The Blind Cats of Home for Life

Animals are resourceful and courageous about living their life to the fullest, always focusing on what they CAN do and not their lack and limitations. Among our many dogs and cats who are blind, it is apparent that they compensate by relying on their other senses: hearing, touch smell and taste.Their other senses become especially acute to allow them not only to get by but also to relish their lives. At Home for Life, we reinforce and develop these senses by feeding tasty, high quality and aromatic food, playing beautiful classical and jazz music, providing brushing and grooming to keep their coats clean and healthy and stimulate their sense of touch and by providing safe access to the outdoors where even our blind cats can enjoy the fresh smell of springtime grass and the crisp fall weather, the sounds of birds singing and the quiet settling sounds as evening falls. Their disability has not stopped our blind cats from learning, growing, and enjoying life's simple pleasures.

VERA:
Vera is a 3 year old blind cat from the Animal Humane Society in Minneapolis who came there as a stray. She has a beautiful short and shiny, dense, black fur coat and wide green eyes. Their veterinary staff noticed some abnormalities in her eyes and diagnosed her with bilateral mydriasis. After a month on the adoption floor at the humane society, she was able to see an eye specialist, and there it was discovered that she really had bilateral retinal atrophy which caused permanent vision loss (she only has the ability to tell light from dark); there is no treatment for the condition.

Since Vera appeared healthy otherwise and was already spayed and felv/fiv negative, the AHS asked Home for Life to take her in. At the sanctuary, Vera enjoys the spacious cattery and has a favorite perch- atop the cat scratch teepees. She drapes herself on the peak, her paws hanging on either side.From this prominent position, it is obvious that she feels she will readily attract attention from staff and visitors for extra attention and affection. After the floors are swept ,vacumed and mopped each day, the teepees are always replaced in about the same position as Vera has memorized the lay out of the cattery and major furniture pieces to easily negotiate her path in the cattery to feel at home and safe.

SUNSHINE: Sunshine is blind, most likely from birth, due to optic nerve atrophy. She is a young spayed female, medium-sized with a plush silver tabby coat. Although she is a short-haired cat, her rescue group described her as a Persian mix, probably because her coat is so thick. Her beautiful green eyes, even though sightless, are expressive in her sweet round face.

Sunshine was rescued by a Minnesota foster group, Pleading Paws. She had been abandoned at an old farm where she lived with many other unwanted cats. The owner of the property, an elderly gentleman, tried his best to feed and care for the cats but was overwhelmed. Sunshine, along with over 30 other cats, was living outside on her caretaker's property, doing her best to survive. Her clipped left ear tip reveals that the rescue had worked to spay and neuter as many cats in the colony as possible. Pleading Paws was slowly trying to get all the cats placed into homes but was most worried about Sunshine as she was so vulnerable—without the ability to see she was fair game for predators and cars, and would have little chance of surviving a harsh Minnesota winter outdoors.

Sunshine's past left her shy with strangers. She does not like to be picked up, but enjoys quiet pets and conversation. Her head moves back and forth as if to pick up the surrounding sensations, sounds, and smells with her whiskers, nose and ears.


Sunshine's strong survival instinct enabled her to adapt quickly to life at the sanctuary. She moves around the cattery with ease and has no trouble finding her favorite food among the bowls and plates of canned food that we serve for "kitty brunch" each day. The other cats, like most members of an evolved feline society, accept Sunshine as she is and welcomed her as a new friend at Home for Life®.

It was serendipitous when Pleading Paws proposed that Sunshine come to Home for Life®.
We had just lost one of our longtime residents, a Shepherd/Lab mix who was also named Sunshine. Sunshine the dog was rescued as a young puppy from a terrible situation in Baldwin, Wisconsin. The homeowner had several dogs on the property and was not feeding them or providing shelter. Dead puppies only weeks old were found frozen to the ground, and the adult dogs were desperate, dehydrated, and starving. The living dogs were taken in by Second Chance Rescue, of the Twin Cities, MN whose goal was to disperse them to various other groups for adoption. Sunshine, an older mixed-breed puppy with an extremely timid personality, came to Home for Life® when no other rescue group would take her. She received her name from the vet clinic, where they called her "their little ray of sunshine on a cloudy November day." Although she remained shy with strangers, she became a sweet and well loved member of Home for Life®, where she had many canine friends, especially Iris the blue cattle dog. When the cat named Sunshine, with such a similar background, needed our help so soon after Sunshine the dog passed away, it seemed like fate. In a special way, Sunshine the dog lives on in our beautiful new cat.

