Tabby's Place - Blog the Change for Animals #BtC4A | Lola The Rescued Cat
Friday, January 15, 2016

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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  1. Well, you just had a whole post about OUR favorite shelter! We love Tabby's Place and my human wishes so much to be able to visit one of these days - it'd be quite an excursion for her, since she is on the opposite coast!

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    1. Summer, tell your human that the next time she comes East to schedule an extra day and Mommy will take her! Angela mentioned Sparkle Cat to Mommy!

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  2. We love Tabby's Place! An interesting thing, long time ago, the mom was a member of an online cat forum (days before Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and Jonathan Rosenberg was also a member. This was right around the time he was starting Tabby's Place. The mom remembers talking with him about starting a rescue. Now look what it's become!

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  3. we follow them online and LOVE the work that they do. thanks for the inside look :)

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  4. If i ever have some money to donate, I will. This looks like an amazing place that does so much good. I love all the photos you posted and I Look forward to more.

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  5. Mom L may just have to visit when she is back East this Summer. Thank you for sharing so much detail and loved the photos.

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  6. It is easy to understand why you love Tabby's Place. It is a very nice facility. You are fortunate to have it in your area.

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  7. My friend this was the most BEAUTIFUL, thorough, interesting and TOUCHING post I have EVER seen (including mine!! lol) about Tabby's Place. I just shared it and left a long comment on Cody's page.....you did an INCREDIBLE job writing about a most SPECIAL place.........well done YOU!!!!! xoxoxoxo catchatwithcarenandcody

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  8. I also don't like that it is so far away! It's around 2,800 miles from me. But thank you so much for the inside look. I love the opportunity for those a 2 hour or a 42 hour drive away to help by sponsoring a cat and what a great example this shelter sets for others looking to do something similar in their area. Your passion for this place is truly contagious!

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  9. That looks like an awesome shelter! Sadly, our local shelter is nowhere up to this standard, in fact it's a little depressing to visit. Guess it's all about funding though.

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  10. Thanks for sharing this pawsome shelter. My prayer is that more shelters can adopt this model of love and caring.

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  11. What a lovely post and what a lovely place! We have an animal sanctuary not too far from where I live that is modeled after Best Friends in Utah. It is a lovely place set on over 40 acres and the animals there live in cottages so they have a home environment and people who want to adopt, can see them like that.

    I think it's wonderful that these places exist and wish there were tons more of them.

    Thanks for joining the blog hop and supporting BTC.

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  12. Thanks for sharing more about Tabby's Place. We need more shelters like this which embrace the true meaning of humane.

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  13. Thank you so much for posting about Tabby's Place! We, too, have been lucky enough to visit, and it is one of our favorite places. Angela is the best. :)

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  14. I've heard of Tabby's Place in passing but now I can really see how wonderful it is and why! I'm under two hours away from NYC so I'm sure it would probably be close to four hours for me, but I would sure love to visit some day! Thanks for sharing in such detail about this lovely, lovely place!

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  15. Meow awnty Dawn, dat's a really nice place. Weez so glad da kitties have such a pawsum place to live and await their furevers. Fanks fur sharin'.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

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  16. What an unbelievably amazing place. If I visited there I don't think I'd ever want to leave!!!

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    1. When I'm there the time goes by too fast, so peaceful just sitting on the couch with Boots on my lap and petting him. The solariums are wonderful to spend time in during the spring and summer. Its pretty well known that if I had the chance to spend the night or live there I would :)

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  17. Thank you, Lola, for letting your mommy share her story about Tabby's Place. I look forward to my trips with her there. We plan on going a few times this year instead of just our yearly visit. I encourage anyone who lives close enough to go visit Tabby's and see the amazing job they are doing. You will be so glad you made the visit. To see it in person is so rewarding. You get to interact with the wonderful cats and in doing so you will appreciate what they do even more. This would also give you a chance to bond with one (or more!) and maybe sponsor a resident(s). Thank you again, Dawn, for writing about Tabby's!

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  18. I love Tabby's Place and would love nothing more than to visit them. It sounds like a really great place, and it warms my heart that they take in so many special needs kitties. :)

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  19. Thank you Lola allowing your mom share how wonderful Tabby's Place is! I had a wonderful time showing your mommy and Jenna around and spending as much time as possible with the kitties. It truly is a heaven on earth for cats. I love volunteering there and weekends are not complete without spending time with the cats and feeding the suite cats...including Rose! I will make sure to give her a kiss tomorrow for your mommy :)

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  20. Oooh! I'm so glad you wrote about Tabby's Place! Every since I heard about it I've wanted to visit. Your post makes me want to visit even more. Thanks for sharing and for joining in Blog the Change!

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  21. Oh wow, what a fantastic sanctuary! This is an organization that truly deserves every bit of publicity and donations it can possibly get. I was thrilled to see that they not only provide a safe haven for cats that will never have a home, but also actively seek adopting homes as well. So many sanctuaries seem to refuse to consider the possibilities of adoption. And you say it smells CLEAN??? With all those cats? That is truly a phenomenally well-run organization.

    Kudos to Tabby's Place for all the wonderful work they do, and the difference they're making in the lives of so many cats. Enjoy your kitty-fix visits!

    Thank you for blogging the change for animals,
    Kim Thomas
    Be the Change for Animals

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  22. Oh wow, what a fantastic sanctuary! This is an organization that truly deserves every bit of publicity and donations it can possibly get. I was thrilled to see that they not only provide a safe haven for cats that will never have a home, but also actively seek adopting homes as well. So many sanctuaries seem to refuse to consider the possibilities of adoption. And you say it smells CLEAN??? With all those cats? That is truly a phenomenally well-run organization.

    Kudos to Tabby's Place for all the wonderful work they do, and the difference they're making in the lives of so many cats. Enjoy your kitty-fix visits!

    Thank you for blogging the change for animals,
    Kim Thomas
    Be the Change for Animals

    ReplyDelete
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  25. We love Tabby's Place! They are a rescuer's dream come true and do amazing things! Thank mew for the tour! Love, Shiloh

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  26. WOW, Tabby's Place is PAWsome! I love what they do and all of the pictures of the facility. The traffic jam is so cute!

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