Tabby's Place - Blog the Change for Animals #BtC4A

I first became aware of Tabby's Place - A Cat Sanctuary in April of 2011 when a group of cat loving ladies from New York took a two-hour road trip out to Ringoes, NJ to visit the sanctuary. 

From the moment I walked into the lobby I was impressed with, well, everything! It immediately became one of my favorite shelters.

Angela Townsend, Development Director, was gracious enough to give us a full tour that day, and has been just as welcoming to me every time I have visited since.  She also agreed to be interviewed for this post. (Thank you, Angela!) 

Tabby's Place was founded in 2003 by Jonathan Rosenberg in honor of his beloved cat, Tabby, who succumbed to cancer in 1999. Tabby's Place, which sits on eight acres of land, is a cage-free sanctuary that is a refuge for cats in hopeless situations. This includes cats on the euthanasia lists at shelters, those found by the roadside, orphaned kittens impounded by animal control, and countless other situations. While Tabby’s does not generally accept cats from the general public (because their mission is to help those cats in the most desperate circumstances), the staff will work hard with people to connect them to the most helpful resources they can find. 

So many things about Tabby's Place impress me that I could write pages about it.  One of the many things that stood out to me that first day was the fact that Angela knew not only each and every cat's name but their story as well. To me, that means they're family.  The building is always immaculate and smells clean, and the various "suites" that the cats live in are well stocked with blankets, toys, beds, climbing apparatus, scratching posts and anything else a cat could want.  

Hocus in the FIV suite.

Reginald (L) and Sheldon (R) sharing a cubby.

Some of the suites are attached to a solarium (an outdoor enclosure)

Jackie enjoying the fresh air. 

which is reached via a tunnel that runs between the two rooms

so they can enjoy the fresh air. Sometimes there's a traffic jam! 


These beauties have been adopted! (This is an older photo.)

The solariums have beds, igloos, chairs, etc. to ensure the comfort of the cats.  There are even heated beds and water dishes for those cats who still like a breath of fresh air in the winter.  

Valencia (L) and Mango - a fan favorite (R) enjoying a heated bed.

Deanna.  She is a shy girl that is just starting to come around.  She sniffed Lisa's hand when I was there.

Their website boasts that Tabby's Place is a one of a kind facility, and it definitely is. There is an adoption center to match cats with their forever homes, an onsite hospital that provides medical and surgical needs for the resident cats, and hospice care that allows chronically or terminally ill cats to live out their lives surrounded by love.  And surrounded by love they are.  The caring and compassion that the staff and 150 volunteers show the residents is commendable. 

Visitors are not only welcomed but are appreciated, too.  I'm lucky because one of my friends, Lisa, is a volunteer and when I go I get to spend as much time as I want at the sancutary. (What could be better than that?!) For the past two years I have visited around Christmas time with my friend, Jenna, to bring bags of donations. We both look forward to our holiday visit and our lunch with Lisa. I recognize cats each time I'm there and follow their progress from my previous visit.  During my first visit, I fell in love with a beautiful cat named Raja. 

Raja and her toy.

Raja lives in the staff lounge, which is always the last room we go into on the tour, and every time I approach the room I'm very excited to see her.  She has had some health issues over the years, but she's very well cared for and very much loved.  It warms my heart that she (and the other cats I've grown to love) will have a place to live out their years with no worries.

In 2015 Tabby’s Place helped 280 cats (that’s the total of the cats taken at the sanctuary plus the cats that were helped through TNR).  Additionally, 150 cats were adopted out to their forever families. 

Indie is deaf and Tabby's found her the perfect forever home.  She was going home the following day.

Tabby's Place is a 501(c)3 organization and relies on the generosity of donations to continue with their work and mission. One way you can help is through their sponsorship program. For a monthly fee, you can sponsor cat of your choice with your donation going towards supplies and care for that cat. (Many of the cats are special needs – ranging from FIV+ to incontinence to cancer.) I currently sponsor Rose

My beautiful Rosie.

who is my third sponsor cat.  (You can read all about it here.) I love to visit Rose and watch her thrive. Caren Gittleman of Cat Chat With Caren and Cody sponsors Knox, a tripod who is FIV+.  

Hi Caren! Thanks for sponsoring me!

I have had the pleasure of meeting some of Tabby's more famous residents, Tashi, Dottie, Psi, and Tanzy. 

Tashi and Psi have made their journeys to the Rainbow Bridge, and believe me when I tell you I cried real tears both times. (I will remember Psi following me around the lobby for years to come.)  I still follow Dottie and Tanzy  on their facebook pages. 

All of the staff and volunteers at Tabby's Place definitely make a change in the life of animals. And in turn, the cats make a difference in the lives of those who care for them. Angela recently told me that her “8 1/2 years here have made me a more compassionate, joyful human being! Every day the cats inspire me to love and to live with my heart wide open; to forgive freely; and to rejoice in the miracle of life itself. Our cats - and the amazing people who help us care for them - give me infinitely more than I could ever repay."

I hope this post will move you to make a donation or perhaps sponsor a cat yourself.  (If so, please tell Angela that Lola The Rescued Cat sent you!) There is only one thing about Tabby's Place that I don't like... it's two hours away (with no traffic) and I can't volunteer on a regular basis! I literally have 100's of photos of the cats at Tabby's, and will share some in the coming weeks. 

Tell us about your favorite shelter! 
Dawn

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