RUDY:

Although Rudy, also known as Rudolph, is blind, he seems to know how sleek and handsome he is. His appearance is exotic—almost Abyssinian—but his origins are humble. His owners dropped him, along with a female calico, at a Minnesota farm in the middle of winter, abandoning them to either the farmers' care or a certain death from starvation and exposure. The farm family took pity on Rudy and his companion and gave them shelter in a garage. However, the family was struggling financially and could not provide vet care for the cats, who were suffering from exposure and ear mites.
When Home for Life® learned of the cats' plight, we arranged for a vet to treat them, hoping that once they received rudimentary care, they could find homes. An adopter was found for the calico, but no one wanted blind Rudy. The farm family could not keep him, and they claimed that he had tested positive for feline leukemia. We did not want Rudy to infect the other farm cats, and we knew he would not survive the harsh winter in an unheated garage, so we agreed to take him in. Upon Rudy's arrival at Home for Life®, we retested him for leukemia only to learn he was negative. So, Rudy joined our uninfected cats in the north cattery, after he was neutered.

Rudy is delighted to be at Home for Life®, where he can live the life he is certain he deserves.
His blindness and hardscrabble past have not diminished his excellent 'opinion of himself. Other cats who are rude enough to allow Rudy to bump into them receive a hiss and a swift swat. The other cats, being a benevolent bunch, simply roll their eyes and keep moving.Rudy has decided that reclining on the futon is the best way to spend his day, and he plants himself in the dead center of the couch, stretches out full length, and enjoys the classical music piped into the cattery. It is great to see Rudy land on his feet, like any reputable feline can, with his self esteem and attitude intact.

CELESTE:

Celeste came from Roberts, Wisconsin, where she lived

outdoors as a stray in a trailer park. She was blind and survived only because kind residents of the park made sure to leave food and water out for her that she could easily find. Rescued as a young adult, she was admitted to Home for Life just as winter approached.

When we met Celeste it was evident that she was not feral though she had been living on her own and wandering the trailer park for at least six months. She obviously recognized kindness and caring and benefitted from it because, normally, a blind cat outdoors alone who was feral would never have survived for long, nor have made friends with nearby people.

After her arrival at the sanctuary, we took Celeste to a veterinary opthalmologist. The doctor believed that Celeste's lack of eyes was the result of a birth defect, and that she never had the gift of sight. She was born with very small undeveloped eyes, and has never been able to see. The eye sockets, open holes to her head, still needed to be closed to prevent the chance of an infection. The undeveloped eye tissue was removed and the sockets and eye lids closed to prevent the chance of infection.

Not only is Celeste blind but she is positive for leukemia,which was discovered at the time she was admitted and routine screening was done by our veterinarian. Leukemia positive and blind, it is simply astonishing that Celeste survived as a stray as long as she did.

Celeste has been at Home for Life since 2006 and has always resided in our cattery devoted to our feline leukemia cats. She has blossomed in the secure and loving environment of our sanctuary.She can find her way around the cattery, to the food and water dishes and her favorite chair, and even through the cat doors to go outside, where she loves to be in the summer months. Like all our blind animals, Celeste was able to learn the layout of a room and use that knowledge as long as the landmarks remain in the same place. Despite being leukemia positive, she has enjoyed excellent health and is in beautiful condition. Celeste is a dilute calico with muted patches of grey and peach against a soft white fur coat. She loves to give hugs and loves to be held. Listening for the sound of staff and visitors she will eagerly approach to seek attention. With her gentle and calm purr-sonality, we have recruited Celeste as a therapy cat, for our Peace Creatures program. Celeste regularily travels from Home for Life to Minneapolis with our volunteers to visit the small children who are living in a battered women's shelters as their mothers attempt to rebuild their lives. These children,deeply impacted by domestic abuse, are delighted to meet the loving Celeste and learn about her inspiring story of how she has thrived despite all she has faced-abandonment, disability and disease. She loves the children and doesn't even mind the car rides to get to the domestic abuse shelter, and the exhuberance of the kids that greets her arrival.

