As Seen From a One-Eyed Cat

Dress Me Up in Leather and Lace

2012-03-12T07:14:00.003-07:00

Or don't.

Actually, please don't.

Although as a cat, I am typically exempt from the process of being dressed up by my owners, many dogs aren't so lucky.

Every day, I see animals paraded around in these little outfits- dogs dressed like bunnies, dogs dressed like raindeer, dogs in dresses and booties.

Now to be fair, I have not had much chance to ask these costumed pups how they feel about their getups. It's possible that they love them. Just last week, I saw this cutie patootie maltese in a pink dress and she looked darling. Maybe she truly did love being in that silly little dress.

But from my perch, I'm just calling it as I see it.

I can understand the whole idea of dressing your pup in a silly frock if it's motivated by weather. No one deserves to be out in the cold or rain without protection!

And even though it's been a pretty mild winter, even the idea of putting little booties on little paws to protect from salty sidewalks makes sense to me.

But a dress? Come on.

Just my two cents.

Libby

A moment of silence, please

2012-03-05T07:16:00.001-08:00

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to honor a very dear friend of mine.

A creature who was small in stature but big in heart.

A woman who ruled the Prospect Park Animal Clinic roost perched from the top floor of her three story cardboard condo.

Ladies and gentlemen, a moment of silence for Margaret The Rat.

Margaret was a loving friend, quick to nuzzle and slow to bite.

Her tail caused some people to be frightened but anyone who spent even a mere five minutes with her was immediately aware of her gentle spirit.

She lived a short (as proves to be the case with many a rat) but robust life.

Our friendship was an unlikely one. Historically, rodents and cats are not thought of as being the best of friends. But our friendship grew as we spent time together and I will miss her terribly.

Apologies for my uncommonly maudlin spirit but nothing less would be appropriate for my friend Mags.

Til next time,

Libby

Where are all the animals?

2012-02-27T06:45:00.001-08:00

Hey guys,

So...did any of you watch the Grammys this past weekend?

Well, if you did, you might have noticed a dearth of awards afforded to some notable individuals. Namely:

The Pussycat Dolls
Lil' Bow-Wow
Snoop Dogg

What happened to the animal contingency??? Where were the awards for the talented, animal inspired men and women of show-biz?

This is not to say that Adele isn't amazing. Because SHE IS. That cat can siiinnnnggg. Take a look at her here.

I like those Foo Fighters fellows, too. They're enough to make anyone go rrruufff.

But when I looked at the line up and saw acts like Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, and The Beach Boys, while the excitement of these super talented singers was titillating to say the least, I was a bit bummed that there was no one representing the animals.

That said, the show was pretty amazing and Bruno Mars has that great video- The Lazy Song, which features monkeys so he can perhaps be a stand in for the rest of the animal kingdom.

All in all, I hope that next year proves to be a better showing for the animal kingdom.

If I don't hear anything, I may just have to put my own group together.

How does "Libby and the Office Pets" sound to you?

Til next time,

Libby

I'm In a Bad Mood

2012-02-20T05:47:00.001-08:00

Hi Guys,

I know that one of my resolutions this year was to write more about dogs.

And by extension, nice things about dogs.

Nice things about nice, friendly dogs.

But, I feel like I should be entitled to use this "nice" card when and if it is warranted.

I'm more than happy to be a lover and not a fighter when the situation warrants it.

But when a dog gets all up in my business, I can't be expected to behave like the lady that I am.

I will behave like a warrior. A fierce, Amazonian warrior.

But there is some back story to this.

You want to hear about it? Of course you do!

So, I was sitting on the floor of the office of the Prospect Park Animal Clinic, just licking myself a little as I am known to do. My daily bath if you will.

When out of nowhere, this harrier hound comes lunging at me and gets IN MY FACE!

This behavior is obviously not to be tolerated so I swatted him (ok maybe I scratched a little, too).

Then, when I was sitting pouting, already having a crappy day, Joey comes leaping over towards me, presumably to hang out and I just wasn't in the mood.

