Valerie, a Tabby’s Place resident, was hit by a car and is paralyzed in her hind legs. Many of her fellow felines at the sanctuary have similar mobility problems. PHOTO | Angie Varela
Tabby’s Place in Ringoes is a cat sanctuary that rescues cats from hopeless situations. Jonathan Rosenberg, who had been the CTO of CNET online media company, founded Tabby’s Place in 1999 when he and his wife learned that their beloved cat Tabby had untreatable cancer and only months to live.
It made Rosenberg think: what was he doing with his life? Was he really making a difference? How could he honor Tabby who had spent 15 years with them? He resigned from his job and committed himself to creating Tabby’s Place.
Tabby’s Place is cage-free and has suites, offices and a large lobby and lounge area where the cats can relax and roam. Thirty to forty percent of the cats have chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and paraplegia.
Rosenberg, when asked what he would want people to know about Tabby’s Place, said, “Because we tend to specialize in cats with special needs people often think those are the only cats here, but there are plenty of friendly adoptable cats here too.”
Veterinarian Dr. Laura Collins works part time at the sanctuary and full time at Nottingham Animal Hospital just minutes from MCCC’s campus. She began working at Tabby’s in January of 2004, shortly after they opened.
When asked about the medical conditions the cats face, Dr. Collins said, “We accept cats without regard to their health challenges. We have a lot of cats with ongoing medical issues. All the cats face challenges adapting to our sanctuary.”
There is an adoption application like any other shelter or rescue program but Tabby’s Place takes extra time to check veterinary references and ensure prospective adopters have what it takes to care for the cats, whether the cat they are adopting has special needs or not. Once the veterinarians are confident the cat is ready to go, the adoption is finalized. After that the sanctuary does multiple follow ups to ensure the adoption is working out.
Tabby’s Place Development Director Angela Hartley says “It’s the joy of my life to get to serve the most vulnerable cats alongside the kindest, most compassionate people I’ve ever known. Our brave, goofy, boundlessly loving cats give us more affection, laughter, courage, and unsinkable hope than we can ever return, and it’s the greatest honor to be part of their stories.”
Rosenberg explains that the sanctuary is a non-profit organization and that 95% of the million dollar annual operating budget comes from individual donations. People also volunteer their time and donate items the sanctuary needs such as cat food, litter, and soap
Hartley says, “I’ve been at Tabby’s Place for over fourteen years, yet I’m still amazed daily by the love that flourishes here. We truly are a sanctuary for cats and people alike. I’m so grateful to be part of the miracle of Tabby’s Place!”
