If all this COVID-19 pandemic, presidential impeachment and congressional riot stuff is getting you down, Donna Goodenough has an idea for injecting some positivity into your life.
The owner of Campbell Riversa国际传媒檚 Kalmar Cat Hotel suggests adopting a cat with a disability. Thatsa国际传媒檚 what shesa国际传媒檚 done and the experience has been overwhelmingly positive.
sa国际传媒淎ll my cats are special needs and I know from experience, they give love in a different way,sa国际传媒� Goodenough said. sa国际传媒淎nd itsa国际传媒檚 very rewarding. And I would love for people to search their heart and see if they donsa国际传媒檛 have a little extra love for the special needs cats that probably no one else would want.sa国际传媒�
Two kittens that Goodenough recently adopted suffer from cerebellar hypoplasia, also known as wobbly cats syndrome, a neurological disorder resulting from interrupted development of the brain leading to uncoordinated movement. The symptoms include problems walking, running, jumping or even locating items around them and the severity can vary widely.
sa国际传媒淭heir mind cannot control any of these wild movements that they make,sa国际传媒� Goodenough said. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e just a rodeo!sa国际传媒�
When Goodenough calls her cats Poppy and Lilly to their food bowls the two seven-month-old kittens come a-running just like any kitten. But, sadly, their condition makes the mad dash to the bowl a jumble of paws and legs flailing in uncoordinated jerks, stumbles and crashes. Itsa国际传媒檚 amusing and their enthusiasm is cute but itsa国际传媒檚 a little bit sad too.
Story continues below videosa国际传媒�
With the cats that Goodenough has adopted with their condition, on a scale of 1-10, one of them is a two or three while the other is a nine, Goodenough said.
So, when theysa国际传媒檙e called to dinner, itsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渁ll bets are off,sa国际传媒� Goodenough said. sa国际传媒淪tand back! The bulls have been let out of the corral,sa国际传媒� she says drawing allusions to the scene in Pamplona, Spain with the .
Usually, when kittens are born with this condition theysa国际传媒檙e often put down or abandoned but Goodenough wants people to look beyond their disability. She said her vet did express to her his concerns about their condition.
sa国际传媒楬e asked me if I thought she had a good quality of life,sa国际传媒� Goodenough said. And I gotta tell yousa国际传媒 think they do. You should see these girls play! Oh my goodness, give them a toy and they just go bananas!sa国际传媒�
The cats are born with their condition and have never known anything different. Goodenough agrees that if they had suffered an injury like a broken back or something that would cripple them for the rest of their life, that would perhaps be different.
sa国际传媒淭hat would be something that I would have to consider further,sa国际传媒� Goodenough said. sa国际传媒淏ut I can tell you for a fact, theysa国际传媒檙e happy. And theysa国际传媒檙e not in pain, except when they fall down and bang their head. Poppy does a lot.sa国际传媒�
But Goodenough has other disabled cats, in fact, she has another cat that has the same condition that she got prior to the two new kittens. Goodenough grades, Zoe, the older catsa国际传媒檚 condition at a two or three.
Goodenough runs the Kalmar Cat Hotel in which she boards cats but she also has six cats of her own. She put the word out that she is willing to adopt disabled cats.
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sa国际传媒淚 have been asking all my friends if they hear about any kind of a disability, I will take that cat. I just had the urge for another disabled. I have a soft spot for the ones that might be overlooked at adoption times,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚n my opinion, they give so much more than a happy cat, you know, thatsa国际传媒檚 just fine in every way. These need a little help. And it just enriches my life.sa国际传媒�
Poppy and Lilly were acquired from a rescue organization in Victoria, . Goodenough had put the call out for special needs cats and a girlfriend in Mill Bay put her in touch with Pamela Saddler at Broken Promises.
She was thrilled to know that Goodenough already had experience with CH (cerebellar hypoplasia) cats because nobody had wanted to take these cats. Because Goodenough doesnsa国际传媒檛 drive, Saddler delivered the cat to her door. Goodenough has had them for two months now and she says they are doing well.
The biggest change Goodenough had to do to her house to accommodate the new arrivals was to their potty area. Because they are unable to get into a litter box sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒渢heysa国际传媒檒l just fall outsa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� she uses a plastic liner that usually goes in the bottom of a dog crate and puts newspaper on it. The cats have been trained to go on newspaper, jut like a puppy, and there are sa国际传媒減ee padssa国际传媒� on top of the newspaper and then more newspaper. She needs a lot of newspaper and gets a lot of it donated by the Campbell River Mirror.
sa国际传媒淭hey know to go there and for the most part, they can make it there. They will fall down and if I can get to them in time, Isa国际传媒檒l hold them. So they donsa国际传媒檛 fall down in the pee.sa国际传媒�
So, obviously bathroom time is when the real commitment to the cats comes into play.
sa国际传媒淧oppysa国际传媒檚 real good and shesa国际传媒檚 pretty easy, although she will fall over backwards. Itsa国际传媒檚 something she cansa国际传媒檛 help and Lilly, on the other hand, if I hear her going stepping on the papers, I will run in and grab her because she just has no control.sa国际传媒�
But Goodenough, whose whole life is dedicated to cats, and has organized her house again to accommodate the newcomers, she would have it no other way.
sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e both just adorable,sa国际传媒� she said.
So, if yousa国际传媒檙e looking for something to lift you out of the doldrums, consider giving an animal with a disability a home. Donna Goodenough can testify to the satisfaction it will bring you.
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