You know those days???

It made me think of that book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day.

So maybe I'm being melodramatic but these two events together= 1 cranky kitty.

Here's hoping to better moods on the horizon.

Grumpily,

Libby

Self Improvement

2012-02-13T04:04:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Libby here.

In a continual effort for self improvement, I'm always looking for ways to spice up my blog postings.

First, I acknowledged that I needed more variety in my animal content; kitties are great. Kitties AND doggies are better (and when relevant, a smattering of rat love, too).

So, the purpose of this lengthy introduction is to say that I think this blog is lacking in another way. Why write a blog about an animal clinic without having any pictures of adorable animals??? Right? Crazy, I know.

So, to start the year off right, I threw in the picture to the left. That adorable little guy happens to be Dr. Silvermans' beloved family pooch, Bernie.

As a bit about Bernie, Bernie is seen wearing Dr. Silverman's son, Nick on his back. He is also wearing an enormous piece of Chanukah (chocolate) bling. He is also incredibly sweet and cuddly and I've never seen him be anything but loving towards cats so he wins in my book.

And in keeping with this new self-improvement thing, I think i'm going to try to do exposes on other adorable PPAC animals.

Shoot me an email if you have an adorable pet you think should be included!

Libby

I'm Ultra Into Ultrasounds

2012-02-06T07:33:00.001-08:00

That's a lie.

I''m not really all that into ultrasounds.

In fact, I don't really know very much about ultrasounds or ultrasound machines, at all.

But, it turns out, they are pretty important to the whole vet thing.

Why my recent obsession with ultrasounds?

Hold your horses! Im about to tell you!

Every year, the doctors of PPAC go to these conventions where they learn the latest about what's going on in the Veterinary world. They hang out with other vets and attend lectures where people talk about what's new and hot in veterinary innovations and technology.

They come back talking about the cool toys they learned about. Turns out, the must have toy of this year was an ultrasound machine.

And let me tell you, these machines sound SICK. (Something about better gray scale?)

So maybe SICK is an over sell on a piece of equipment.

But the docs do seem pretty excited about them! I think I heard them talking about buying a new one this year.

Although given the whole cat thing, I dont really understand what they do, I think they sound pretty cool.

Anyway, Happy Ultra-sounding!

Libby

I'm Lucky I'm Not a Dog

2012-01-30T07:16:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys,

Libby here.

I have a bone to pick with snow.

Specifically, New York snow.

If you were unfortunate enough to leave the house this weekend, the picture to the left is probably what you saw.

Now don't be fooled. This picture is a bit deceptive.

Snow in New York is not pristine and beautiful.

It's dirty. It's yellow. It's short lived.

This past weekend in particular was a massive snow disappointment.

As always, there were rumors abounding that there would be this massive snowstorm.

Lies.

There were two measly inches.

The worst part was that in spite of the snow let down, we still felt the typical snow side effects.

For instance, the snowfall required that the sidewalks be salted which meant that poor pups who went for walks were subjected to the pain of the saltiness. As a result, the dogs felt the need to relieve themselves on the briefly beautiful snow, effectively dirtying it in the course of five minutes' time.

So it's a vicious cycle and one that unfortunately can't be broken, neither in this snow storm or the next hundred storms.

But the point of this all is that I'm happy I am a cat. An indoor cat to be exact.

And for that, I am a grateful cat.

And til next time, show some love to your doggy friends for their salty woes.

Libby

I'm really not a hater

2012-01-23T06:57:00.001-08:00

Hey guys,

It was recently brought to my attention that I come off as a bit of a hater.

That I'm not an equal opportunist reporter when it comes to the capabilities of the PPAC.

That...I only report on animals of the feline persuasion.

But it's not true! I promise. I love all creatures furry.

Lets attribute any seeming preferences to cats to the whole height thing.

By that I mean that as a cat, my center of gravity tends to be pretty close to the ground. Probably not much more than 8 inches or so off the floor.

So, what do I see when I look out? Creatures that are close to my height, ie, fellow cats, rats and other small animals.

