The facility, located in Ringoes, NJ, opened in 2003, and since then has welcomed 1,000 cats through its doors. In fact, the 1,000th Tabby's Place resident, Twix, an FIV+ beauty queen, entered the sanctuary just under two months ago, and has been stealing hearts ever since. (mine included!)
The purpose of Tabby's Place is three-fold: It's an adoption center, where over 900 cats have been adopted out to loving homes, a hospital (there's a modest on-site medical facility that can handle procedures such as spay and neuter, etc.), and a hospice that provides care, and a warm loving environment for chronically or terminally ill cats to live out their lives in comfort.
I know it's one thing to read about these things, but when you visit the sanctuary, you know it's all true. It's a magical place for cats and cat lovers alike, where the unconditional love, devotion, and respect given to all of the cats, regardless of their age, or medical condition, is evident.
When I found out I was nominated for Best Social Integration Blog at the 2011 Petties Pet Blog Awards, it seemed to me that Tabby's Place would be the perfect recipient of the $1,000 prize donation, if I should win. Of course, it would be a "professional" honor for me to bring home the award, but especially after visiting again today, I can say it would be a much greater personal honor to be able to give back to these very deserving cats, many of whom might not be alive today, if not for this extraordinary facility and the wonderful staff and volunteers who run it.
Tabby's Place is unique not only in that it's a cats only, cage-free sanctuary, but as I mentioned earlier, that is was created with the sole purpose of being a "refuge for cats in hopeless situations."
What that means is, cats that find themselves at Tabby's Place are primarily rescued from high-kill shelters and certain euthanasia. They also don't just come from New Jersey, they come from all over the United States, and the world. In fact, I was shocked to learn that the furthest rescue was three cats, Kimiko, Miyagi, and Pikachu, who were flown in all the way from Okinawa, Japan!
Generally, the only cats in cages are kittens (who are allowed out on supervised romps), cats who are in quarantine for a short period after they arrive at the sanctuary, and cats recovering from medical procedures in the veterinary clinic. The rest of the 100 residents (they're almost ALWAYS at maximum capacity), are each delegated to their own suites, based on their various needs and medical conditions.
Today I got to spend time in Suite B, which is for the healthy, generally "normal" cats, as well as the FIV+ suite. There's also a room for overweight kitties, and of course, take a walk in the front lobby or any of the office areas, and you're sure to encounter a cat or two (or six) lounging about.
Another cool feature of the sanctuary is that there's "tunnels" within the suites that lead to outdoor solariums, where cats can safely catch cool breezes, and watch butterflies and birds in the garden. I mean, what cat wouldn't want "window whiffies"?? (And as a person, the scent of the wafting lavender, in full bloom right now, was absolutely heavenly!)
Cherny's Garden
During today's visit, I also met with Development Director, Angela Townsend, the nicest, most warm and friendly person you could ever hope to meet. Angela speaks so passionately about Tabby's Place, and all of its residents that you can't help but be inspired, and want to help the cause.
Townsend has been at Tabby's Place for four years now, and tells me she always knew she wanted to work with animals, but put the thought aside when she felt called by the church and attended seminary. Little did she know that the sanctuary she was really being called to was a little different than what she had in mind, but the perfect fit for her, nonetheless.
Angela's tabby office-mate, Webster
When asked, Angela told me that money is the greatest need at Tabby's Place, and for that reason, I encourage anyone who can to consider making a donation, or sponsoring one of their special needs cats. Around 30% of the Tabby's Place population is special needs, and they rely almost entirely on individual donations. As you might imagine, the medical expenses for some of these cats can be astronomical. Once a cat is in Tabby's Place's care, they are a "Tabby's Place cat for life," and the staff will go to the "ends of the earth" to get whatever kind of medical treatment they need, whatever the cost, as long as it's in the best interest of the cat.
Angela also told me they can ALWAYS use wet cat food of any brand, and non-clumping cat litter, as they go through a staggering 3,000 pounds a month!
