This past week, my good friend Cathy, who is the head director of the rescue group I volunteer with, stopped by my house with Seal, her paraplegic cat, to pick up her new moblity cart. This was a touching visitation for us since Seal would be trying her mobility cart for the first time since the near-fatal injury 2 years ago that left her paralyzed from the waist down, leaving her with only front leg use and being forced to drag her back legs behind her. If you haven't read Seal's story at my rescue website yet, I will fill you in on this amazing feline.
After having been found in a ditch alongside a road, where she had pulled herself off the road subsequential to being hit by a vehicle, Seal, who was already extremely thin and quite dehydrated, was rushed to a clinic by Cathy. The attending veterinarian examined Seal and told us that because Seal had managed to pull herself into the ditch, this little kitten was showing what a strong will she had early on to survive; by getting herself off the road and out of harm's way, she showed she wanted to live.
We were told by the animal medical team that Seal had lay in the ditch for AT LEAST A DAY, but probably longer.
Fluids and food were a priority after which the vet examined Seal to assess the extent of her injuries.
The injuries were bad.
She had several areas of road rash, had suffered a severe inguinal hernia, her tail tissue was dying from nerve damage and x-rays revealed a broken back, both rear legs broken, and she also suffered numerous breaks throughout her body.
This cat still lived and somehow managed to not only pull herself off the road, but also hang on long enough for someone to find her... This was so much for her little body to handle, and being only a very young cat when this happened, we were and still deeply affected and amazed at the indomitable will of this cat. Cathy pledged to do anything and everything she could to help Seal; clearly we were dealing with something special.
To anyone that would argue whether an animal has a soul, I beg you to consider the possibility that it takes a soul to have willpower. What is willpower, really? A force, an energy being focused to make something happen? It is my position that we all have souls, even animals. We are all energy. And we all have strength, should we choose to have the will. The willpower that this cat has is incredibly inspiring, her willpower gave her strength, which in turn, gave us willpower to help her, and the energy of that strength has the possibility to keep living on, if only people would have it... And so we are only too happy to share her story with others in hopes that they will too be inspired to re-think their position on the spirit of overcoming obstacles through the power of will.
Upon consulting with a surgeon we were told that Seal's back was irreparable due to the passage of time. Surgery was performed to repair the hernia, spay her and the decision was made to amputate her tail since it was already becoming brittle as a result of the dying tissue and nerve damage and would only get worse if left intact. Seal came through the surgeries like a champ (unlike her foster mom who was a wreck the whole time)! Her recuperation time was a challenge for Cathy, as this little indomitable cat did not want to be kept subdued in any fashion. We were all enlivened after Seal healed from the procedures.
Due to the severity of her initial hernia injury, her bladder does leak and she is incontinent, and most likely will be a lifelong issue for her, and she does occassionally suffer from skin rashes which gives her thinning hair, but even with these issues she has handled this whole ordeal so well that anytime I am in Seal's presence, I am quite honoured for sharing her company; this is truly a cat that has a meaningful place in the lives of the humans that love her.
I have written before on the subject of special needs animals that overcome their "disabilities". All animals are great life teachers, but living with Special Needs animals and loving them have taught us one of the most important lessons in life: appreciate the little things and this moment now. I am constantly amazed and inspired by these animals that demonstrate their unique ability to overcome what we humans would consider as "disabilities," and handle diseases and physical and emotional setbacks with amazing resilience and acceptance; certainly, lessons we can all benefit from. Special Needs animals have a meaningful place in the lives of humans because they teach us that love has no limitations.
Although all of the cats and dogs we rescue are special, some, like Seal, have special needs that require a little extra TLC, a bit more energy and a higher financial expense. But that doesn't make them any less desirable. Sometimes there are cats with diabetes, heart disease, tissue scarring, eye problems and other forms of physical setbacks and there may even be cats that we know thier lives may be cut short by thier conditions, but considering our own experiences with Special Needs Cats, like our permanent residents Blinky and Seal, and other special needs friends we have, we know that every day they are with us is a gift. Through it all, these cats have remained loving and spirited and we consider ourselves lucky to know them and that makes it all worthwhile to us. Special Needs Cats are a testament to the courage and strength exhibited by these wonderful animals. Cats with disabilities are often lost among the many adoptable healthy ones, and that is why Cathy and I have such a huge fondness for special animals, who in spite of their handicap, want to survive so they can enjoy life with human help. If you are inspired by Seal's story and motivated to make a difference to a special animal needing assistance and help us give them a better quality of life, we would be very grateful for your help. Exceptional people who can find a place in their hearts and have the will for becoming involved in rescue work by direct participation, fostering or donating, will inherit priceless rewards by coming to the aid of animals in need. Please contact me through my rescue website at catzjazz.org to see how you can help.
