The PPAC Lineup

Hi All,

Libby here.

As you may recall, I have recently been sharing the beloved duties of blog writing with some friends of mine.

For those of you appreciative of a respite from my sardonic tone, (I silently  resent you) I have some bad news for you-I'm writing again this week. HAH!

If you are an avid blog reader, you may have noticed that some blogs maintain steady calendars with recurring monthly topics. Though in general, I believe I would find this sort of constrained creativity stifling, it did generate a good idea. Starting now, I will regularly post about any animals up for adoption in the PPAC. I figure, what better a venue to build excitement about adoptable animals than this lovely blog?

So without further ado....

Contestant one! Meet Walnut. Walnut is a beautiful five year old kitty who came here under slightly unfortunate pretenses. She was being terrorized by her house mate (cat fight anyone?) and came here seeking asylum. She's ready to move into a loving home, free of Robespierre's Reign of Terror.(points to those of you who get this reference)





Behind door number two is the Reverend Bart. Reverend Bart is slightly on the, how shall we say, portly side. He is somewhere between seven and eight years old and he was sadly abandoned by a person who dropped him off to be microchipped...and then bolted. He is a big, lovable ball of fur.





Last but not least, we have Lady Frank. She is a super sweet seven year old who came to reside in the PPAC because her diabetic owner was not doing very well and was about to go into hospice care. Lady Frank needed a temporary home until different arrangements could be made and...voila!

And so ladies and gents, there you have it. The illustrious line up of the PPAC adoptees. If you already have a pet, there's always room for one more in your home and if you don't have the pleasure of a furry companion, you'll have no idea how amazing we are until you see for yourself.

Til' next time,

Libby

Thyroids and Tablets

Hi All,

Libby here. I hate to state the obvious but do you know we're about half way through the summer? It's just flown by. Though from my vantage point, I have no real indicator of time passing other than the relative amount of sweat on people's shirts marking the passing of the hot summer months.

Anyway, as you may recall from last week, I am in a magnanimous mood and to that end, will be sharing the honor of writing for the PPAC blog with a number of my friends. This week, Madeline Silverman will have the privilege of sharing her tale of woe; she has a thyroid issue that just won't quit. So without further ado...

Hi! I'm Madeline Silverman and I have a thyroid issue. Only problem is, I have reservations when it comes to taking my medicine. My parents (Dr. and Mrs. Silverman) have tried multiple different ways to administer said medicine, sadly, to no avail.

Their first attempt involved trying to pill me. A mere glance at this pill had me bolting in the other direction. I don't know why I was so scared but...they don't call us scaredy cats for nothing.

The next attempt was an ointment that was supposed to be rubbed on the inside of my ear. This medicine would then sink into my ear and make me all better. I was pretty strongly against this procedure as well.

Third times a charm? Not so much...Dr. S tried to change what I eat- he put me on a prescription diet called YD. Unfortunately, this food didn't conform to my refined palette and I turned my nose up at it. I continued to get slimmer as a result of my thyroid and shed any extra pounds I had on my already girlish figure.

Next came a chew-able tablet that was mixed in with my food. This was the best attempt of the bunch but I was picky about how often I was willing to eat the medicine and it doesn't quite work like that.

Finally, Dr. S. changed his tack and gave me a liquid medicine which mixed in nicely with the delicious gravy of my canned cat food. I found this to be remarkably edible and I have been improving health-wise ever since.

So the moral of the story? Even the finnickiest of animals, resistant to most types of medication, have their 'bending point'. Persevere and your vet will find an answer.

Thanks for not giving up on me and for persevering until you found something that worked for me, Dr. S. I feel much better.

And thanks Libby for letting me contribute!

Madeline

Weekend at Robbie's

Hi All,

Libby here.

Today, I have a special treat for you all. You've seen the breadth of my talents and my abilities to write about topics ranging from medical maladies to comical conquests. I've sufficiently proven my abilities. I'm clearly a talented writer.

But, everyone needs a break now and then and this kitty isn't getting any younger. So, I've decided to give myself the summer off and have some guest writers contribute to my weekly musings. Don't be fooled-I'm still the ringleader. The puppet master. I call the shots. But, everyone needs their fifteen minutes in the spotlight and I want to help give that to some of my less fortunate buddies (ie-those who don't have their very own blog).

