Happy August, awesome sponsors!

I hope your summer has been as sweet as a strawberry, with its best moments still ahead.

Last month, you helped us to save poor baby Pierce, the courageous kitten who survived a tangle with barbed wire. I’m elated to say that Pierce is flourishing! His bandage is off at last, and he’s definitively decided that giving and receiving love is THE BEST THING EVER. We know adoption is in his extremely near future…and all thanks to you!

This month’s TNR adventures took us to the other end of the feline age spectrum. Tabby’s Place began a TNR project on a local property being lovingly overseen by kitty caretakers. As in most of our TNR initiatives, the caregivers were happy to continue feeding and looking after the cats, but lacked the resources to trap, spay/neuter and medically treat them.

That’s where we — and generous, wonderful you — come in.

Our brave team set about trapping the ten cats on the property. Everything was going smoothly — in fact, this clowder of cats was unusually cooperative about trundling into the traps. (Sardines are so hard to resist…)

But then our vet team got a good look at two of the trap-ees, and everything got a bit more…complicated.

Part of what makes Tabby’s Place’s TNR work unique is that we provide comprehensive vet care for each cat we trap. That means dental care (including extractions, as is often necessary), wound care, and tender treatment of anything else that may be “off.” Once we’re involved with a kitty colony, its caretakers can bring the cats back to us anytime they may have medical issues. Even as they roam free, they are true Tabby’s Place cats, and we’ll always be there for them in their time of need.

Back to our recent catches: in two cases, that time of need was now.

It was immediately apparent that the two black-and-white cats were as old as the hills. Barely six pounds each, they were lean and weary. The old fella had microopthalmia, a condition resulting in one extremely tiny eye that might ultimately need to be removed. He also had a wound on his front right leg; dreadfully painful teeth; and a serious case of dehydration.His likely sister, the angel-faced old girl (pictured above), was no stranger to hard times either. In addition to her advanced age, she had an infection and dental disease.After many moons of outdoor life, it was clear; these two super-seniors needed the care and comforts we could offer. And so it was that “Oma” and “Opa” — German for “Grandma” and “Grandpa” — came to Tabby’s Place for some intensive care.

With swift and stellar veterinary attention, Oma made a speedy recovery. She plumped up beautifully, going from sadly-skinny to downright grandmotherly in her roundness. She also made it clear she had no intention to live indoors. No snuggly Nana here, Oma lunged at us every time we approached. And so, once she was strong enough, we returned her to her colony, where her caretakers will keep an especially close eye on her.

Opa, on the other hand, has been increasingly interested in human affection. Given this, combined with his more delicate health, he will be living out his golden years with us. He lets our staff hug and hold him (as you can see below left, where he’s snuggling our Senior Veterinary Technician), and he’s clearly starting to see — even with just one good eye — that he’s home at last.

And we’ll be here for our senior superstar, whatever the cost, whatever he may need. Dear sponsors, I truly cannot thank you enough.

On behalf of Pierce, Oma, Opa and all the cats we cherish together, may you have a beautiful month. Know that you are world-changingly wonderful for these courageous cats!