This wonderful photo of Celeste enjoying a spot of sunshine in the cattery reveals her resiliant spirit, and her ability to make the most of all the opportunities in her life : a ray of sunshine though the cattery window on a winter day, the kindness of strangers at the trailer park where she was rescued, her good health despite being positive for leukemia, the care she has received at Home for Life from our caring staff who always make sure the cattery landmarks are where she can reference them to get around, and the love of the children who look forward to her visit each month.

STORMY:

Stormy is another of the Home for Life cats who has no eyes. Unlike Celeste who was born with no eyes, Stormy lost his sight through an injury. Because Stormy could once see, there is a difference in his demeanor as compared to Celeste, who was born blind and has never known otherwise. Stormy had beeen born able to see and to rely on his sight so the loss of his eyes through injury as an adult cat created a profound challenge for him.

Stormy, a recovering tom cat,was running as a stray in a trailer park in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. A rescue group called St. Francis of Forest Lake, MN initiated a trapy/neuter/release program for the many cats who ran loose in the park,most of whom were feral or untamed.

While setting traps and making ready their prepareations for the widespread feral cat operation, representatives from St. Francis observed a cat who was obviously blind, frantically running into the buildings and around the trailer homes. He was thin and had obviously been struggling to survive for a long time. They were able to trap the cat, and called Home for Life to ask if we could help him.

Stormy was neutered, and then we arranged for a veterinary ophthalmologist to evaluate his eyes to see what could be done. Sadly, the doctor discoverd that Stormy was blind in both eyes with no hope for future vision. The specialist determined that Stormy had suffered trauma to the skull, from either a car or most likely, from a kick or a smack with a bat or shovel. The severe head trauma resulted in retinal detachments and bleeding in both eyes with cataract formations. When there is enough inflammation to cause the eye to shrink, as Stormy's had, there is a chance of a future tumor in the eye called " post traumatic sarcoma". The decision was made to have the non- visual eyes removed and the eyelids closed over the empty sockets to prevent any chance of tumors forming and infections occurring. The financial support to help Stormy and pay for his surgeries were available from our Emergency Medical Care Fund, which underwrites treatment for animals admitted to Home for Life with serious injuries or illnesses.

Stormy has been a t Home for Life for several years now and courageously, has done his best to put the hard times behind him. Initially, he stayed in the outdoor cat run at all times and had to be fed out there. He only ventured indoors to the cattery late at night. Although tolerant of petting and not feral, he did not seek contact and was very wary and timid, as if he had lost all confidence in life and himself now that he was blind. But the appeal of regular mealtimes, a warm place to live, a soft bed and kind people to care for him finally persuaded Stormy that life was worth living as a tamer cat. He will never be the life of the party, but he now enjoys receiving attention from our staff and also eagerly awaits his daily canned food cat brunch.

Many cats that are identified as feral are simply stray cats- house cats who have been turned loose outside and abandoned to fend for themselves. They grow cautious out of necessity,but once their confidence is won again,they readily take to being cared for like the most loving of house cats. Stormy's turn around, as documented in this photo of him posing on the peak of the catscratch teepee, has been especially gratifying as he had so much to overcome: an abusive, neglectful past, a label of " feral" and also the trauma which left him blind and vulnerable. Stormy bravely faced these challenges- the pain from his injuries and the surgeries, and the unfamiliarity of a new home to which he had to adapt- despite being unable to see. In some ways life was harder for Stormy because, when he was able to see, he experienced fear and trauma. Those memories were what he was left with when he lost his sight. Even after he became blind, he must have retained the visual memory of the fear,neglect and abuse he suffered. Once he became blind, those traumatic memories were all he had to rely on, and they didn't serve him any longer in his new life except to make him shy and wary. Nurturing his other senses, with every expectation that Stormy would be able to fully enjoy his life even though blind, helped him build the positive experiences that allowed him to leave his painful past behind. 

