He first showed up on a warm sunny day about 17 years ago at Tate’s Day Camp and School. At first we thought he would eventually return to his home; however, we quickly realized that he was claiming Tate’s as his home.
He swiftly befriended the maintenance staff and the Tate Family, who became his primary caregivers. Needing a name, we simply called him T.C. meaning “Tate’s Cat.” He developed a very specific route each day and often began his rounds with the 6th and 7th grades early in the day and worked his way around to see students and campers in multiple places as he patrolled the 54 acre campus.
T.C. was extremely gentle and affectionate and could brighten anyone’s day with a gentle purr and soft meow. At summer camp, he would often appear at art, swimming, or low ropes and place himself right in the middle of the action, completely taking over the activity and leaving the instructors standing on the sidelines waiting for him to finish his conversations with the kids before heading to his next activity.
He was already an adult cat when he arrived at Tate’s and his professional caregivers estimate that he was at least 20 years old. Regardless of his age, he was always the consistently loving and kind cat that lit up the campus and brought a smile to your face as you would see him coming.
During the last week of summer camp, our old friend peacefully passed away due to congestive heart failure. We will all miss you T.C., and we thank you for the many years of love and joy that you unconditionally gave to our campers, counselors, students, and teachers. You were a true friend.