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 River含羞草研究社檚 Kalmar Cat Hotel suggests adopting a cat with a disability. That含羞草研究社檚 what she含羞草研究社檚 done and the experience has been overwhelmingly positive.
含羞草研究社淎ll my cats are special needs and I know from experience, they give love in a different way,含羞草研究社� Goodenough said. 含羞草研究社淎nd it含羞草研究社檚 very rewarding. And I would love for people to search their heart and see if they don含羞草研究社檛 have a little extra love for the special needs cats that probably no one else would want.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淭heir mind cannot control any of these wild movements that they make,含羞草研究社� Goodenough said. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e just a rodeo!含羞草研究社�
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. It含羞草研究社檚 amusing and their enthusiasm is cute but it含羞草研究社檚 a little bit sad too.
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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 they含羞草研究社檙e called to dinner, it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁ll bets are off,含羞草研究社� Goodenough said. 含羞草研究社淪tand back! The bulls have been let out of the corral,含羞草研究社� she says drawing allusions to the scene in Pamplona, Spain with the .
Usually, when kittens are born with this condition they含羞草研究社檙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.
含羞草研究社楬e asked me if I thought she had a good quality of life,含羞草研究社� Goodenough said. And I gotta tell you含羞草研究社 think they do. You should see these girls play! Oh my goodness, give them a toy and they just go bananas!含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淭hat would be something that I would have to consider further,含羞草研究社� Goodenough said. 含羞草研究社淏ut I can tell you for a fact, they含羞草研究社檙e happy. And they含羞草研究社檙e not in pain, except when they fall down and bang their head. Poppy does a lot.含羞草研究社�
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 cat含羞草研究社檚 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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含羞草研究社淚 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,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚n my opinion, they give so much more than a happy cat, you know, that含羞草研究社檚 just fine in every way. These need a little help. And it just enriches my life.含羞草研究社�
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 doesn含羞草研究社檛 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 含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社渢hey含羞草研究社檒l just fall out含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社減ee pads含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淭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, I含羞草研究社檒l hold them. So they don含羞草研究社檛 fall down in the pee.含羞草研究社�
So, obviously bathroom time is when the real commitment to the cats comes into play.
含羞草研究社淧oppy含羞草研究社檚 real good and she含羞草研究社檚 pretty easy, although she will fall over backwards. It含羞草研究社檚 something she can含羞草研究社檛 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.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e both just adorable,含羞草研究社� she said.
So, if you含羞草研究社檙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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