One Lucky Cat: How Home for Life Animal Sanctuary Saved Patches

Written By Ira Fischer
Recently, I visited the local kennel to check-out its boarding facilities. As I walked by one of the cages, I noticed that the cat inside was rubbing his head against the wire mesh door and purring. I reached into the cage and began petting him. Instantly, love and affection oozed from this cat (so much for the myth of the aloofness of felines). I noticed that there was a tag on his cage. It indicated that the cat’s name was Patches. It also indicated that he was up for adoption.


Puzzled that Patches was up for adoption, I asked the attendant what were the circumstances that brought this about. I learned that Patches was given to the kennel about six months earlier by someone who had lost her home through foreclosure. I was also informed that Patches had Feline Leukemia Virus (“FeLV”), a deadly virus that can be transmitted between cats. I was surprised, since Patches showed no outward signs of being in ill health. Indeed, my observations were that his eyes were clear and bright, his coat was full and shiny, and he was perky and very playful. Amazingly, although heart-wounded and confused by finding himself homeless - - the victim of a housing crisis he cannot understand - - love, nevertheless, still radiated from within Patches.

I was deeply saddened to learn about the unfortunate predicament that Patches was in and could not get him off my mind. The disturbing thought kept coming back of such a beautiful animal condemned to live out his life in a cold, metal cage. Given the grossly disproportionate number of homeless cats to available homes, the prospects of an adult cat being adopted was not very promising. Consequently, Patches, who was estimated to be about five years old, already had one strike against him. Couple this with the diagnosis of FeLV made an already difficult situation virtually impossible.

The realization that oftentimes life is not always fair did little to ease my troubled thoughts of the sad plight of this beautiful animal with the seemingly indomitable spirit. The nagging question tugged at my side of how much longer could Patches continue to be confined, until his spirit would be broken and he would no longer rub his head and purr with each passerby, having given up hope of finding the home that he so desperately needed. More importantly, was the question of how much longer would the kennel maintain Patches until he might be euthanized.

Out of frustration, I wrote an article about Patches’ story with the hope that it might result in finding a home for him to live out the remaining time in his life. Unfortunately, this effort was to no avail. Also, pleas to local shelters fell upon deaf ears, once they heard that Patches had FeLV. However, one shelter, Feline Fiends of Florida, mentioned they knew of a place that accepted cats with FeLV. That was the first time I learned of “Home For Life” and its dedicated work on behalf of homeless companion pets, and, in particular, those with special needs.

Immediately, the article about Patches was sent to Home For Life with a request that they provide him with a permanent home. As I was waiting for their reply, I read on their website that there are two tests to determine if a cat is FeLV-positive. The most commonly used test is ELISA, which is typically performed in a veterinarian’s office, but the website noted that ELISA can produce a false-positive. It also noted that there was another test for FeLV, which is done in a medical laboratory, and its results are considered conclusive. The name of that test is Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (“IFA”).

Although it was a long shot, an IFA test presented a flickering hope for Patches. I contacted the vet in charge of the kennel and asked permission for Patches to be given an IFA test on the off-chance that he had a false-positive. The vet agreed. A few days later, I received a phone call with the test results. Patches was negative! The obvious implications for Patches meant a fighting chance to find a home. Beyond the implications for Patches, was the question of how many countless cats have been euthanized, or doomed to an existence in quarantine, and could have been spared by a simple confirmatory test. The lesson is that where ELISA is positive for FeLV, an extra step of a confirmatory IFA test should be taken before cat owners resign their pet (and themselves) to the consequences of this devastating disease.

While Patches had overcome his biggest battle, he still faced an uphill struggle in his search for a home. After learning that Patches was negative, I contacted Feline Friends to make them aware of the potential benefits of an IFA test and mentioned to one of its directors (Beth) that the shelter where Patches was housed did not have a website that promoted adoptions. Beth offered to post Patches for adoption on their website. Notwithstanding that Patches was in perfect health, the adoption posting did not lead to a home. Despite now being confined to a cage for nearly nine months, Patches had not given up hope. This was manifested when Patches would continue to rub his head and purr with each visit to the kennel to reassure him that he was not forgotten. It was as though, if Patches could speak, he might say: “Please, save me, so I can live the rest of my life as a happy cat with someone to love”.