So, without further ado, allow me to introduce Bernie Silverman who's going to share a tale of his weekend in the country. (That's Bernie down there. I guess he tuckered himself out from his big getaway).



Hi!!! I'm Bernie! You might know me better as Dr. Silverman's family dog. Anyway, Libby asked me to help her with a post for this week which is so cool! I love Libby. I'm not as good a writer as Libby but, I thought it would be fun to share my top ten favorite parts of my weekend in the country.

1. My buddies Thelma and Louise (they come to the PPAC, too!)

2. Running in the road with the Silverman girls (but, for some reason, everyone got nervous about me being in the road so I burrowed back under the fence and got back on the lawn)

3. Taking a poo in the beautiful farmhouse-the carpet was soooo soft!

4. All the delicious crumbs! Everyone seemed to eat non-stop all weekend and that meant I did, too!

5. Going to the bathroom in the grass- who doesn't love the smell of fresh grass?

6. Sniffing EVERYTHING!

7. The pool! Sadly, I couldn't actually go in the pool but it was nice lying on the beach chairs.

8. Tyler's donut. His loss, my gain. Nuff' said.

9. Spending the whole weekend with the Silverman girls. I miss them so much since they moved out!

10. The car ride. I got to rub my nose all over the window and I didn't puke once!

Hope that fits the bill, Libby. Thanks for letting me help out.

Big slobbery wet kisses,

Bernie

Long Live Cats!

Hi All,

Libby here. Are you beating the heat? This weather is oppressive! But you probably know that even more than I do. All of you outside-venturing folks are survivors!

Well, today I want to talk about some other mammals who seem to have become survival experts.

CATS!

Now, you've heard of CATS the musical, right? I mean they don't just make plays about anyone!

I like to think they wrote songs about us because of our longevity.

So, to further substantiate my claim, here's a little story about a cat named Skidmark formerly known as Calvin. Now Calvin was brought into the PPAC around eight years ago at the age of 16 because of bad behavior. He had some aiming issues when it came to the litter box.

His owners brought him in with the intention of sending him off to meet the big guy in the sky but Dr. S. discouraged the owners because he didn't feel the punishment fit the crime. He asked to keep the cat alive and keep him as an office kitty.

Over the course of eight years, Skidmark became a beloved member of the PPAC staff. He donated blood when a cat was in need and was always there to rub up against someones leg. While living at 105 PPW, he battled cancer, kidney disease, arthritis and bowel disease. But he was a survivor and beat them all because of the TLC administered by the staff of the PPAC.

At the ripe old age of 24, just this past week, Skidmark finally departed for the big litter pan in the sky. Even though he still had an appetite, he was unable to stand up and the PPAC staff took pity on this poor, old soul and put him to sleep.

Skidmark was a trooper. A good friend. A testament to the fact that cats are slowly but surely taking over the world and living longer with each passing year. I will miss him dearly and his legacy will live on.

Til next time,

Libby

In memoriam-Skidmark: 1988-2012

Utterly Pointless and Completely Adorable

Hi All,

Libby here.

I hope you all had barbecue and firework filled, thundershirt-free Fourths of July (and by the way, if you haven't heard of the thundershirt, that link bears clicking!)

So, I know that for the past few weeks, my posts have been less than well... lighthearted.

Being a writer, especially for a vet's clinic, can be difficult at times. On the one hand, I want to make sure my posts are informative and educational and teach positive eating and lifestyle habits, blah blah blah blah.

On the other hand, being a creative individual, I also love to be able to express myself through the written word and to share some of my personal interests through this blog. Yes, there is a strong likelihood that you are thinking to yourself right at this very moment, 'I didn't realize how intelligent cats were.' Well, there you have it. I like to be a source of never ending surprise.

Anyway, the point of my little diatribe there was to say that this week, I want to share some of my favorite websites with you. Now, if you were unaware, animal related websites and blogs are some of the most popular on the internet. (I for instance, have about twenty-five steady readers!) Beginning with the lolcats phenomenom, people have gone absolutely mad for adorable animals. Just look at cuteoverload. Nuff' said.