Not dogs. Unless they are this dog. Otherwise, most dogs tend to hover quite a bit higher than I do.

And you know what they say, out of sight, out of mind.

So for all those canine lovers, don't take offense. Seriously. It's a height issue and nothing else.

I love a cute dog as much as you do.

So stay tuned for some posts in the near future about the dogs who visit the PPAC.

I'm a lover. Not a fighter.

Libby

I resolve to...

2012-01-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys!

Libby here.

I realize this should have probably been the first post of the New Year but hey, what can you do.

So first of all, Happy New Year!

Hope you all had amazing Christmases, Chanukahs, Kwanzaas etc.

And now that it's a new year, I want to talk about resolutions.

New Years resolutions to be exact.

So, when the clock struck midnight, what was it that you promised for next year?

While you think about that, here's my list. I resolve to:

-Be nicer to all the cats and dogs who visit PPAC (and not be so territorial)

-Lose 2 pounds (and cut back on the kitty food)

-Do more laps around the office to maximize weight loss (and make even more friends in the process!)

-Cut back on the catnip

-Scratch less

-Purr more

This is just a short list for now and I'm sure that with time I'll come up with even more ways to self-improve. But I hope for now, you are inspired to make some resolutions of your own for this coming year.

Happy 2012!

Libby

A Chrismukah Miracle

2012-01-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody,

Libby here.

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I wrote a post about a cutie-patootie kitten named Oscar?

Well have I got a story for you!

This little guy is amazing! When he was first found, he was not in the best situation. In fact, to be blunt, he kinda had one foot in the grave.

But the folks of PPAC were, as always, cautiously optimistic and they nursed him back to health. In fact, he got so much better that Dr. Silverman's family adopted him. Yay!

Oscar was an amazing pet. He was incredibly cuddly and warm and mellow. Everyone loved him.

Until one day, the Silvermans were sitting in the living room and they heard a thump.

Everyone of course got all nervous and ran in to see what had happened, only to see little Oscar looking a bit dazed on the floor. Through some deductive reasoning, it became apparent that the poor little guy had fallen through the banister onto the floor one story below. Dr. S. inspected him and he seemed pretty OK so everyone thought everything was fine. But, a week or so later, he fell again!!!

At this point, he was exhibiting some weird behavior. He was looking a bit shaky and was having trouble focusing. He also appeared to have broken his hip. So Dr. S. operated on the little guy in the hopes that he could help him get better.

But no such luck. Post surgery, his coordination had not improved. There was some concern that he had bonked his head during one of the falls and experienced brain damage which, when compounded with his fall....the outlook was a bit bleak.

Everyone wanted to help this adorable kitty so, all the esteemed vets and Vet-wannabees (Dr. S.'s son Nick is in vet school and he pondered the situation, too) pulled a House

and discovered that sometimes, kittens born to mothers with feline distemper have an underdeveloped cerebellum (balance center in the brain) which can result in their having balance issues.

Since Oskie had exhibited this, the vets came to the conclusion that this was what he was suffering from and, with a bit of physical therapy and a lot of love, Oskie can recover and live a full, happy life with the Silverman family.

It is truly a Chrismukah miracle!

-Libby

The dreaded UTI

2011-12-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

Fellow friends and lovers of all furry creatures,

Libby here.

This week, I have a pretty serious topic I'd like to discuss. The dreaded UTI.

Otherwise known as a Urinary Tract Infection.

Now for those of you who have had the misfortune of experiencing a UTI, you can attest to how completely and utterly miserable they are.

Ok now for a moment, imagine having a recurring one. Yea...Pretty miserable huh?

Welcome to my life. I am the sad recipient of chronic UTI's.

I don't know if you remember but ages ago, when we first started chatting, I spoke about the fact that I have some bathroom issues. More specifically, I have some trouble when it comes to peeing.

Without going into too much gory detail, although the folks at PPAC help me go by squeezing my bladder, the pee sometimes just kinda sits there.

