Dear Friend of Tux,
Happy spring, dear friend!
Despite some continued overnight frosts in Ringoes, NJ, the season of new beginnings and growth is definitely upon us.
Thank you for weathering the winter with Tux and sharing your love with him all year!
Tabby’s Place has grown by leaps and bounds since the opening of Quinn’s Corner in 2023. We care for more cats, maintain and operate a larger sanctuary, employ more staff, and work alongside many more volunteers. Our programming and outreach activities have grown, too.
But our mission of saving cats from hopeless situations and our dedication to providing individualized care and support to every Tabby’s Place cat remain unchanged.
As our organization and populations have grown, we humans are learning to delegate some responsibilities to other staff and to volunteers so that our management team can focus its energy on strategic planning, sustainability, and operational efficiency.
Our distinguished gentleman, Tux, is honored to serve as a role model in these efforts!
Over the years, the staff and I have referred to Tux as both Uncle Tux and, more recently, as Grandpa Tux. He has long led the community room welcoming committee, greeting new feline residents (as well as human visitors) while embodying a sense of calm, community, and security.
In the business world, these “onboarding” activities might fall to the Human Resources (HR) department. At Tabby’s Place, we think of this as welcoming you to the family.
In recent months, our veteran Tux seems to have delegated some of these welcoming activities to his steadfast friend and student teacher, Gulliver.
Francine, the newest youngster in the community room, was rescued as an older kitten, well after the ideal age for human socialization. Gulliver has taken it upon himself to welcome Francine as any favorite uncle might do. We’ve witnessed him guide her through playtime, steer her to necessary resources, and watch out for her well-being by keeping less welcoming felines at a safe distance.
Gulliver chirps at Francine, and she follows him around in complete admiration. She’s still nervous around people, but she’s getting braver every day. Take a look at the video below to see one of their early days of interaction.
Meanwhile, Tux has been able to devote more of his valuable experience to deep thinking sessions (morning, afternoon, and evening naps) and strategic planning. He’s always nearby and ready to offer advice to Gulliver, Francine, or the human staff, but after his March Madness victory, he plans to retire as director of feline resources and work as a consultant on his own schedule.
I happened to interrupt one of those important consultation sessions last week.
A three-generational strategy meeting for black and white felines was clearly underway when I entered the community room to begin administering morning medications. Tux was on the desk chair. Gulliver was perched on the desk. Peering over the recycling bin under the desk were two wide eyes framed by two alert ears (Francine’s). I wish I could have captured the meeting on camera, but Francine slipped out of sight before I could open my phone’s camera app.
Know that Tux sends his boundless love to you, his devoted sponsor. Enjoy the blossoms and sunshine days ahead!
Your correspondent,
Lisa