The question remained, was there someone, somewhere - - an angel - - who would open their heart and give Patches the ultimate gesture of kindness, a loving home. Then one day, while I was visiting Feline Friends, a volunteer (Joyce) arrived and mentioned to Beth that she knew of someone who would be coming to the shelter with a view towards adopting a cat. Beth responded that I knew a cat named Patches who was in need of a home. When Joyce heard about the Patches article, she offered to send it to this lady. A few weeks later, I learned that this person would be going to the kennel to see Patches on the following day. My initial enthusiasm of this news was dashed, however, when Joyce mentioned that the woman really wanted a female cat. The following day, I received an e-mail from Joyce. The note read: “Wonderful News. Patches now has a new home. Marcia went to the kennel today and fell in love with him. She brought him home where he will be loved beyond belief. Patches sleeps with Marcia and follows her around like a puppy dog”.

Patches





_

After nine long months of being confined in a cage, Patches was finally free, free to follow his heart, and free to be with his angel. Sometime after the news, I was introduced to Marcia and she invited me to see Patches in his new home. Seeing Patches no longer in a cage was nothing less than sheer joy. Were it not for the critical piece of information on Home For Life’s website about a not so well known test for FeLV, which proved to be the turning point for Patches, this happy ending would not have been possible. It is only fitting to conclude this little story with a note of special thanks to Home For Life for making Patches - One Lucky Cat!
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Ira Fischer is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law is an attorney-at-law admitted to practice in the State of New York (now retired). Ira’s greatest passion is animal welfare and he is a member of  Home For Life’s Legacy Society. Ira’s Bio can be seen on his website: www.irafischer.com. The website’s theme is Kindness and  Compassion for Animals and it contains informative material for those interested in animal welfare. Readers are welcome to contact Ira Fischer at: ira@irafischer.com.

The Magical Season

Spring is here, and tour season at Home for Life is right around the corner. We officially open for tours the first weekend after Memorial Day and offer tours at least twice a week throughout the summer and fall. Tours are reserved for donors and sponsors who make our work possible, but we also offer at least one open house per season,where anyone is welcome who's interested in meeting our animals and seeing Home for Life.

We love to have kids visit Home for Life. Some of our animals are not especially amenable to children. But, there are several areas of the sanctuary that are safe for kids to visit where they can interact with the cats,dogs and other creatures we care for. Most kids find our catteries just fascinating. One child told me that the catteries were like going into butterfly exhibits where butterflies are at liberty in the enclosure to zoom around , alighting on people,then flying off. To enter the cat areas is really like going into a different world.

That experience must seem magical to a child. I tend to look at the cats and the catteries in terms of what needs to be fixed, cleaned more thoroughly,and which of the cats is ill,not eating, needs grooming,ect. It's wonderful to see the cats in their environment through the eyes of kids who are astonished, delighted and completely captivated, both by the cats who approach them and those going about their business, doing what cats do: cats of every size and color, some disabled, long fur, short fur, green eyes,blue eyes, yellow eyes. At Home for Life, all the cats are free to go where they want, moving in 3 dimensions, up and among the cat trees and teepees even going outside through their own catdoors. At our open house last year, several children had the opportunity to meet our cats. Here's Drew, an older cat,catching the attention of a little girl by playing with her hair.

At the same event, a little boy says hi to two of our elderly cats,Dot the calico on the left and Fritzl, who only recently passed away, in the picture on the right.

It's widely acknowledged that animals can provide therapeutic services to people of all ages who are sick.traumatized or wounded. But seldom discussed is the value of the reverse; what people and kids can do for animals who have been wounded and rejected and how all can flourish as a result For any kid simply encountering animals as fellow living beings with whom they share our world emphasizes the value of their understanding and appreciation and that giving is just as worthwhile as receiving. There is value in what people bring to their interaction with animals, especially ones like those at Home for Life who have had less than positive experiences with humans in their past,before coming to the sanctuary. Most kids do not need to hear the stories of what some of our animals have suffered before coming to Home for Life to benefit from the happiness to be had from meeting our animals halfway and having the animals respond . At the sanctuary they can expeirence first hand that approaching animals with an open heart is the key to building a bridge of appreciation and understanding with another living creature. Since the sanctuary is the home of our cats,where they know they are safe, they feel comfortable and confident greeting new people and even children, even though they rarely interact with kids.