So let's just say that my condition makes me very prone to UTI's.

And this kitty tends to suffer from some discomfort.

I know, wha wha, woe is me.

Not sure why I felt the need to share this little tidbit with you all at this juncture but I suppose it's in part my desire to accrue sympathy points :)

And if any of you out there are sufferers, I know what it's like!

Til next time.

Libby

'Tis the Season for Lots of Kittens

2011-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!

Libby here.

It's Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa time and you know what that means?

PRESENTS!!!

I know...that's not really what the holiday spirit is all about but lets be honest. It's at least partially about that right?

But the good news is, it's not a requirement to spend a lot of money on a present.

In fact, do you know a great gift that costs very little?

A BRAND NEW KITTEN!!!

And seriously folks, watching your kid or loved one open a box (with airholes of course) and have a tiny little kitten pop up into their arms is just priceless.

So sing with me:

Tis the season for lots of kittens

falalala - lalalala

Who wants pairs of cashmere mittens

falalala - lalalala

And the moral of the story is, during the holidays, everyone wants to be loved and surrounded by people they love.

So, shameless plug, ask someone at the PPAC about adopting a kitten (or puppy) for the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Libby

My Hero!

2011-12-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!

Do you remember Joey? Of course you do. How could you not. He was the love of my life.

Ok more like the love of the week but we were pretty hot and heavy there for a while.

And then I moved on to this other guy for a bit.

Anyway my love life is actually not the focal point of this particular post.

But, Joey is.

And that's because today, Joey "Chestnuts" did a wonderful thing for a fellow feline.

We had a bit of a situation here at the PPAC the other day and Joey came through with flying colors.

A stray kitty came in, very close to meeting the big cat in the sky. He was desperately in need of blood.

And Joey, being the valiant and noble cat that he is, bravely offered up his vein and allowed his blood to be drawn and donated to said kitty in need.

He saved another cat's life!

I'm starting to think it's time to give Joey a second look.

What a guy.

Til next time.

Libby

You can't make a wolf stop howling at the moon

2011-11-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

Libby here. I am sad to say, I have some bad news to share.

I know it's not a great idea to open a post with something maudlin but, I figure, better to tell you fast and get it over with; like ripping off a bandaid.

Well, remember Zorro? My gentleman caller of a few weeks ago? He has passed on to the big litter box in the sky. I hope he is in a better place, surrounded by loads of catnip and oodles of treats.

A moment of silence for Zorro....

And, we're back! After a very respectful week long mourning period (in cat years, that's FOREVER), I got back on my game and went exploring at PPAC.

I needed to see if there were any new viable candidates for my affections.

Let me tell you, I'm making out like a bandit.

First, we have Joey "Chestnuts" and then, the lovely Gizmo (no nickname).

Joey is totally adorable. He's an orange tabby and he's "connected". As in the mob. I think he'd be a good kitty to have watching my back. And as I said, he's quite a looker to boot.

Then we have Gizmo. He's a cutie-patootie gray tabby. Also super cute.

I have my work cut out for me but at least I don't ever need to be worried about being lonely.

Until next time...

Ladies, watch out!

Shake your groove thang!

2011-11-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Libby here.

Now I don't usually do this but I just can't help myself this once.

I wanted to take this opportunity to give a shout out to my girl Taryn.

In addition to being an all around great woman, Taryn also has other secret talents. That girl can belt it out!

Bet you didn't realize that.

And I don't just mean plain old singing, I mean American Idol caliber talent.

How do I know this to be true?

Check out her amazing performance, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixDFtmE1PE0

So as it turns out, she happens to be a class A singer in addition to being a rockstar with the animals.

Get it...she's a double rockstar!

Anyway, surrounded by all the super talented employees at the PPAC, I wanted to take this little opportunity to give props where props are due.

Next time you see her, give her a pat on the back. She rocks!

Till next time,

Libby

All the Pretty Colors

2011-11-15T11:43:00.001-08:00

Libby here.

I’ve been thinking about all the pretty colors.

Red. Brown. Green. Beige.

