetest, mellowest cats we’ve ever met: fellow FIV+ feline Sherbet. As of this update, the boys aren’t quite best friends yet (to be honest, they scarcely seem to have noticed each other), but they’re both beloved, and Opa’s especially excited to be cuddled and adored. His golden years will shine brightly here at Tabby’s Place, haloed in hugs.

And now onto a bit of new news. You’ll remember Hellman’s, the lanky tuxedo who got his noggin trapped in a mayonnaise jar earlier this year. After rescuing, un-jarring, neutering and releasing Hellman’s, we learned that he was just the top dollop of mayo in a very deep jar. (Forgive my ghastly metaphors.) Thus began a massive TNR operation on Hellman’s farm. Seventeen kittens and several adults later, there’s a happier, healthier, less “productive” life for one wild cat colony. Its littlest members are already stealing hearts and finding forever homes. Cutie-pie Catsup, pictured above, is just one of the colony alumni.

Dear sponsors, thank you for loving all our community cats so generously. Young and old, feral and friendly, they are blessed big-time to have you in their lives. Have a marvelous October!