One night early on in this saga, back in the ICU days, Gregory asked Burt how he was sleeping. Burt replied, “I would do better if I had my furry little friends.” Well today, Burt got his wish and after weeks of Brownies and Apple Cider Doughnuts for the staff, Burt’s treats finally arrived. That’s right… Macallan and Renny, the fifth and six members of the Stern Clan invaded the ward.
Fresh from a full trim and clean, their newly white exterior matched their adorable Westie personalities and they charmed all of the nurses and therapists in the Rehab unit. More importantly, they gave Burt a well-earned taste of home. While he could not roll around and play with them as he would have liked, he did get a few choice pets in and even went outside with them for a bit of fun in the sun.
The visit was also meaningful to the dogs… or so we think. They have not seen Burt since the beginning of this event and had no idea whether they would ever see him again. When they saw him there wagging tails could not be contained and they scurried down the hallway to him. They were not allowed to fully jump all over him for fear of messing with his G-Tube (the thing in his stomach), but David held them up so they could get a few key licks in.
The rest of the day was filled with electrical stimulation for the left hand and more pre-walking, but for Burt, today was all about the dogs.
I am so glad the furries got a chance to see their Daddy - who, by the way, is looking very dapper. I love you, Unk, and think about you all the time! Love, Neice
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S TERRIFIC...BURT YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD...HAPPY TO SEE YOU SMILING AND ENJOYING
ReplyDeleteTHE DOGS...WHAT A GREAT TREAT!
Part 1
ReplyDelete(I had to split this up because you can't post more than 4,096 characters.)
Well, Burt, I'm afraid your 15 minutes (or one month) of fame is up. You may be cute, but your dogs are way cuter!
It's really interesting that they recognized you right off the (Yankee) bat!
When I came home after being in the hospital for two days (knee surgery), it took my cats (there were about ten) a full five minutes to realize it was me. But, once they did recognize me, they made a big fuss, as they do have a sense of time and I'd been gone longer than they were used to.
I think it all has to do with their senses of smell, hearing, and in some cases, sight, that are exponentially better than ours, plus the fact that they don't talk, read, drive, play poker, WORK, watch TV with the kind of concentration that we do or do any number of other things which distract us from the simple things at which they are exponentially more astute.
They stick to the basics. They don't do very many different things, so their brains don't get cluttered with garbage like ours do.
They think, all right. It's HOW they think that makes them so amazing. We can't comprehend them, really, because our brains are too filled with gobble-de-gook.
People who don't get the animals are missing a very major part of life. The things that make us unique, such as the ability to talk, read, and have a sense of history beyond ourselves makes us responsible to preserve and protect those who cannot do it for themselves. And we sure as hell aren't doing a real good job.
So, it's not surprising that Macallan and Renny knew you right away, which in no way detracts from how remarkable it is that after not seeing you for a month and you smelling different, they did know you instantaneously. Maybe it was your voice, even though it sounds different to people at this point.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteMy little Puglet, who's a midget and can't support herself on her hind limbs, has her movements down pat. She bounces, spins around, is VERY fast, and VERY strong! She's only 7 lbs., but she can push me over when I'm lying down. I'm not allowed inside her mouth (except when she gently chews on my fingers) and she shakes her head and wiggles her legs so fast and so accurately that it's very nearly impossible to cut her nails or clean her ears. She know exactly what she's doing and very clearly and firmly lets me know what's acceptable and what's not.
What I find most amazing of all, is that, after having lived in a multi-cat household for five and a half years, she's still hasn't turned into a cat! She's all dog, way too cute for her own good, but has no clue how cute she is, she just is who she is.
Some of the most interesting animals are the ones who've lost one of their senses or a limb. Years ago I adopted an old blind cat, a stray I named Tina, who would jump down off my lap onto the floor. For many years I wondered how she knew where the floor was. Then suddenly one day, years after she was gone, it hit me. She must have lived with someone who put her on his or her lap and THAT'S how she knew where the floor was!
One day I was visiting a cat sanctuary and I spent about an hour in the isolation room, where the sickies were. They were the only ones in cages. A blind cat named Jade lived in that room. The people that ran the sanctuary didn't want her out in the large area where they kept the 300 cats. I stood in one spot for quite a while. While I was standing there, Jade kept staring up at me with her no eyes, DEMANDING that I play with her. Finally I got down on the floor and played with her. When I went home I kept thinking about her. I really wanted to adopt her, but I realized that she'd been living at the sanctuary for years. That was her home and it just wouldn't be fair to her to change her environment. I really, really wanted her, but I had to do what was right for her, so I didn't bring her home. It was a tough decision, but I knew it was the right one.
