Hope everypawdy enjoyed our happy posty. It was a long day and mommy didn’t get da chance to help me visit anypawdy so looks like weez’ll be duin’ sum ketchin’ up today. Da wevver did cool off sum fur us this weekend, but again wiff da busy hooman stuffs we didn’t get to go fur a stwoll. Mommy did purromise we wuld this week sumtime tho’, so all’s good. Well sis Lexi told sum of hers twainin’ stowries last so me fawt me wuld fwo in one of meez stowries.
Fwum da look of da foto above you wuld fink me had no fear of dat massive wheelchair wuldn’t ya’? Well da twuff is me hadn’t seen it move when dat foto was taken. So da furst time it moved…OMC yous shulda seen me run. Me was down da hall so fast me was like white lightnin’. Back in those days nuffin’ scared me fur long tho’ so just a few seconds later me was peekin’ wound da corner and down da hall to see just what was goin’ on. Da chair had stopped movin’ by then and me headed wight back up da hall and over to da chair where mommy sat watin’. She picked me up and held me close and dat chair stawted movin’ again. Me alweady has big eyes, but mommy sez dat minute they was big as saucers.
Me was still too little to learn to dwive then, but mommy sez pawrt of twainin’ is getting’ used to sumfin’ dat yous wuldn’t normally have anyfin’ to do wiff. Most peeps wiff wheelchairs who have pets of any kind twy to teach da animal to avoid da chair. It’s not weally hawd to teach dat since us animals seem to have a sixff sense ‘bout these fings and weez twy to avoid them. And dat’s a good fing cuz they awe heavy and kuld easily bweak a tail or paw ifin da furry was too get runned over. So pawrt of meez twainin’ was not to run away but to get used to da movin’ chair while makin’ sure me didn’t get hurt. No tails danglin’ down to get caught in da wheels and such. Anyways mommy took me on a ride wound da pawrtment and then outside to check da mail. Me settled down purretty quick and stawrted purrin’. Mommy sez dat’s when she knew me was gunna luv learnin’ to dwive da chair.
When we got back in da house me didn’t wanna get down. Mommy pawrked da chair and told me dat me kuld go and play, but me didn’t move. Me wanted to go fur anudder ride. Mommy finally gave up and she got up and put me back down on da seat and left me there to nap. We continued to take rides wound da house and outside when da wevver was clear. Since me was born in November and came to live wiff mommy then, it was winter time and we had snow and ice quite a bit dat year. So on da purretty days when it was dwy outside mommy wuld bundle up and we wuld go fur short rides. Me got more and more comfurtable wiff da chair each time we went fur a dwive. By da time me was finally big enuff to stawrt learnin’ how to dwive, me luvved da chair. Stay tuned fur meez next posty and find out how twainin’ went.
And we have a winner to announce in our PetSafe FroliCat Pounce give away. Can we have a dwumroll purrlease…And da winner is…………awnty Ellen Pilch and da 15 and Meowin’ gang. Concatulations to you all.
Hey Dezi since we are going to run a series about the training we received to become Service cats for mommy, I was thinking maybe we should tell the story of when mommy got her first wheelchair. Even tho’ that story would really be about Lucky. what do you think?
Me thinks that’s a great idea sissy. Me never gets tired of hearing your stories ‘bout Lucky. And mommy thought it was a good idea fur her to type out our dictation in mostly human speak so that if somebody needs it translated to a different language they can. And those that have a little trouble reading our regular posts can understand everything. These training stories are impurrtant and serious. That’s not to mean that they aren’t sometimes funny cuz we can be characters, but they’re serious cuz what we learned is real and is meant to help our mommy live an independent life.
Yep Dezi you’re right. And I’ve gotta tell ya’ your training was probably the most fun of all mommys service cats. But we’ll get to those stories soon. Today I’ll tell ya’ ‘bout mommys first ever wheelchair and my then Meezer brofur Lucky.
It was a really really long time ago. I was still practically a kitten at 3 years old. My brofur Lucky was a whole 28 days older than me so we were both still big kittens. That seems like a lifetime ago now but it’s still clear in this old girls mind. Anyways one morning a man came to our apartment and brought mommy a new chair. This wasn’t like any other chair she had, it moved. Mommy could put this chair anywhere she wanted in the house including the kitchen all without lifting a finger or breaking a sweat. It sure did look scary cuz mommy wasn’t vey good at steering it and she kept running into walls and doors and tables and well generally anything that was in her way. Lucky and I had to watch our tails or she might have run over them too. (she would have never done that)
Lucky and I meowed ‘bout it a little and thought that this new chair was going to be a great help for mommy except…If her driving was this bad while she was mobile then just what was it gonna be like in the mornings when she couldn’t actually move?, Oh kittens were we ever in for a surprise. Lucky seemed to be really interested in the workings of this chair and would hop up in it when it was still and when mommy was just sittin’ in it. We both loved mommy so much and our favorite place was (and still is) in her lap. Well Lucky would get in mommys lap and then rub his face on the joystick and put his mouth on it and push at it. So a light bulb went off in mommys head and she put Luckys paw on a button on the arm of that moving chair and pushed it down. It beeped at him and he turned and looked at mommy fur reassurance but he didn’t jump down. So mommy did it again and again until Lucky was pushing the button on his own. We found out that button was the power and turned that moving chair on and off.