We fit Seal into her new mobility cart for the first time with cautious anticipation. After becoming accustomed to only using her front legs for 2 years, forced to drag her back legs behind her, we weren't sure just how she would react to being harnessed into a mobility cart, but we knew that we needed to do this to help keep pressure off of her spine. Cathy, Daniel and I watched Seal closely to ensure she was as comfortable as possible while being fitted into the cart. Seal was apprehensive about it, but didn't seem scared or unwilling in the least. As I watched her accept the fitting and then start walking with her back legs secured into the cart straps, I immediately knew that once she becomes acclimatized to the cart, it will be like second nature to her. Since she has already showed how adaptive she is, I really feel that this cart will assist her in becoming more mobile, and am very grateful that she got past the majority of her medical issues so that we could progress to this point.
We took Seal into my backyard, where it is fenced and secure, to let her feel free to test the cart out and roam around. Seal cautiously explored the yard while getting used to her new wheels, and seemed more interested in her surroundings, than concerned with being in the mobility cart. It wasn't long after Cathy's encouragement that Seal was racing across my backyard with her new wheels!
Again, I was in awe of this fascinating feline, who's sheer willpower enables her to be so brave and accepting of herself. She won't ever be able to climb trees again, which she clearly longs to do, and is hard to watch when she remembers what it must have been like, but at least she can enjoy being mobile without having to suffer from spine pressure. She is a very accepting cat and quite loving towards us and towards life; always reminding us to make every minute count when enjoying life.
After exploring the backyard and getting accustomed to the new mobility cart, Seal was ready to relax in the shade with Cathy and I. As Cathy and I grabbed our cold beers to go with the summer heat, we chatted about nothing in particular, just enjoying the opportunity of friendship that was brought together from our passion to help animals. We found a cooler spot at the back of the yard and sat under a peach tree, drinking our beers and watched Seal take in the smells and sounds of the yard.
Mockingbirds and bluejays dominate my yard and they are always vocalising at each other about having to share it. There was a good wind blowing through the city that brought plenty of breeze for us to enjoy, despite the Texas heat. As Seal continued to get used to the idea of her new mobility cart, occassionally receiving foot massages from Cathy to help her with circulation, we talked for hours until the sun started to set, so after finishing off the last of the beers, we headed back in with Seal to give her a little bit of rehabilitation exercising.
As we first considered options to help Seal, we were aware that animal wheelchairs can only be of assistance if pets have adequate front leg strength and function to pull themselves along. Obviously, Seal had already been using her front legs to pull herself around, but we wanted to take proper measures to ensure that as a paraplegic, she would be getting quality workouts. While paraplegics have certain limitations in regaurd to mobility, exercise equipment does exist to help the wheelchair bound engage in regular cardiovascular and strength training exercises, even for animals!
We consulted Practitioner Sandra Hudson of the The Canine Rehabilitation and Conditioning Center in Austin and have entered Seal into a therapy programme to receive pain management through rehabilitation techniques and exercises. After speaking with Seal's therapist, we were shown how to also be able to give Seal a proper workout at home.
Part of Seal's therapy is to exercise her spine and her muscles. This ball helps accomplish that goal and is part of Seal's rehabilitation routine.
This specially designed therapy board helps us exercise Seal to strengthen her muscles by balancing her.
I am very honoured to be able to take part in Seal's on-going rehabiliation, mostly through the means of fundraising for her on-going medical care at The Canine Rehabilitation and Conditioning Center and collecting donated items for Seal such as baby blankets, towels and diapers.
Unfortunately, paraplegic cats often lose voluntary control over their digestive systems, and we have found that the Huggies newborn size diapers are the ones that work best for her. We are grateful to receive any donations of Huggies newborn diapers and other items for Seal.
In closing of this entry, I would like thank you for taking the time to read about Seal and hope you send your positive energy toward her for a continued success, and I would like to again express my deep gratitude toward the people that made Seal's Mobility cart possible by their generous donations and willingness to help "Seal's Wheels", a successful fundraising campaign that you can read about at CatzJazz.org.
As your deep, driving desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed."
As your deed is, so is your destiny."
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