Visiting our animals on their own turf offers a valuable perspective to kids where they have the chance to see the world from our animals' point of view and observe our cats where they can be themsleves in a protected environment. For all our visitors, adults and children, sanctuaries reveal that animals have the potential to be so much more than an accessory, an ego enhancement or a source of income, chores and messes or expense. The most valuable service a sanctuary provides is education to transform the way that people think about and treat animals. Sanctuaries can foster an appreciation of animals as as having worth in and of themselves as fellow living beings by allowing people to see and experience the world from the animals' perspective.

These photos were taken by Mark Luinenburg at our 2010 Open House, last August.

Home for Life's Leukemia Cats: In loving Memory of Ollie

Today we had to put down,Ollie, one of the feline leukemia cats at Home for Life. He had developed a swollen abdomen and had stopped eating. Bloodwork revealed that his liver was compromised, probably due to a tumor and that he had become very anemic with the leukemia virus affecting his bone marrow. He was just three years old.



These photos,taken in May, reveal Ollie's playful & curious personality as he reached out to touch the photographer's camera. It is hard to believe that he was fine just 6 weeks ago. Suddenly it seemed he became very quiet, then developed a cold and a high temperature. When we could not bring down his temperature with fluids and antibiotics we took him to the veterinarian and learned that his remaining time with us would not be long. We decided to help him pass today because with the extreme swelling of his stomach from the failure of his liver, we feared that he might go into respiratory distress.There is possibly no worse death than one from suffocation, and we did not want Ollie to arrest and die a struggling,terrible death. Even knowing the inevitable outcome, it is still heartbreaking to have to decide to end a life of one of our animals.It was stunning too, as Ollie declined rapidly and had been such a happy go lucky active cat.
Most cats with feline leukemia do have a shortened lifespan but we have had at least 2 of our cats live 8 years and I know of a couple of cats who lived for 17 years though positive for the virus. The virus compromises the immune system. Most leukemia positive cats do not have long lives,especially if they are born with the disease, infected in utero from a mother cat who is positive. Nonetheless until they get sick,which can happen quite suddenly as it did with Ollie, they are healthy and active as any cat. It seems more humane to give them as much quality time as possible even if they may not have as long a life as an unaffected cat. When I think of our leukemia positive cats I remember a Mexican saying:"Life is short but it's wide".These cats do seem to pack alot of zest for living in the time they have,and especially during the summer months.They have the biggest cat run at Home for Life and the nicest garden too - a beautiful perennial garden which is also a playground for bugs,butterflies, and gophers, providing endless entertainment for the cats this time of year. I remember Ollie outside all the time this spring but if he knew staff or a visitor was in the cattery, he would dash in through the catdoor to ask for attention. I didn't want to let him go without a mention. I will miss him and will still be looking for him on the cat cubbie and tree for a while. It is hard to realize he is gone forever.

Special Cats get Special Care at Home for Life or Home for Life Sanctuary is the Cat's Pajamas

Pictured above is Peaches, who is one of Home for Life's many paraplegic animals. She is enjoying the summer day out in the catrun attached to the cattery. Home for Life has three catteries, and all have attached cat runs.

She got out in the catrun by herself, maneuvering with her strong front legs and upper body to pull herself through the catdoor.

Peaches belonged to a family who let her roam outdoors. Some cruel person, a neighbor, shot her in the back when she was only a year old. Somehow, she was able to drag herself back to her family and her home.They did bring her to the vet,but the bullet had caused such damage to the spine that she was not able to regain mobility, and she was also now incontinent. Peaches needed to have her bladder expressed and help keeping clean. The family loved their cat and did a good job taking care of her as long as they could.

However, like so many others, Peaches' family was experiencing financial problems and was unable to stay in their home. With their relocation, they were unable to bring Peaches with them.They pleaded with Home for Life to take her.They told us that if we did not they did not know what they could do and sadly, would have no choice but to put her to sleep.

