A Special Mancat Monday

I've noted before how I am extremely fond of and drawn to special needs animals. There's something about the strength and courage that these special little creatures exude that just speaks to me.

There are days that I might feel down and out because of a long day at work, because I get out my phone to find that its battery has died, or because I'm thirsty and open the fridge to find that my only gallon of milk has spoiled. You know, the petty things in life. Then I look down at my boy Evan, who, though hind limb paralyzed, never fails to run to the door to greet me with the happiest of meows, and who spends his evenings running around and having the time of his life without a second thought regarding his unusual circumstances. Talk about a lesson on those lemons that life throws at you. Is it any wonder that Evan is my hero?

Though he certainly lives life to the fullest, I would be lying if I said that Evan's special needs don't leave him with the occasional struggle. It's the way Evan handles these struggles, though, that speaks volumes to me. Because of his paralysis, he can't jump, but instead of giving up, he uncomplainingly uses stools and other elevating maneuvers to get wherever he pleases. Then there are times like a couple months back, when Evan obviously rolled his hind limbs over something sharp or abrasive, and so ended up with some open sores on his underside.

Evan, never one to complain, didn't say much of anything about it. I only noticed the sores when he was snoozing with them exposed. I discovered them and felt like crying, worried that he had cut himself on a loose floorboard or some other area in the home that I neglected. Evan, on the other hand, kept on running and playing and snoozing like he never knew a bother in the world. Luckily, these sores appeared right around the time of his annual visit to the vet's office, and so of course I showed them to the vet.

I have learned over the years that Evan simply does not tolerate bandages being put on him. Nope, he does not tolerate that at all. His vet knows this, and so to help the sores heal, rather than bandage them, she gave him an injection of antibiotic and sent me home with a special cleanser.

Evan, the good boy he is, let me clean his wounds and took it like a champ. While I would look at his sores and coddle and cuddle him when they looked raw and red, he would act like they didn't even exist. Meanwhile, I found any and every area of the home that might even just possibly abrade Evan's exposed underside and fixed them or covered them up with rugs. After lots of such redecorating and wound cleansing, guess what? Evan's sore are just about all healed up now!

See? Actually, it's sort of hard to see here, as Evan curled his legs to hide that permanent bald spot he's had since kittenhood. But his sores are indeed nearly all healed up, with no rawness or bleeding to note, and that makes this momma one happy lady.

It never ceases to amaze me the strength and courage the animals around us display, especially those with special needs. I feel like I could observe these amazing creatures for my entire lifetime, and still never stop learning from them. They're just that amazing, our furbabies are.

Well, now that you got a fix of our musings on this Monday, we're wishing you all a marvelous day!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

 

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Our Tip of the Day:

I have given tips before about please considering adopting a special needs animal. They are so often passed over at shelters for being "imperfect", despite the fact that they have so much love and life to give. As I'm sure most of you know, though, before adopting a special needs animal, do consider their particular situation and whether you, your family, and your home can cater to that. Special needs come in many forms, such as in the form of various diseases, blindness, deafness, paralysis, and even behavioral conditions such as anxiety and aggression. When considering the adoption of a special needs animal, take into account your personal lifestyle, your work hours, how often you are home and and how long you might be away from home, the size and age range of your family, and even such things as the layout of your home. Some special needs might not work well with a large family or one with small children, some special needs might best thrive in the company of someone who rarely leaves home, and so on and so forth. So, while it is wonderful and compassionate to consider adopting a special needs animal, it is also not something to simply jump into without any forethought or planning. Don't worry, though, because even if you conclude that you are not reasonably able to adopt a special needs animal, that doesn't mean you can't help them! You can still donate your time, resources, or even simply some good thoughts and prayers to help a special needs animal on their journey to a forever home.