I learned from my very first kitten that if you take your cues from the animal there is an amazing amount of communication possible and if you don't interfere with their development (which is not to say they shouldn't be trained), they become these unbelievably amazing, fascinating creatures.
And as hard as it is to lose them, the relationships with the ones that are gone only enhance the relationships with the ones that come after.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteOn Labor Day weekend I discovered this vet, Dr. Arnold Plotkin, when I was looking something up about early detection of kidney insufficiency in cats on the internet. My query pointed me to a page written by Dr. Plotnik that was very good. He's also written many other articles for cat owners that are excellent. This led me to reading about him. He has a very impressive background. For the last eight years he's had his own cat practice in Manhattan and on its website he wrote about his cats. I loved what he wrote and thought it sounded like me. Perhaps the most touching story was "Ethel's Story", but there were other wonderful stories, such as "Crispy's Story". After I read about all his cats, I went through the rest of his website and then wrote him an email, telling him what I thought about what he wrote and saying that I'd really like to work there. He wrote back the Tuesday after Labor Day and said he didn't have a position available, but thought I'd fit right in and would get in touch if a position opened up. Then, last week, his weekend vet told him she'd bought her own practice and would continue to work the next few Sundays so he wouldn't be left in the lurch. He contacted me and I went to meet with him on Sept. 23rd. He's got some other people to interview, but I'll know fairly soon if he wants to hire me.
Here are the links to "Ethel's Story" and "Crispy's Story":(on the page titled "Dr. Plotnick's Pets"):
http://www.manhattancats.com/Ethel/ethel.htm
http://www.manhattancats.com/MCS-Staff/dr_plotnicks_pets.htm
Part 4
ReplyDeleteI picked up two newsletters in Dr. Plotnick's waiting room. I posted entries about both of them on my Facebook page. Here's the first one, about the newsletter "Catnip":
"Catnip" is a monthly newsletter published by Tufts Veterinary School (Grafton, MA). Dr. Arnold Plotnick is the medical editor. Dr. Plotnick is the owner of Manhattan Cat Specialists, located on 76th Street and Broadway, which has a great website on Facebook as well as its own superior website:
http://manhattancats.com/?gclid=CMCls9emoaQCFZpN5Qodh2Oc5g
"Catnip" is an excellent newsletter for cat owners.
The Oct. 2010 issue has a beautiful story about Poezenboot ("poozin-boat"), a floating cat sanctuary in Amsterdam started in 1968. Dr. Plotnick visited it several months ago.
The website is: www.poezenboot.nl (in Dutch).
"Catnip" 's website is: http://www.tuftscatnip.com/
Subscriptions are $39 per year and there is no advertising.
De Poezenboot
poezenboot.nl
De Poezenboot, het enige dierenasiel in Nederland dat letterlijk in het water ligt en in een woonboot is gevestigd.
Part 5
ReplyDeleteNotes:
a) Please excuse the typos at the beginning of Part 3, where I wrote "Plotkin" and "Plotnik" instead of "Plotnick".
b) There is a photo of "De Poezenboot" that goes along with the Dutch at the bottom of Part 4, but it didn't copy over. The photo of the floating cat sanctuary in Amsterdam is on the website:
www.poezenboot.nl
Cats in Amsterdam -- by Arnold Plotnick, DVM -- Catnip, October, 2010
Catnip's medical editor tours Holland's famous floating cat sanctuary.
I'm the owner of a busy feline practice in Manhattan and finding time for vacation can be tricky. All work and no play, however, makes for a cranky veterinarian, so when one of my doctors offered to work an extra two days around Memorial Day weekend, I seized the opportunity and set my sights on the Netherlands.
Although most people cite world-class museums, beautiful canals, tulips, and windmills as the primary enticements for a trip to Holland's enthralling capital, my primary motivation was to visit the Poezenboot -- Amsterdam's famous floating feline shelter.
The Poezenboot (pronounced "poozin-boat") tale began in 1966 when a family of stray cats set up shop under a tree bordering Amsterdam's Herengracht canal. Worried that these cats were struggling to fend for themselves, a good Samaritan named Henriette van Weelde took them into her home. Word spread about Henriette's compassion and people began to bring her cats that they found or couldn't keep. Before long, she had amassed a collection of cats that she could no longer properly care for.
