A NJ cat sanctuary expands to care for more cats and kittens

There's a cage-free cat sanctuary in Ringoes, New Jersey that's been around for close to 20 years with a mission to save cats from hopeless situations. Now, it's looking to expand its operations to embrace two classes of cats with few options for survival.

Tabby's Place has saved more than 3000 cats over the years, says founder Jonathan Rosenberg. Many of the cats are healthy but others are not so lucky, stricken with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and paraplegia. While they've done their best to take care of all cats, more needs to be done.

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That's why Quinn's Corner will grow Tabby's Place from 7,000 to 12,000 square feet allowing the sanctuary to embrace two classes of cats: cats infected with feline leukemia and fragile newborn kittens.

Rosenberg said feline leukemia is extremely contagious and most often, fatal. These cats need to be separated from other cats. He said few shelters have the resources to embrace FeLV+ cats but Tabby's Place believes these animals deserve a chance to thrive. Cats with this disease require a high level of individualized care. It's also an expensive operation to do so.

Similarly, neonatal kittens need intensive nurturing and diligent monitoring 24/7, said Rosenberg. They often come in groups and because they are so tiny they are very difficult to care for. If the kittens come in without their mothers, which is normally the case, they require round-the-clock care which is difficult.

Quinn's Corner is named after a small kitten who was found in snow bank six years ago near death. Rosenberg said she tested positive for FeLV+ too. One day a woman came to Tabby's Place looking to adopt a cat that either nobody wanted or desperately needed care and love in its final days. She adopted Quinn and six years later Quinn is still alive. She's also tested negative for the disease.

But Rosenberg said three years into Quinn's adoption, the woman returned to the sanctuary saying she wanted to give back. So she made a generous donation, and with that money, ground breaking on "Quinn's Corner" is able to happen.

Thanks to the initial donation from Quinn's adopter, the sanctuary is 75% of the way towards the funding needed to operate and build Quinn's Corner said Rosenberg.

Up to 50 cats and kittens could be living in the expanded part of Tabby's Place. Rosenberg said there will be an area reserved for kittens. One room will be closed off for pregnant mothers. Another room will house kittens being hand-raised and a smaller room for kittens that are old enough to run around together. Completely separate from that will be an area reserved for the FeLV + cats.

Almost all the cats and kittens at Tabby's Place and Quinn's Corner will be up for adoption, even the sick ones, said Rosenberg. Since feline leukemia can only be transmitted between cats and humans cannot contract it, he said more and more people have been adopting them. There is a belief that these cats can kick the disease, he added. Therefore, more and more people have been adopting them. Sometimes the outcome is sad but other times these cats will go on to live normal lives without any other symptoms.

Cat lovers are invited to livestream the groundbreaking ceremony of Quinn's Corner on Sunday, June 13 at 2 p.m.

Learn more about Quinn's Corner at https://qc.tabbysplace.org

Quinn's Corner will hopefully be up and running by early next year.