We currently have 3 permanent residents at the Cat Clinic. Here are their photos and stories (BIG thanks to our resident photographer, Cindy Cook!):
Boots
Boots is the original “clinic cat” she has been with us since November 1997. Boots was an owned cat who was brought in because she was dragging her hind legs. Our vets soon discovered that Boots, who had been an indoor-outdoor cat, had been shot. She had a pellet lodged in her spine, which was causing the paralysis of her hind limbs. Due to the location of the pellet, surgery to remove it was not an option. Boots was only about a year old, but she would never walk again.
Her owners at the time decided that supportive care for Boots, including expressing her bladder multiple times daily, was more than they could handle so they signed ownership of her over to the clinic. Poor Boots was a bit of a mess! She had fleas and ear mites, and we later found out that she also had heartworm. The staff worked diligently to get her cleaned up and healthy, and she soon became a favorite of everyone.
Boots gets around well, and doesn’t let her paralysis get her down! She had a wheeled cart for awhile that allowed her to move around in a more “traditional” stance, but she quickly let people know that her preference was to just scoot along using her strong front paws to propel herself. She knows that she is the boss cat around here, and doesn’t let the other cats get away with any nonsense! Boots will keep all the adoptable cats and kittens in line, as well as the other resident cats. She is most happy when she can find another cat to be her snuggle buddy though.
Boots is now in her teen years and, while she is still doing well, the years of having to have her bladder manually expressed have taken a toll on her. Many regular cat clinic clients have noticed that she now wears a diaper to keep her cleaner and drier. She and Sherman have become very good friends lately, and spend most of their time snuggling on the front counter.
Boots is an exceptional cat and brings much joy to everyone at the clinic.
Marty
Marty, whose full name is Martin Luther, was brought to the clinic in January of 2009 after being abandoned in an apartment building. Luckily one of the buildings residents found him and brought him to us. Marty was an underweight and unneutered young male, about a year and a half old, when he came to us. He was also infested with fleas and had tapeworms. Upon his initial exam, it was discovered that Marty had a severe heart murmur and a visit with the cardiologist would be necessary.
His cardiac evaluation was not promising; it showed that he had severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and his prognosis was extremely guarded. Dr. Brown, our fabulous visiting cardiologist, gave Marty a medication regime of three different meds divided into 2 doses. He also advised us to enjoy our time with Marty as we probably wouldn’t get much. Due to his health issues, and the fact that we weren’t sure how long he would be around, we decided to make Marty a clinic cat.
Thankfully, Marty has defied the odds and is still going strong over 2 years later! He is a complete joy and brings much laughter to our lives. Marty knows how cute he is and uses it to his advantage; he is very mischievous and playful. Marty is a staff and client favorite who enjoys being the center of attention. He loves drinking out of the faucets, attacking paper towel rolls, and bothering Bitty Bear. You can usually tell how feisty Marty has been in a day by how dirty his fluffy white paws are!
In the words of our adoption coordinator Kristen, “Marty is just the best cat ever!”
Bitty Bear
Bitty Bear, who’s full name is Professor Baron Von Bittsworth Esq., came to the clinic in January of 2004 as a young semi feral stray with a severely swollen and painful left hind leg. The decision was made to try to fix his leg and, if he could be tamed, adopt him out once he was healed. Bitty’s leg injury was so drastic that we had to call in an orthopedic surgeon to perform the repair. The injury turned out to be a torn, (shredded in the words of Dr. Gumbs!), caudal cruciate ligament and a partially damaged cranial cruciate ligament. Arthritis was noted in his knee as well. His prognosis was guarded and it was possible that he could never regain use of his leg.
Luckily for Bitty Bear the surgery was successful and weeks of cage confinement and good care by the doctors and staff at the clinic helped his leg to heal very well. He occasionally favors that leg, and often sits with the left rear extended, but he runs, jumps, climbs, and plays just like any cat!
Also luckily for Bitty the entire staff fell in love with him during his recuperation period and he slowly morphed into a clinic cat. By the time someone showed serious interest in adopting him he had become such a fixture at the clinic that it was decided he belonged here. Over the years Bitty has had other issues to deal with; his extreme shyness, his terrible gingivitis that led to the extraction of all his teeth, and his occasional coughing that was diagnosed as heartworm infection from his days living on the streets. He has rebounded from all these issues however, and has become a very outgoing and friendly cat. He even comes up front to greet clients and be petted which was unheard of when he first started living at the clinic. Bitty Bear is an important member of our feline staff and we are happy to have him!