I just hate it when Home for Life is put in the position of having to take the animal to spare him/her from the owner's putting it down. We receive this ultimatum too often from owners,shelters and rescues who threaten us with this "ultimate solution" - I suppose out of desperation and thinking that if they threaten us with the death of the animal we will feel guilty and/or responsible enough to try to find room for just one more. This occurs with all types of animals in need, not just paraplegics. I especially hate it when organizations who call themselves "rescues" threaten to euthanize their animals if we won't take them. Emotional blackmail. We have been sworn at, called insulting names, told that if we won't help the animal in question the death of the animal will be our fault,ect. When a "rescuer" resorts to talking to me this way, that will be the last time we deal with them. Almost worse is the cold voice stating the alternative if we cannot take the animal- as if they are indifferent about having to put the animal down if we cannot take it. Depressing.

But we digress. In the case of Peaches, as with almost any paraplegic,there are very few options for them,with rescues,shelters or even most sanctuaries. Paraplegics take alot of work and creativity to care for to ensure them a quality life. It takes patience, work, and imagination to picture the potential of the animal instead of focusing on the limiations. Dogs will usually be helped before cats but not always. The incontinence as much of the lack of mobility cause the hesitation to help them. Also the prevailing idea is that if an animal cannot ambulate they must have no quality of life. That position is pretty ignorant. Most animals want to live if they can and will make the best of their situation, focusing on what they CAN do not their lack. If they can enjoy the sun,tasty food, treats and attention,the company of their dog or cat friends, the animal still has quality of life that should be preserved and cherished.

So,three years ago, when Peaches was offered to HFL, we knew she had few if no options and it was either accept her at HFL or let her be killed. So of course we took her!

Peaches is a large female, and from what I understand an unusual color for a female cat- most orange cats are males. At the time she was surrendered, she had long thick fur, and while the owners had done their best, she was difficult to keep clean. At HFL Peaches is kept in a lioncut with her head long and the lion plume on her tail but with her body shaved close.This haircut is more than aesthetic though she does look very pretty with this style- the close cropped fur allows us to ensure that she can be easily and quickly cleaned up if she has an accident.The skin will quickly breakdown from urine scald if permitted to remain on the skin-urine is very acidic and harsh on the skin. All our paraplegic animals receive twice daily bathing to help them keep hygenic. In the case of Peaches, the water therapy helped heal the pressure sores she arrived with and now keeps her skin clean. After she is bathed, she is dried in the cage dyer where she socializes with other paraplegic cats including Rory,another of our cats who was shot in the back and lost the use of her back legs. Paraplegic animals who have been injured often cannot totally void their bladders without help so the staff assigned to their care each shift expresses the bladder at each bath time. Urine left in the bladder will cause infections to which these special need animals are prone. We use prodcuts that protect the skin from abrasions like Alu-Spray( a product used for horses that rub their faces on fences), and sprays to help heal and prevent infections.

The paraplegic cats do not use carts as most of our dogs do. We have found that the cats resent the restriction the cart imposes on them. They are much happier being free to move under their own power.

With the paraplegic animals,we study how they move and where the pressure points are. We strive to afford our paraplegic animals the most freedom that we can. They would be easier to care for if caged all the time but our cats think they are like any other and refuse to admit there is anything they cannot do.They use the litter box, go outside and climb the cat trees. Through observing their movement it becomes clear where they will need extra protection to prevent the development of pressure wounds. This is where creativity and imagination come in. With Peaches, she is a heavier cat and to move pulls herself along on her hip and upper leg- very difficult areas to keep bandaged. Dogs and cats have no shoulders so it is difficult to keep any kind of bandage on by anchoring it to their upper body. After some consideration and experimentation, the staff came up with the idea of a baby Onesie for Peaches. The outfit covers the area that is prone to abrasions as she moves along.To keep it on,we tape it around her waist. Initially Peaches was indignant at being dressed like a doll but now has come to accept the process of getting dressed each morning and evening and appreciates the freedom she enjoys once the routine is completed. I have fun shopping at Target and Walmart in the baby department for her outfits.

She is free of any sores and can move along in the cattery and in the cat run as she likes. Her feet are also bandaged like a race horse to prevent the sores that can develop as she moves along.

We first apply the ointments or Alushield after her water therapy,then gauze pads and gauze wrap,tape and then colorful Vet Wrap. There is a real art to bandaging the legs of our dogs and cats: the trick is to get the wrap snug enough so it will stay on during the animals' active days without cutting off the circulation in their legs.