It wasn’t long before Lucky would push that button all on his own even without mommy askin’ him too. And then he went and pushed the button and put his mouth on the joy stick and bit it. When he did that, it pushed the joystick forward and the chair moved. Well he quickly pulled his mouth away from the joystick and looked up. Mommy said his face said it all. He wasn’t sure whether to be proud or terrified.
Me remembers that feelin’ sissy. OMC The first time the chair moved meez heart nearly jumped outta meez chest. MOL
Yeah Dezi I magine that’s exactly what happened to Lucky. But he was so happy to be in mommys lap that he didn’t move. Mommy took full advantage of his love and gently put Luckys mouth back on the joystick and gently pushed so the chaiir moved a little more. He got scared and wanted down. So mommy gave him a big hug and kiss and told him how pawsum he was and put him down. He scampered off to hide. He didn’t go far tho’ and he kept his eye on mommy when she went looking for me. This whole thing had scared da bajeebuzz outta me and I had hid under the covers on the bed. I thought fur sure there was no way mommy would be able to find me. Somehow she seemed to know the bump in the bed was me, and she grabbed me up and loved all over me while taking me to the chair.
First thing we did was go fur a ride. Hey, this isn’t as scary as I thought it was gonna be. It’s actually kind of fun. I could even see the countertop from mommys lap in the kitchen where she prepared our meals. I got to thinking this might not be so bad after all. So when mommy repeated the steps she took with Lucky on me, I soaked it all in. I was driving in no time at all. I wasn’t any better than mommy, but I was driving. MOL Okay, really I was kinda scared and wanted down right away. And it did take a week fur me to get used to the chair being around. But once I got used to it, I learned really fast. Mommy said so. She also said she was very proud of Lucky and me. Back then we didn’t have a working camera much less a video camera. There was a whole year mommy didn’t get to take photos of any kind of Lucky and me. She hates that, but there’s nothing she can do ’bout it now. Except to tell you to take as many photos as you can and don’t delete anything. Buy those little thumb drives or external hard drives or whatever you must to store them on, but you will regret throwing photos away. (mommys PSA fur the day)
Y’all were so brave sissy. The chair sure scared me at first. Meez so glad y’all were able to learn to drive the chair and help mommy.
Me too Dezi. And I’m glad that even tho’ it scared you, you were able to overcome that fear and help mommy too.
Yeah Lexi it’s really not that scary and knowing that me is helping mommy is the best feeling ever. We’ll be telling more training stories ‘bout Lexi and me. These stories altho’ true are not meant to be a training handbook or guide. Countless hours, weeks, and months of repetition went into our training and we couldn’t possibly cover every minute. If you have specific questions you can email us via our contact page and mommy will try to help you. The ADA just published a question and answer document about the Service Animal act that you can read here. It may answer some additional questions that you have that we didn’t cover.
Meowllo everypawdy weez twyin’ to hurry and get meez posty out afur da next big funderboomers followed by da lightin’ up of da sky. Now let’s see where did me leave off…Oh yeah me wanted a few more minutes of Zzzz’s So while mommy took care of meownin’ pawdee box business and sis Lexi played in da water me laid down in da shower chair and had a few. Sissy laid down on da vanity and meowed fur mommy to leave da water runnin’ till bwekky was weady so mommy woke me up to dwive her to da kitchen. Well of course me obliged, it is meez job after all. And it means me gets a few extwa licks of butter and/or ham spoon. Now weez not weally told ya’ what da ham spoon is so meez gunna tell ya’ today. Sissy told ya’ all da meds and supplements she be taking, and dat she gets ‘em in a tablespoon of ham and ham gwavy baby food. Well one of those supplements be fur UTI’s and can be used as a purrventative too. So after mommy mixes all of sissy’s medicines into da ham, she puts a little of dat D-Mannose on da spoon and mixes it up wiff hers finger and gives it to me. Oh da ham is divine. (looks off with a glint in her eyes)
Gimme da ham spoon mommy, it’s meez turn.