Obviously, the internet continues to evolve, constantly finding new ways for animal people to get their fill. There's even a facebook page for dogs- dogbook, where you can make Fido his very own page and even give him little friends. How cute. Awwww.

Well, my personal favorite animal indulgence site, in this vein, is buzzfeed, specifically, their animal section. What buzzfeed does is basically make top 25 lists (or top fifty, twenty-two, thirty-six or whatever arbitrary number they decide to use on a given day) and upload videos and pictures of super cute pets doing super cute things. Like this dog enjoying the air-conditioner or this cat swimming in the ocean.

So, in case your own cuddlies don't give you enough reason to coo, ooh, ahh or talk like a baby, (by the way, we're not into that-as aforementioned we're not nearly as dumb as you think we are) I'll leave you with a few of my personal favorite adorable links for the day. Here are some dogs in reading glasses and these cutie-patootie mini pets.

Enjoy and check back in with them every day for even more adorableness.

Hope you have enjoyed this completely indulgent and non-educational post.

Til' next time,

Libby

Heat Wave!

Hi All,

Libby here.

Just like the song, it really is a Heat Wave!

After a relatively mild spring, we have been blessed (or cursed) with this insane heat and humidity!

As much fun as warm weather can be with beach outings, pool parties and even more excuses for cold beers, it behooves me to remind you of some warm weather safety tips. When you're out and about having fun, it's sometimes hard to remember that too much sun and heat can be harmful to you. Well, same goes for your pets. 

Unlike humans, dogs (and outdoor cats) can't exactly lather on the sunblock. Which  means you need to take different precautions. Here's some warm weather tips:

• Always be sure to carry around a pet water bowl so furry friends won't get deyhdrated
• Alternate time in and out of doors so pets are never overexposed to the sun
• Never lock a dog in a car with the windows closed
• If you are out all day, be sure to open windows or leave fans on to keep your pets cool
• Don't let pets run around outside too much in extreme heat

Aside from my obvious desire for 'safety first' (I know- so not in my character, right?!) you might be wondering why I'm being so dogmatic (haha) about this. In fact, I had originally been planning on writing about another equally savory topic this week- rat poison to be specific- but altered my plans at Dr. Silverman's suggestion. The reason behind this suggestion, is that something terrible happened this week; a dog was brought in DOA as a result of dehydration and the heat. I know...it's terrible and the worst part is, it could have been avoided.

So boys and girls, kitties and doggies, what I'm trying to say to you is, some people love spending time outside and bringing their pets, too. But if you insist on subjecting yourself and your furry friends to this weather (Lord only knows why!) then take a safe approach and do everything you can to protect you and your pets. OK?

Be safe.

Til next time,

Libby

Happy Belated Father's Day

Hi All,

Libby here.

Do you know what yesterday was?

It was father's day!!! That's right. A day dedicated to celebrating all the daddies in our lives. A day of picnics and baseball games and barbecues. A day to honor the men who taught us how to catch baseballs (or catch mice!) It's so nice that many of you out there can experience father's day.

But here's a little sob story from moi. I never knew my daddy :( My momma raised my siblings and I until we were old enough to leave the nest and embark on our own journeys.

So, I traveled around and ended up in the lovely neighborhood of Park Slope Brooklyn.

And now, you're probably wondering how I came to live at the PPAC, right?

OK! I'll tell you! About eight years ago, I was hit by a car. A generous soul found me on independence day and took pity on me by bringing me into the PPAC. I bet you didn't realize it but my name is short for Liberty. Since I was found on Independence day...well, the name just seemed to fit.

Anyway, the good news is, even though I don't recall who my actual father was, I have been fortunate enough to have a number of father figures in my life.

Since coming to the office, Dr. S. has treated me like one of his own as have Brian and Dr. Quim. They spoil me with love, bring me treats, rub my belly. They definitely compensate for my not remembering my real dad.

I'm a lucky kitty to have so many special men in my life. And I'm writing to remind each of you who know your daddy and have the opportunity to spend the day with him, to do so and show him a lot of love. They're special guys.

Til next time,

Libby