Noting that people were living comfortably in houseboats on the Herengracht canal, it occurred to Henriette that cats could do the same. In 1968, van Weelde bought a Dutch sailing barge. She refurbished the interior and the first cats were moved in, accompanied by a dedicated bunch of volunteers to help love and care for them. Eventually, the cats outgrew their first home and a new one was purchased in 1971. In 1979, van Weelde bought a substantially larger boat. It was overhauled in 2001 to meet all the legal requirements for a modern shelter and now exists as the current Poezenboot.
Part 6
ReplyDeleteAdoption area is free of odor
The first thing I noticed upon entering the cat area was the smell: there was none. The adoption area is spotless and odorless. The only things that litter the floor on this cat boat are cat toys, cat beds, and scratching posts.
I was given a detailed tour of the boat by Ruth Wearing, a volunteer. As I crouched down to pat an elderly mackerel-and-white cat named Kiss, Wearing, in her charming British accent, told me his story. On three occasions, Kiss was placed in a home and all three times he found his way back -- voluntarily -- to the Poezenboot. Kiss' homecoming tendencies were influenced more by love, however, than by instinct. Apparently Kiss missed his girlfriend Granny, a sassy little calico who also lives on the boat. Now too attached to each other to be separated -- and too loved by the staff to be parted with -- Kiss and Granny are happily living out their lives together as permanent residents of the boat.
Judith Gobets is the manager of the Poezenboot. If multitasking were considered an art, then Gobets deserves her own wing in Amsterdam's van Gogh museum. Her job includes a little bit of anything and everything.
"I guess you could say that my job is to keep the Poezenboot afloat," she says. "I buy cat food. I take cats to the veterinarian. I do all of the paperwork. And, of course, I spend a lot of my time trying to raise money."
She informed me that cats come to this floating sanctuary for various reasons. Some are strays taken off the streets. Others are brought in by owners who are moving, develop cat allergies, or are unable to cope with behavioral issues such as inappropriate elimination or destructiveness.
Part 7
ReplyDeleteBoat can accommodate 30 cats
The boat is only equipped to handle up to 30 cats at one time. If there's room, donors are asked to provide documentation that their cats are up-to-date on vaccinations. This saves the boat money and makes the cat more adoptable. In a typical month, the boat takes in about 15 cats and adopts out roughly the same number. The staff has managed to adopt out blind and even paralyzed cats. Once released from their initial two weeks in quarantine, cats are housed in cages where they can be viewed by prospective adopters.
Cats who have not been adopted after a period of time are not doomed to a life of cage confinement, however. Rather, they are introduced into the uncaged colony where they can stretch their legs and socialize with their peers. The more feral cats are used to other cats and they assimilate into the group more easily.
"Some of the uncaged cats are not for re-homing," says Gobets. "They are too feral and would not be happy having people so close by."
These cats are not euthanized. The Poezenboot is a no-kill shelter. Euthanasia, when it occurs, is only out of medical necessity and never due to lack of space or difficulty in finding a suitable home.
I enjoyed socializing with the cats on the boat, but as the medical editor of Catnip and a veterinarian who specializes in treating cats, I was curious about the medical management aboard this boat. As one might imagine, managing the health of these cats can be a challenge. In the past, veterinarians used to visit the boat regularly to handle issues of health. Unfortunately, Gobets said it is difficult to get veterinarians to come to the boat regularly. If a cat gets sick, he or she is taken to a local veterinary clinic for treatment. Fortunately, the local veterinarian offers medical services at a discount for these boat cats.
Part 8
ReplyDeleteNew arrivals are quarantined
When a cat arrives at Poezenboot, he or she is quarantined for the mandatory two weeks as a medical precaution to prevent the spread of any infections. The quarantine ward is completely separated from the rest of the boat. In fact, you have to exit the boat, walk a few steps on the street, and descend a separate set of steps to enter it. Cats are held in quarantine for two weeks, giving ample time for owners to claim their wayward cat. If no one puts in a claim, the cat is then moved into the adoption area. The quarantine ward can hold up to nine cats.
All of the cats on the boat are tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and are given appropriate vaccinations before adoption. All are spayed or neutered as well as microchipped before they can be adopted out. In Holland, microchipping of pets is the law.