So anyways mommy and me headed fur da kitchen to fix bwekky. As me sed mommy be getting’ wound purretty slow these wet, rainy days, so it takes furever to make bwekky, so me stands watch. And sumtiimes me will have a good scwatch on da post, but me can still see and feel mommy so ifin she needs me it’s no purroblem. And sure nuff this meownin’ she needed me. Mommy was twyin’ to hurry and get our bwekky made and suddenly me felt dat sumfin’ wasn’t wight wiff mommy. So into da kitchen me went and pawed at hers ankles and meowed and twirled. See mommy likes to twy to stand up and fix our bwekky. She leans on da counter to stabilize her. But ifin she passes out, it dusn’t matter what she’s leanin’ on, she’s gunna fall. So after me danced a little me got da chair and bwought it over to her so she kuld sit down and finish makin’ bwekky. Bwekky all dun and me hopped up in hers lap to have me sum ham spoon and mommy hollered fur sissy to come eat.
Sissy came saunterin’ up and jumped on da table to have hers ham plate and canned noms and mommy took meez plate to da livin’ room where me eats. Mommy and me went back to da kitchen to get hers coffee and then we all settled in. Sissy and me stawrted eatin’ and mommy sat in hers sittin’ chair to have coffee, read emails and pass out. MOL Eventually mommy stawted getting’ wound a bit better as da day went on, but wiff all this rain and ole man awfur-itis hangin’ wound most of our days this mumff have been purretty much like this one. Mommy sez she wuld still be layin’ in bed ifin not fur Lexi and me and dat she be so fankfull to have us. We fink we be da lucky ones. So togedder we be a very gwatefull furmily.
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Me also wants to take a minute to fank our awnty Cindy and Maggie Meme fur sendin’ us a few pawsum boxes. Mommy got more coffee and fank catness cuz her was out and climbin’ da walls. She gladly came down off da ceilin’ to make her a fwesh cup and we gladly let her dwink it all. MOL We allso got sum more filter fur our fountain and sum kitty gwass. And she sent 2 bonus sets of sheets fur da bed. What dat bonus means is dat weally we got 4 sets of sheets. And then last night awnty Anonymous called mommy and wanted to give hers sumfin’ fur hers Meowday which be da day afur BlogPaws, da 27ff. So mommy got anudder Meowday purrezzy. Mommy sed she felt like a queen. We told her she’s always our queen, but a meowsy big fank you to all of ya’ fur makin’ mommy’s day.
And we was finally able to get online fur longer than a minute yesfurday and awnty Jennifer had left us a message and she’s gunna be sendin’ sissy a Meowday cawd and sumfin’ fur mommys Meowday too. We have da most pawsumest furiends ever. We have been so humbled by da generosity and love shown to us by so many. Fank you seems so inadequate to expwess our gwatitude, but we weally do fank you all. Hope you can hear us purrin’ our gwatitude.
And on anudder fwunt, weez be getting’ all packed up and weady to go to BlogPaws. We be so ‘cited we can’t hawdly stand da wait. We can’t wait to meet so many of you and finally put togedder da hoomans wiff da cats. Mommy knows all our kitty furiends names, but needs a cwash course in da hoomans. So purrlease furgive us ifin weez not recognize you wight off. Weez countin’ down da days. And we almost furgot, weez joinin’ up wiff Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Pawade Blog Hop. It’s still stowrmin’ so meez gunna go check out da Cat twee and sissy’s gunna take a nap and mommy’s gunna fix anudder cup of coffee, weez’ll see y’all soon.
Meowllo and happy funday Munday to you all. Weez been a purrawmissin’ to tell ya’ ‘bout da snow dumpin’ incident and so guess what? Today’s da day. Weez not hav any actual fotos of da incident as we didn’t even hav a digital camewa back then. And to be honest, when fings like this happens, gwabbin’ a camewa is kinda da last fing on mommys mind. Member it’s just da thwee of us, and only one of us thwee has fumms. So anyways, me needs to set it up a bit fur ya’.
Da year wuz 2010, so me wuz still weally yung. Mommy had just had surgewy a kupple weeks afur and wuz wecovewin’ weally well. And it wuz winter, and very cold. And when we woke up one meownin’ there wuz a blanket of white stuffs all over da gwound. Me had never seen anyfin’ like it. Me wuz a little tyke da year afur and so me dusn’t know ifin any of this happened then or not. Anyways, when mommy opened da door dat meownin’ and me hopped up on meez perch to look outside me wuz amazed. Me kep lookin’ outside and then back at mommy and mewin’. When mommy finally told me it wuz snow. Well me didn’t hav a clue what this snow wuz, but it sure looked purretty. Sis Lexi kep tellin’ me it wuz pawfully cold out there but me didn’t care. Me weally wanted to go out in it. Me ate a little bit and then just kep runnin’ to da door and then back to mommy.
