The phrase “Christmas miracle” gets a bit overtaxed this time of year. While it was once reserved for things like stunning healings of body and soul, it’s now applied to everything from new Prince albums to all-day breakfast at McDonalds.
But, even with that caveat, I believe we do have a real, live Christmas miracle for you at Tabby’s Place.
You’ll recall that, this time last month, Tabby’s Place was caring for two oddly injured feral boys, Socks and Mr. Grey Fluffy. They were both handsome, both nursing badly wounded paws, and both — in my own words — “profoundly uninterested in (human) friendship.”
One month later, they are both profoundly laughing at me. Good-naturedly.
Believe it or not, dear sponsors, both Socks and Mr. Grey Fluffy have decided that they love us.
All of us.
Are you a human?
Congratulations: they love you.
Are you a cat?
They think you’re pretty keen, too.
They love each other.
They love life.
And we can only imagine they love the change in plans. Where we’d previously planned to re-release them to their safe and caring outdoor colonies, we’re now going to be keeping them at Tabby’s Place, making them available for adoption.
The lads’ blossoming sweetness would be reason enough to put them on the “indoor life” track. But, it turns out, there’s another reason Socks and “MGF” should no longer roam.
Initially, as you’ll remember, we thought that their ghastly paw injuries were just that — injuries. As best our Sherlockian vet could surmise, both boys had quite coincidentally hurt themselves — perhaps getting scraped on trees, or fences.
But as the cats’ paws healed, a new hypothesis took shape. Socks and MGF’s puffy paws bore all the signs of — are you ready for this? — pillow foot.
Technically called pododermatitis, pillow foot is an auto-immune disease that causes a cat’s paw pads to become inflamed, swollen, and mushy. Although it’s not painful, the condition can make precious paws rather sensitive; a cat may even try not to walk on the affected paw(s). Those tender toes are highly susceptible to injury and ulceration — like both Socks and Mr. Grey Fluffy endured outdoors.
But, thanks to you, our tender-footed boys need not fear a rerun of that ordeal. They won’t be returning to the rocky world that ripped open their feet. And, if their current sweetness is any indication, they won’t be returning to the days of distrusting humans.
It’s all love, all the time now. And the best is yet to come.
Wonderful sponsors, thank you for making this possible. As you celebrate this holiday season and ring in a sparkling new year, know that two squishy-footed, sweet-natured cats — and many more besides — join me in thanking God for you. We love you!