If any cat shows signs of infectious disease -- sneezing, ringworm, diarrhea, etc. -- he or she is moved to quarantine and then promptly taken to a veterinarian. Poezenboot staff members are particularly vigilant about upper respiratory infections, as these can spread quickly through a cat population. It's easy to monitor things like diarrhea or excessive thirst and urination in cats who live in cages, but it can be a challenge to track these things in the cats who freely roam the boat.
If bloody diarrhea or too much urine is seen in a communal litter box, the suspected cat is either isolated for further scrutiny or the volunteers are told to be on high alert that one of the cats may have an illness brewing.
"One reason why we use shredded paper in the litter boxes," says Wearing, "is that it allows us to monitor urine output better than clay litter."
During my tour, I peeked inside the food cupboard and quickly recognized the European versions of the same premium therapeutic diets that I use in my own hospital in New York City. Wearing informed me that diet is taken very seriously on the Poezenboot. There were bags and cans of prescription diets that address urinary issues, failing kidneys, and gastrointestinal conditions.
I concluded my tour of the Poezenboot where I entered, at the reception desk, where I noticed T-shirts and other items for sale. With all the proceeds going right back into the boat, I purchased three shirts and a Poezenboot calendar. The shirt is now my favorite souvenir of the trip.
Henriette van Weelde, the original founder of this floating cat sanctuary, died in 1987, but her legacy lives on thanks to the devotion of a dedicated staff determined to reach out to Amsterdam's stray cat population. The success and survival of the Poezenboot is entirely dependent on the generosity of others. To make a donation and learn more about this remarkable sanctuary, visit www.poezenboot.nl.
Part 9
ReplyDeleteThis is the second newsletter:
"The New York Companion" -- Part 1
" "The New York Companion" is a free, quarterly New York City-based community newspaper that exclusively reports animal news. Although neutral in their reporting, they aim to provide those who further animal rights with a new forum through which to have their voices heard."
Their website is:
https://www.newyorkcompanion.com/
There are lots of stories about people who've rescued abused, neglected animals and have started rescue programs, such as senior pets for seniors. There's also an article about the rescue and rehab of the 51 Michael Vick Dogs. A book came out on Sept. 16, 2010 called "The Lost Dogs - Michael Vick's Dogs and their Tales of Rescue and Redemption" by Jim Gorant.
There are a lot of stories about NYC rescue groups that have been formed to get animals out of shelters that euthanize, such as CACC, Center for Animal Care and Control, which was started as a no-kill shelter in NYC in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. They euthanize after 3 days. There's an article in this newsletter about their new director, the eighth one in eight years.
There are several stories about animals who had really bad stories with happy endings. Also, there are several stories about people who are doing interesting and creative things to help needy animals, especially pit bulls.
One of several heartwarming stories is "A Will to Live: Beaten Half to Death, Emma's Struggle for Survival" by Michael D. Mullins. Left for dead along Riverside Drive, a resilient young cat gets a second chance in life courtesy of Anjellicle Cats Rescue. (Michael D. Mullins is the publisher of "The New York Companion".)
The website is:
https://www.newyorkcompanion.com/2010_Winter_Emma.html
Part 10
ReplyDelete"The New York Companion" -- Part 2
Another fascinating story is "World's Fastest Land Animal Races toward Extinction" by Michael D. Mullins. This is about cheetahs, perhaps the most interesting of the big cats. They are becoming extinct because of destruction of their habitat. Eons ago the majority of cheetahs died because of climate change, leaving a small population with little genetic diversity (homozygous), rather than heterozygous, which is what prevents other species from developing serious health problems as a result of recessive genes. In effect, all cheetahs are severely inbred and therefore their continued existence is a great challenge aside from their natural habitat having become severely depleted over the last century.
Website:
https://www.newyorkcompanion.com/2010_Winter_Cheetah.html
There are quite a number of other really interesting stories, including some about people who have been convicted and sent to prison for acts of animal cruelty.
There are also photos and stories of pets up for adoption at the ASPCA and much, much more.
The website for free online subscriptions and $25 per year print subscriptions is:
https://www.newyorkcompanion.com/Subscription.html
Check it out. Read the stories to your furry babies...
NYC Animal News
www.newyorkcompanion.com
The New York Companion is a free, quarterly, New York City-based newspaper that exclusively reports animal news. Our purpose is to advance animal welfare through increasing awareness and encouraging resident involvement.