Rory,the tiger cat in the first photo above,who is much lighter,lifts herself up on her front legs as she moves along at lightning speed. With Rory, only her one back leg tends to drag as she moves and so that is the only leg that is wrapped and only the lower part that tends to chafe. I have heard of animals and people who experience phantom feelings or even pain in missing limbs and sometimes it seems like

that happens with Rory;she appears to be trying to scratch her back with her hind legs and you can see her mind telling her hind legs to scratch, and her legs trembling as she tries to do so but cannot due to the damage from the shooting.

Both Peaches and Rory are adventerous. It was probably their intrepid spirits which got them into trouble. Rory was found in the city of Minneapolis by the police after someone had shot her.She had been exploring in an alley and like Peaches was barely a year old when injured.However this boldness probably accounts for determination of both girls to make the most of their lives-they used up at least half the nine they were allotted when the survived their injuries. Both cats love nothing better than to come out and sit in the grass while I weed the flower gardens. They love to semi-hide in the tall grass and watch as I work, catch bugs and focus on the birds that visit the nearby feeders and birdbaths. Through the efforts of our staff these two cats can still enjoy their lives to the fullest despite their disabilities.

Namesakes at Home for Life Animal Sanctuary

On the left is one of our newest cats. This is Spyder a six month old kitten,named for the manufacturer of my ski jacket and also for the late ski racer Spyder Sabich. He( Spyder the skier) was killed by his girlfriend, the former wife of singer Andy Williams, Claudine Longet.( Remember them?) Spyder the kitten kind of looked like a daddy long legs as he walked,picking up one foot after another very deliberately.But I also wanted to give Spyder,the kitten,who has hyperplasia cerebellum( like cerebal palsy,caused by pre-natal distemper infection) the name of a skilled and celebrated athlete to imbue him with the courage he would need to live as much as possible like a normal cat. Spyder was found outside in rural Wisconsin, the runt of a litter of kittens born outside. The people who brought him to HFL late last fall( actually bringing him to the Mall of America while we were at our Holiday Event) did not believe he would survive the winter on his own with his disability. Spyder is very bashful, and we have never heard him meow. He is still small for his age. He absolutely loves to be pet and leans into your hand at the slightest show of attention and affection.Thank god he was not left outside this winter to starve and freeze.

I have named some of our other physically disabled animals after athletes but I may have to rethink this practice.

Before Spyder, I named a young disabled dog Tiger- after Tiger Woods. Tiger is pictured on the far left. Tiger the dog came to HFL in 2007 with deformity of the hind legs caused by malnutrition. He underwent two separate and complicated orthopedic surgeries to correct the legs to give him some hope of having the ability to walk and run without experiencing pain -he was only 6 months old when he came to the sanctuary and could not run or even walk without severe pain. The surgeries were mostly successful although Tiger still stands somewhat knock-knee-ed. He does run and walk now,though he seems to get more tired than a dog his age should. Tiger went on to complete the Renaissance program and become a therapy dog. He also stumped the Canine DNA kit when a reporter from the St. Paul Pioneer Press tried it out on him. She took an inner cheek swab and sent it into the DNA company for analysis but they could not determine his heritage.Tiger's breed mix is anyone's guess,but he looks like like he could be part lab,pit bull and ??

Meanwhile Tiger Woods, the golfer, Tiger's namesake, has his own problems- coming in 4th in the Masters, the Vanity Fair magazine article,ect.

Have you ever read those articles about naming children? It seems important to give a child a popular name if you want them to be popular,successful ect. So naming a girl Winifred may create alot of problems for a kid whereas if they had a sweet or cute name like Ashley,Christie,ect they will have less hurdles in life. A name,your identity and what you are called,even for an animal can help make life easier. Giving our animals who already have challenges the name of a popular and gifted athlete seemed a way to give them a boost in what could undoubtedly be a difficult life.

The turn of events for Tiger the golfer has been very shocking to say the least and nothing that we could have anticipated when we named Tiger the dog after him in 2007. When we thought of naming our dog after the great golfer, we thought of his incredible athletic talent, his drive,his focus and his success. With all that has happened to the golfer, we could just say that Tiger the dog was named for his brindle coat. But we were not thinking of Tiger Wood's personal life when we named our beloved puppy after him; we just wanted to give him a name full of hope for better days ahead when he could move gracefully,with ease and without pain .