Don’t worry…I’m not going color blind and reminiscing about the colors I used to see.

These colors are in fact, the ones I now have the good fortune of seeing every day.

The waiting room at Prospect Park Animal Clinic was recently redone; all the couches and chairs were re-finished and re-upholstered.

Before, the room, with it’s monotone couches, was missing a certain je-ne sais quois. Now, it has been found.

And now, for some other colors.

White. Black. Orange.

Those are the colors of the kitties and doggies’ fur who come to visit the Prospect Park Animal Clinic and who are sure to leave some remnants of themselves on the furniture when it’s time for their appointment.

Good thing these colors all go well with each other.

Come by and take a look, it’s an eye catching rainbow!

Until next time.

Libby.

Here comes the story of the Hurricane

2011-11-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!

Libby here.

I know everyone's probably writing about lil Ms. Irene, the hurricane, but, I'd be horribly remiss if I too didn't contribute my weekly post to her as well.

Following hot on the heels of that crazy earthquake we had last week (what the heck was that all about?!), park slopers were in a well deserved tizzy!

The day before the storm, it was all everyone could talk about.

I heard Dr. Silverman's wife talking about how she needed to bring in her beautiful potted plants from the front steps for fear they'd get carried away in the winds.

And it made this kitties' heart warm to see the staff of PPAC all over volunteering to help come in and treat the animals in the office during the storm. In a rare departure from my usual sarcastic self, I really have to commend these fine folks for their devotion to the puppies and kitties of Prospect Park Animal Clinic.

Windows taped up, bathtubs filled with water (to help flush the toilets in case they stopped working, of course) and flashlights at the ready, Brooklyn prepared to face the storm.

Luckily, I spent most of the storm in relative comfort, warm in a cage, nuzzled up against Joey.

That kitty kept my fur unruffled and my heart warm during the storm.

And after all that, it seems that other than some flying branches and a bit of selective flooding, the fine citizens of Park Slope, Brooklyn, managed to come out of the storm relatively unscathed.

Though I could have sworn I saw the wicked witch fly by on her broomstick at one point.

Till next time...

Libby

A Kitten Named Oscar

2011-11-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hiya!

Libby here.

I have a bone to pick. And don’t judge me—I’m just trying to come clean here.

But I have a problem with a certain little kitten who recently moved into the PPAC.

Why is everyone so obsessed with this guy?

I love kittens just as much as the next person. But, when it comes to Oscar, (that's the offenders' name) all bets are off.

It’s not that I’m an attention hog. Or that I don’t wish him well. Nothing like that.

I am merely a cat who has grown accustomed to a certain level of attention. And now that Oscar has moved in, I am up against completely uneven odds.

Oscar is mostly black with salt and pepper white hairs.

When you pick this little guy up, he literally rolls onto his back, flops over and cuddles whoever’s arms he is in. He is probably the friendliest kitten I have ever met.

And he has the tiniest little body but a big, fat Buddha belly.

All in all, the complete package is too much cuteness for words. He should be the homepage of cuteoverload.com.

I don’t stand a chance against his adorable, cuddly presence.

So I guess, when it comes down to it, I too am kind of a member of the Oscar fan club. I’m just pretending not to be to stand on my attention lovin’ laurels.

And I just found out that Dr. Silverman’s family will be adopting him. It’s good to know the little guy will have such a good home.

Till next time.

Libby

There's not much that's cuter than a kitten.

2011-11-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys,

Libby here, again.

What's new? Anything exciting happen over your week?

I had a VERY exciting week. In fact, I'm kind of kvelling over here.

You want to know why? Well, I'll tell you; we have kittens!

No silly, I didn't have kittens.

That would be kind of impossible if you know what I mean (get it? nudge nudge).

Prospect Park Animal Clinic has kittens. Take a look at their adorable punums!

These three little guys are soo cute!

I tried to convince the office staff to let me adopt one but, for some reason, they didn't seem to keen on the idea of my being a mom a second time around (yup! I have a few little ones of my own).

