I have a story to tell of love, compassion, courage and heart. This story begins with one and extends now to increasing hearts, spirits and lives.
Bear with me please, while I craft the journey. In order to see and feel the story, I must start at the beginning.
I am a veterinary nurse, and have been so for 30 years. I have worked with the finest veterinary neurosurgeon on the west coast, the best emergency vets and fine feline and exotic doctors.
March back in time 12 years. I had crossed paths with a kitten, tiny, feral and injured. Caught by a dog at 4 weeks old, the rest of his litter killed. He was brought to a veterinary hospital by a good Samaritan, and one of the technicians their had been caring for him. He was paralyzed from the bottom of his ribcage down. In the real world for a cat this means he could not walk, and more importantly had no ability to empty his own bladder. The lifespan of these cats with this sort of injury traditionally is 2 months.
I had dropped by this clinic to give a friend a ride and the technician who was caring for this kitten was sitting on the doorstep sobbing her heart out. I asked her why and she said she was putting her kitten to sleep after her shift, because he would never recover.
The world stopped. The sounds of the cars and her voice fell away. Birdsong grew louder and the sky grew brighter. I heard a sound, like thunder in the mountains, but I understood this sound to be a voice. This voice (within myself or some cat guardian spirit I can not say) said “Kadeth, take him. He will bring you great gifts.”
I offered to take the kitten if she so chose and she said to come back at the end of her shirt, she’d think about it. Many veterinary technicians are very honorable and ethical people, and passing on a doomed kitten to another is in a way ‘not right’.
I returned, and she was gone. But the kitten was sitting in his cage with a note saying ‘thank you thank you thank you!” Beside the cage the syringe with the euthanasia solution was drawn up, she had decided at the last minute to give him up.
Once again, traditionally these cats live about 2 months, dyeing of complications such as ascending bladder infections, limb damage from dragging and so on, or so I was told over and over.
I thought, people who are paralyzed do not die in 2 months why must a cat?
So began my journey with ‘Boogar’.
On April 1st he turns 13. I have for 13 years emptied (expressed) his bladder by hand 3 or more times a day, wrapped his feet, loved him and taken him everywhere.
Boogar is on the internet.
4 years ago I met ‘Pumpkin’, who was shot off his fence by a cruel person with a pellet gun. The commitment of his owner was such that he hunted for anything that could help his cat, as the surgeons who removed the pellet from his spine said he would never recover.
]Pumpkin’s dad heard of me through the veterinary surgeons and searched until he found me. He has become my best friend, my adopted big brother…
2 years ago I built a website, and put a page on care of spinal cord injured cats up.
Slowly letters came in begging for help. My cat was hit by a car, my vet says put him to sleep but I do not want to, what can I do? My vet says you can not express a cats bladder long term, but you have done it for more than 10 years, can you tell me how? Please help. Over and over. Canada. West Africa. India. Texas, Minnesota, Oregon, Ohio. Over and over, please help us.
So I did. I do. I write long emails to people. I coach them one on one over the internet on every aspect of cat care that I can that applies to their situation. I promise to be there for them, and I am. Please be assured this is a ‘free’ service, when people have a newly paralyzed cat they have vet bills that break them. I can not ad to that.
And I have a dream.
I dream of having a rescue/ learning center for spinal cord injured cats and their owners. These are pets with extraordinary medical needs and the people who choose to care for them are extraordinary owners. Lives are restructured to care for these pets.
I dream of a center, where these cats can come to for care, with their owners. Where owners can be taught hands on to care for them, where a vet can asses them who has a positive outlook, who can give heart and hope. Where referrals can be made to local specialists that will provide positive assistance rather than the chant ‘these cats don’t recover, euthanize’ that so many vets with their innocent lack of experience with these cases say in good faith.
I have the vet. I work with her. She is my associate and friend and has worked with Boogar and Pumpkin, the 2 paralyzed cats who began this journey for years. She is willing to work with others. I have the specialists locally to refer to, the surgeons who know of me, who worked on Pumpkin and Boogar. I have the skill, I have the heart. I even have a small handful of dedicated animal lovers who would come to staff such a place.
And I have people who need it. ‘Stick’, paralyzed 1 month ago, his two 19 year old owners have taken out loans, taken on extra work and have both learned to express his bladder, but they may need more help than I can give online.
This is where I come to you. I do not know what to ask for, I do not know the path of your heart. I ask you though to look at the links, read the blog, and think.
I can build this place. I need a patron. I have everything else.
Boogar turns 13 years old this April. He is paralyzed from T-8 down. All around the country he has brothers and sister, all around the world he has brothers and sisters. These people are my family of heart in their commitment to their pets.
Please consider my story, and consider talking to me and choosing to participate.
Kadeth Pozzesi, RVT.
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/
Please, those of you who come to this site, write Ellen at the link above. Send her your stories, your photos, let her know you need a patron saint, patron goddess a good person to help fund a research and rescue place for our pets. I have the people. I have the heart, and I have all of you who need it. Write her!
Love to all of you
Kadeth
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