Dear friends and sponsors of Tux,

Tux has been in good health and spirits this month. Only one side of his mouth remains mildly inflamed. His medication was lowered once again, and the vet team will continue to monitor him for changes. His digestive system has been doing well.

After several months of seasonal laziness where Tux did little more than nap, he has found a spark of spunk. Lately, he’s been up and about with that mischievous look in his eye. Perhaps it has something to do with his mouth feeling much better.

Despite Tux’s activity of late, I have little to show for it in the way of photos. The thing is that when Tux is up and about, he is very busy. The time it takes to grab my phone and snap a photo of something entertaining is far too long for Tux’s busy schedule. So you must enjoy photos of his quiet moments instead. For instance, there was the afternoon when Tux fell asleep in the middle of an office project. There was also the morning that Baby Bruce paid a visit to “Uncle Puzzle” and “Uncle Tux.” Tux was in the middle of an important nap, so Puzzle filled Bruce in on the daily details. Little Bruce is in foster care with Dr. Collins until he is big enough to go to his forever home.

Tux and Puzzle form the official welcoming crew for newcomers to the Community Room. But they both have a unique approach.

Puzzle will do everything in his power to greet and rub the newbie to make her feel comfortable. Tux, on the other hand, will stare, log, and move on. While one overwhelms with attention, the other simply carries on as if nothing is any different. This month, Dani, our paraparetic kitty, moved from the Lobby to the Community Room. She was having some personality conflicts with some of the frequent floor dwelling kitties in the Lobby, so we thought we’d try the quieter room. Before her official move, she paid a visit to the Community Room, in my arms, to have a look around.

Tux was the first to notice us. I had to chuckle because he made direct eye contact with me and Dani with this look of curiosity. His stare upset Dani, who hissed, but Tux simply stared unblinkingly and then turned as if so say, “whatever, I guess she’s a hisser.” The brief encounter so perfectly summed up Tux’s approach to new things. A week into Dani’s arrival in the room, Puzzle was still trying to cozy up in spite of repeated rejection, while Tux simply ignored her entirely.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Your correspondent,
Lisa