Hi - I'm Viva!

This is my story: In September 2005 I was out looking for love (I was in heat), then came this BIG dog; apparently he didn’t like little cats like me. The dog attacked me and bit me many times on my hind legs and hind end – and he broke my left femur (thigh bone). I was in poor shape and everything hurt really badly. So that night and the next day I lay quietly in a ditch. Then some people playing golf found me and called the Cortland County SPCA. Those kind SPCA people took me to Adana on the evening of September 28th, 2005.

The nice doctor gave me pain medication and supportive treatments to make me feel better. She said I was a little trooper and that I had wise and kind eyes. I liked that! The doctor also said that I would have to have my left hind leg amputated because it was so badly mangled and infected. I didn’t like that!

The following day my fate got sealed: The SPCA folks couldn’t quite afford all the care I would need – and I understand - they have a lot of pets to help. My fever was up to 103.7 and I desperately needed intensive surgery and care, I had lost a lot of blood and my leg muscles were torn to pieces. So my new owner, - that’s Dr. Wildenstein, said she’d take care of me and find me a home if I made it through surgery……Well, it was a couple of really rough days. I was so tired and I had tubes and lines everywhere: IV’s, monitors and many drains in my body to drain the infection.

About 3 weeks after my big surgery Dr. W said I should be spayed. I was early pregnant back when I came in, but my babies didn’t make it through my nasty infection and long anesthesia. So it’s ok, I just wish someone had taken better care of me in the first place: I hadn’t been in heat maybe I would still have 4 legs…….

Anyway – I am happy here – good as new and very content with my new life. I take my job of greeting every client and pet seriously, I like to make them feel welcome.

Button – In Memoriam

On Tuesday 10/25/11 our beloved cat, Button, died from a sudden cardiac arrest. Button had lived with us for 5 years. She always greeted us enthusiastically in the morning. It was a wonderful way to start each day. (of course, for those of you who knew Button – we are not sure if she was actually happy to see us or happy that it was time for breakfast!) She will always be a part of Adana and we will carry her in our hearts. In her memory we have planted a Canada Red Cherry tree in front of the parking area of the clinic. It will have gorgeous white blossoms in the spring, pretty berries and dark red leaves in the fall – something beautiful to remind us of her year after year. She was a very special cat and will be greatly missed.

Below is her original story of how she came to Adana.

Here is my story: I was found by the side of the road a late night in October 2006 by the Animal Control Officer at the Cortland SPCA, Bill. He thought I looked really miserable and that I should probably be humanely euthanized. Since he’s a guy with a big heart he didn’t want to let it wait until the next morning and he called Dr. Wildenstein, who agreed to see me at 11.30 pm that Sunday night.

I was a terrible sight: Both my eyes were filled with yellow pus; my nostrils were plugged with dried blood and pus. My mouth felt and smelled horrible, my jaw was broken in 3 places. Since I couldn’t see, smell or eat I was also underweight and dehydrated; I only weighed 3.5 lbs. I was actually sitting just waiting to die when Bill found me.

At the clinic Dr. W scooped me out of the carrier, my face was really hurting, but I remembered my good manners and immediately started to purr. Then she started to say something about “fixing me up” and maybe I would be a good roommate for Viva……

I don’t remember what happened to me in the first place. The doctor thinks my injuries were about 4-6 days old and that they likely happened from some fall. Maybe I fell out of a window up high, or even fell from a car – I just can’t recall.

But I do remember that the doctor put me on a nice warm bed, she also gave me fluids and medicines to make me feel better. The next day the staff carefully gave me liquid food, oh – it felt so good to get something in my stomach. Meanwhile Dr. W had taken care of my right eye, I could see a little again and she cleaned up my sore nose. On October 30th I had surgery: I was spayed and my jaw was wired, I even had to wear 2 buttons on my lower jaw to stabilize it – I wonder if that’s how I got my name?

I felt a lot better after the surgery, eating was easier. Then my left eye started hurting more and more, it was really swollen. Dr. Wildenstein removed my left eye on November 13th, 2006 – and boy, did I feel good after that.

Since then I have been healing and getting to know my roommate quite well. Viva is really nice, she wants me too play with her every night. She’s been teaching me about welcoming clients and their pets, I’m still a little hesitant about some of those DOGS. Since she’s taught me so much I figured I should teach her a thing or two as well. For example, when we get hungry in the middle of the night, I showed her how to dig through the bags of dog food on display…..