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Giant generosity

Giant generosity

kitten-care-12It’s a long way from Tabby’s Place to the Garlic Capital of the World. And that’s sad.

But, despite the 2,952 miles between us, the cats have a grade-A angel in Gilroy, CA.

Fly away with me to the Golden State for this guest post from Benefactor and all-around fount of awesomeness Pat Powell:

The "Powell Section" on the Memorial Walkway at Tabby's Place
The "Powell Section" on the Memorial Walkway at Tabby's Place

“There is a lot to be said for following one’s dreams. That’s right – it is perfectly permissible to have more than one.

“I am such a person – a fifth-generation Northern Californian whose 48-year dream was realized when my beloved San Francisco Giants won the 2010 World Series while I still had my feet planted firmly on the earth. The team’s motto, Together We’re Champions, clearly illustrates that the realization of that dream was a group effort no matter how you look at it (players, fans, management, and the hottest third base coach in the history of the game – but I digress!).

“I became aware of another such dream just over 10 years ago. I was surfing the internet one day at lunch looking for interesting cat-related web sites. I noticed a link near the bottom of the page to a site called Tabby’s Place. I figured I should check this one out. I did, and things have, as they say in the vernacular, never been the same since.

Pat & Dean's beloved newest sponsoree, Levi
Pat & Dean's beloved newest sponsoree, Levi

“Jonathan (you all know which one I’m referring to) had written an introduction to his dream – building a state-of-the-art cat sanctuary for cats in hopeless situations no matter their age, health, personalities, etc. And all in honor of his very special feline son Tabby.

“At that point in time, the permits had been obtained and construction was about to begin. Jonathan invited site visitors to check back frequently to follow the progress of his dream. He asked readers who shared in that dream to kindly make donations to help it grow. As a result, my wonderful husband and I have been doing just that ever since.

“We began by sponsoring one Special Needs cat and have now acquired a list of ten. We also have the ‘Powell Section’ on the Memorial Walkway leading to Cherny’s Garden (memorializing my late parents, one canine daughter, and seven feline kids of both genders).

“And, we arranged for a monthly sponsor kitty for my mom. I cannot begin to thank Angela (yes, that one) enough for the special handwritten note she included with each monthly update. She did this without fail every month until Mom passed away in January 2012. Despite having dementia the last 18 months, Mom would refer to these letters as being about ‘her cat’ when my brother would read them to her.

Pat's Mom's last sponsored kitty, Dot
Pat's Mom's last sponsored kitty, Dot

“All of this was made possible solely because Jonathan and Sharon chose to share their dream with all of us. We are so lucky! And now, for those who noted the plurality in my dream reference above, I would like to share another dream of mine.

“Several years ago, having realized that I was, without a doubt, a ‘foster failure,’ I began making and sharing cat collars* with rescue groups and shelters wherever they may be. It is difficult, if not impossible, to become emotionally attached to a collar. Someday I hope to hear that a lost cat was able to be reunited with its human family because it was wearing an ID tag attached to a collar I made.

“That really would be a dream come true!”

Gratuitous Webster photo, just because he loves Pat and Dean.
Gratuitous Webster photo, just because he loves Pat and Dean. And so do I.

From Gilroy to Ringoes, Pat and husband Dean are whispering dreams into realities — not least of all for  Dot, Edward, Hootz, Levi, Max, Mittens, Colleen, Dillinger, Gingko and Hocus.

It’s been accurately stated** that “Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.”

In the case of our own Gilroy gourmet, “good” is the understatement of the aeon. Thank you, Pat and Dean. We love you (infinitely) more than garlic!

*Pat’s stunning handmade collars are available for sale in the Tabby’s Place lobby. If you’re interested in ordering one, let me know, OK? They are more beautiful than you can imagine, in a spectrum of fabrics, and stitched with expert care.

**And stated by the woman who was both the inspiration for Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant” and the author of a book called How to Massage Your Cat. I don’t think I could be that cool in 100 lifetimes.

Photo credits from top to bottom: Unknown person on the interwebs; Flangela; volunteer Jess; volunteer Mark; volunteer Jess.

7 thoughts on “Giant generosity

  1. Pat, that was a wonderful guest post and you really did good at expressing your love of Tabby’s Place and the cats. I sponsor 2 cats there and have one brick in the walkway. It amazes me how Tabby’s Place has so many supporters from not just accross the nation but the whole world. I will be visiting there on my next Jersey visit and I promise I buy collars for my two.

  2. Pat, having had personal contact with you, I KNOW what an awesome woman and cat lover you are! Tabby’s Place is so lucky to have you in our corner — and your collars are awesome! You may never hear about one of them reuniting a lost cat with a grateful human, BUT – you may never know just what a difference they can make each and every day! Keep up the great labor of love!

  3. The love and the connection of the Tabby’s Place family stretches across all distances – what a wonderful guest blog from a wonderful person. I recall mention of Madison Marie the lovely Maine Coon – Tabby’s Place has united many cat lovers and given us a chance to see a place in the sun.

  4. Thank you Pat for sharing your love with my very special Uncle Jon and Auntie Sharon in helping to make Tabby’s Place a reality! I used to live at Tabby’s Place and can assure you that all the kitties (and human beans) are thankful to have friends like you! Thanks to you I (and hundreds of other lucky kitties) have our own wonderful furrever homes! I’ll make sure my momma and poppa give Dot, Edward, Hootz, Levi, Max, Mittens, Colleen, Dillinger, Gingko and Hocus some extra love and attention this week just for you!

    P.S. I even have one of your collars! It played a part in me getting my furrever home 🙂

    1. Oh you sweet wonderful Bialy! Thank you so very much for your kind words. I bet you are the handsomest young feline man in your entire neighborhood. I really loved writing this guest blog and appreciate, more than words can tell, all the kind comments submitted in response to it. It was made even better thanks to the pictures and comments by our favorite blog master Angela!My feline son Toby asked me to mention that you are obviously a cat of superior intelligence since you possess such advanced blogging skills!

      And, I’m thrilled to hear your collar helped you find your loving furrever family! Hearing from recipients of my collars really lets me know I have found my proper niche in the rescue world.

      Pat (gilroy catmom)

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