Mommy finally seemed to get da message and told me dat it wuz way to cold fur meez naked paws to be owt walkin’ wound so ifin me wanted to go it wuz gunna hav to be on mommy’s lap. So she told me to bwing da chair over to her, and me kinda ignored her. Well me finally got tired of dat and weally wanted to go out and see this snow. Me didn’t unnewstand why Lexi didn’t wanna go. Anyways, me bwought da chair to mommy and hers stawted to get weady. She put meez hawness on and then meez leash. Mommy picked me up and we boff sat in da chair. Mommy dwove us over to da door and weached up to unlock it and me put meez mouff on da joystick.
Mommy barely got da door open when meez pushed da joystick furward, and out da door we went. And wight off da porch and into da snow. Da chair tipped furward and me dug meez little claws wight into mommys sweat pants. Me wuz hangin’ on fur dear life. Da foot rest of da chair had been buwied under da snow so mommy’s nerve damaged alweady numb feets wuz in da smow pushin’ and twyin’ to keep da chair fwum tippin’ us stwaight into da snow. By this time Lexi wuz over at da door standin’ on hers back paws wiff hers fwunt paws restin’ gently on da still open door. She wusn’t comin’ out to join us dat’s fur sure. Hmmmmm meez wunnerwin’ ifin maybe she knows sumfin’ me shulda knowed. MOL Mommys feets keep sinkin’ deeper and deeper into da snow and da chair be leanin’ mowe and mowe and meez claws awe stawtein’ to rip mommy’s sweats. And nopawdy’s comin’ to help us.
Everytime mommy’s feet slip into the snow, Dezi’s claws dig in a little bit deeper until finally they hit mommys skin. Mommy hollered and sed, “Dezi, honey, I’ve got you. Please you’ve gotta retract you’re claws. You’re hurtin’ me.” Dezi’s eyes had gone fwum saucer size to full blown dinner plate size. Not ow plates, a mommy’s size plate. When all of a sudden a bird flew past us outta nowhere. It stawtled mommy and skeered me and sis Lexi hoo wuz still at da door watchin’. When sissyfur got skeered she dwopped to da floor and accidentally pushed against da door. Da door opened and outta those plate size eyes meez saw da warmff of da house and it wuz callin’ meez name. Me pushed off mommy’s lap and leapt toward da door and da inside. But afur me kuld get inside, da door slammed shut.
And there me wuz standin’ on da cold snowy gwound. Yous wulda fawt it wuz hot coals da way me danced wound. And everytime meez paws hit da gwound they wuld sink a little bit further down. Meez gunna be buried unner da snow me fawt. Well wiffout me in hers lap diggin’ meez claws into hers legs, mommy wuz able to wight da chair. Mommy got da chair back up on da snow covered sidewalk and Just then she saw me buried in snow up to meez chin. Me had sank so low me kuldn’t even jump anymore, and all mommy kuld do wuz laff. Mommy reached down and picked me up and back into da house we came. Me jumped down so fast yous head wulda spun. Me wuz shivewin’ so mommy took me to da back and got da blow dwyer to dwy me off and warm me up wiff. Me wuz finally gettin’ warm. Now mommy had to take off hers soakin’ wet socks and torn up sweat pants. A foo hours later we wuz all finally warmed up But everytime mommy came toward me dat day me wuld run and hide cuz me musta fawt dat she wuz gunna take me back outside. MOL Soz dat’s how meez accidentally caused mommy and me to go playin’ in da snow. Meez gotta tell ya’ me never wants to do dat again. Well hope yous enjoyed ow snowin’ funday Monday.
By da way, ow Christmas awticle Love Freely Given, is up at da Daily Mews. It gives a little histowy fwum da time sis Lexi came to liv wiff mommy fwu now. Fur those of yous hoo hav not read those postys here, yous might be innewested. And well…it’s ow Christmas story awticle so yous shuld all take a look. And don’t furget ifin yous wanna get notified every mumff dat ow awticle is live, sign up fur da mewsletter. It’s furee and da mewsletter has a little sumfin’ fur everyone. And yous email addwess isn’t sold and yous won’t be spammed or whatever it be called. In udder words, yous can twust us and it’s a safe sight.
Yous can click da title of ow article above to be transported stwaight to it. Or yous can click on this foto to be transported to ow section and catch up on any of ow awticles.
Service Cats U.S. 