Anyway, it's pretty great having the babies around.

I feel my maternal instincts kicking in and I gotta say, there is not much in the world that is as precious as a tiny little kitten.

Don't believe me? You should come by and see for yourself.

And while you are here, you might as well give me a little back rub.

Ok?

Thanks.

Talk to you soon!

Libby

By This Point

2011-09-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Libby again.

By this point, I hope you have gotten over feeling sorry for me because of that whole "one-eyed" thing.

I know I told you not to worry about it but, as a pet lover, it would be pretty hard for you to not feel a little bit sorry for a poor one-eyed kitty. (Insert sympathy vote here)

Since we've already gotten that out of the way, I think I should share some other things about myself.

They will probably also make you feel bad for me.

You might get a little upset.

But don’t. It’s not worth it. And since it doesn't really bug me, it shouldn't bother you either. Capish?

However, in the interest of being a “full-disclosure” type of cat, I don't think it would be fair to start our relationship with lies.

So here goes.

My bowels don’t work so well. I kind of need the folks at PPAC to rub their hand over my stomach. And by rub, I mean press. And squeeze. And then press and squeeze some more—until I have a bowel movement. I don’t really enjoy that part so much so they have to hold me by the scruff of my neck while they do this. This is not comfortable. And it happens a few times a day. You can feel a little bad for me here.

Oh…and I sort of can’t pee either. Well I can but they have to do the same press squeeze thing around three times of day. Imagine the fun and games that process entails!

And while we’re at it, my tail doesn’t wag. It's pretty sad to see a tail that doesn't wag. It seems a bit unnatural I guess. But you get used to it.

I know…I probably sound like a pretty pitiful creature but at least there’s sushi.*

Hope you’re as entertained as I am.

Libby

*Please refer to "It's Not All That Different" for reference.

It Sucks Getting Old Sometimes

2011-09-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Libby here again. Miss me?

You don’t need to answer that—I know you did.

Can I just say, getting old really sucks sometimes.

Remember how I told you last week about my little er…bathroom issues?

Well to put things into perspective, even though I’m only 11 years old, that’s about the equivalent of being 60 in human years.

So I’m kinda middle aged.

But my buddy Zorro is OLD. He’s 18, which while in human years is the equivalent of a punky kid on the verge of adulthood, for a cat, that makes him a 90-year-old feline.

He’s a pretty cool cat but he’s definitely getting on in years.

In fact, he shares my bathroom problems. But sadly, for different reasons. It's actually really sad...he's got a cancerous butt tumor that makes him unable to go to the bathroom :(

That definitely warrants a sad face emoticon.

Regardless, you might call us kindred spirits because of our shared defecation maladies.

But you know what? It’s all good. Really.

He's being given excellent care and I think he lives a pretty happy life.

And he’s actually not that bad looking. His family’s got some money, too.

I hope he’s got a thing for one-eyed cats because this kitty is on the prowl!

Til' next time,

Libby

It's not all that different

2011-09-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hi. My name is Libby.

As you can probably tell from the title of this blog, I am, in fact, a one-eyed cat.

Before you go feeling sorry for me, bear in mind that I'm not telling you this to elicit sympathy but rather because it's the truth. I have one eye.

I don't feel particularly bad about it so neither should you.

In fact, I have a pretty sweet life. I spend my days lounging around Prospect Park Animal Clinic.

The people who work here are pretty cool but even more than that, they LOVE to eat sushi.

And of course they love animals (being employed at a vet's clinic and whatnot) so they love to share their sushi with moi.

Not so bad, right?

How else do I spend my days?

Sometimes, I go for walks around the office to scope out the scene.

Or I might go hang out with Carmen at the front desk.

But other than that, I kinda just get to hang out, eat sushi and have my ears rubbed. Basically, it's not all that different from what you'd expect of an office cat.

Since my days are clearly quite titillating, I'm going to write every week on the interesting things I have observed, as told by...you guessed it, A One-Eyed Cat.

Hope you are as entertained as I am.