Meet Oskar: The Blind Kitten and YouTube Star

Oskar plays with Klaus, his owners' other cat.

         
          Oskar, a shorthair tabby kitten, was born without developed eyeballs and has no vision. Despite his disability, he plays with toys, eats, drinks, and finds his litterbox with ease, and gets along with with his owners' other cat. His story shows the miraculous ability of cats to adapt to their surroundings and circumstances and maximize each of their senses. According to Oskar's owner, Mick Szydlowski, Oskar relies primarily on hearing and scent to maneuver his way throughout the house. Both senses are keen and he can accurately pinpoint where most sounds and smells are coming from, allowing him to eat easily and come when called.
          According to an MSNBC article on Oskar, his owners created his YouTube channel and Facebook page in the hopes of "inspiring others to open their hearts and homes to pets with special needs". For more on Oskar, visit his YouTube account at www.YouTube.com/user/Mick12321kciM. 

Crafting With Cat Hair: Not Just for Crazy Cat Ladies

          Cat fanatics may get kookier on the daily, but there's is at least one new development in crazy cat lady land that could provide entertainment for the masses: using cat hair to make crafts. The new book Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make With Your Cat , by Katsori Tsutaya, explains step-by-step ways to turn cat hair into felt that can then be used to make cat toys, small blankies, and finger puppets. The key to the method is to avoid harvesting hair by any method other than brushing (don't shave kitty)!

          By using gentle brushing techniques to remove unwanted hair that has already been shed, these crafts serve as a rudimentary form of recycling. You gain crafts, while kitty loses nothing! For those of us cat-lovers who also like to be creative and green, this activity could be a great new past time. Maybe.

The book is available in stores and online.

Rest in Peace Jack the Cat

Shortly after being discovered on October 25th, Jack was treated by multiple veterinarians.

          Jack the cat, the orange tabby who went missing on August 25th from the American Airlines baggage carousel at John F. Kennedy Airport, died on Sunday, November 6th, 12 days after he was found. After going missing in the airport for 61 days, Jack fell through a ceiling tile on October 25th, visibly shaken and emaciated from starvation and dehydration. What started as a blissful reunion for Jack and his concerned owner Karen Pascoe soon turned into a nightmare as veterinarians quickly diagnosed him with multiple infections. Because of his plight inside the airport, severe malnutrition led to organ dysfunction and loss of blood to 40-60% of his body. Jack was also covered in wounds so severe that multiple surgeries would have been required to close them. Infected and plentiful, Jack did not have enough remaining unaffected skin to close the wounds. Ms. Pascoe ultimately decided to choose the route of euthanasia as Jack's treating veterinarians assured her that further suffering and a painful death were inevitable.
          After 12 days of intensive treatment and care, Karen Pascoe opted to euthanize Jack to put him out of his misery and send him to a better place. This story brings up multiple issues in terms of euthanasia, traveling with pets, and grieving the loss of a beloved cat. For more on Jack the cat's tale, visit his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-The-Cat-is-Lost-in-AA-Baggage-at-JFK/143108332445793 . The page has over 25,000 likes.

          

The Kitty State of The Union Part Two: A Proposed Solution

          A small percentage of cats are housed and cared for through pet therapy programs such as Pets for Jailbirds, a British campaign designed to reduce suicide rates behind bars. Increasing these numbers could provide a simple solution to getting cats off the streets. According to Prison Ombudsman Stephen Shaw, “It is not just relationships with other human beings that are being fractured when you go to jail. The intensity of our attachment to animals can mean losing touch with them is almost as hurtful as losing touch with family. The benefits animals can bring are huge. Having a pet to look after and train has a genuinely therapeutic effect and visibly brings down stress levels and motivates inmates to behave”. Anecdotal evidence of the therapeutic benefits of cats can be seen in various programs through the United States and Europe.

Cats can provide a therapeutic benefit to patients.

            While little research is available today regarding the efficacy of cats as therapy animals, ample evidence can be found indicating the benefits of therapeutic canines. During the past 25 years, the number of prison programs in which inmates train dogs has increased rapidly and are in existence in at least 20 U.S. States, Canada, Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. “Such programs appear to break down barriers of fear and mistrust between staff and inmates; and there is also evidence that they reduce recidivism and behavioral infractions among inmates”. At a prison pet therapy program in Newfoundland, Canada, positive changes have been seen in both the inmates and the involved canines. Correctional staff report reduced anxiety and loneliness and in increased sense of motivation and responsibility amongst the inmates participating in the program. “Inmate relationships with dogs allow them to build trusting relationships, come out of their boxes, and provide quality care for the strays”. Another program in Abbotsford, Canada models a program pairing abused dogs with female inmates. In the program’s 7-year run, significant improvements have been seen both in the moods of the prisoners and the behaviors of the formerly abandoned dogs. “Half of the program is employment training for the women, teaching them how to show up on time, follow through with daily duties, and be responsible for the wellbeing of a major project. The other half of the program is a training program for the dogs, getting them off the streets and giving them loving caretakers and a second chance at life. The program improves each dog’s chance at a permanent home and each inmate’s chance to survive when released”. An Otisville, New York program encourages discipline and responsibility through canine care. “An inmate in the program spends 24 hours a day with the dog. He must learn basic veterinary care, keep a journal, and be an assistant to a primary trainer for at least six months before he gets his own puppy”. Inmates participating in the program report an increased sense of responsibility, focus, and purpose. From improving the emotional wellbeing of long-term prisoners to increasing employment skills for those about to be released, dog therapy programs provide many benefits to both humans and employed animals.

            Cats have the capacity to impact similar positive change in inmates due to theirability to increase positive moods. Research indicates that there are no significant blood pressure or pulse differences in response to a dog versus a cat. In summarizing the results of a scientific study on pet therapy conducted in 2008, the authors state that “in the typical pet therapy paradigm, one would not expect different physiological effects from the use of a dog or a cat. Pet ownership, like raising a child, involves care taking and an emotional attachment. Thus, it is not surprising that the positive, long term cardiovascular benefits associated with pet ownership affect survival and general cardiovascular health”. This indicates that because cats are capable of illiciting the same positive physiological responses as dogs, they can provide similar health benefits to human caretakers. Cats are also capable ofresponding to human emotion. Two studies conducted within the past 10 years have indicated that cats respond to human sadness with physical affection including licking, pawing, and sitting close to or on the lap of a person. Like dogs, domestic cats require quality, consistent care, particularly when kept indoors without access to live prey. Felines require feeding, litter attendance, grooming, personal attention, and some behavioral training in order to be properly cared for and socialized.

            The need for additional housing for cats paired with the proven benefits of animal therapy programs in prisons provides an opportunity for both inmates and cats to benefit through the creation and implementation of cat-based therapy programs in correctional facilities. Feline capacity to reduce heart-rate and blood pressure as effectively as dogs makes them suitable for programs designed to reduce stress amongst inmates. Like dogs, felines react to human emotions by expressing affection and providing comfort, making them ideal candidates for companion animal positions. As felines care requires several daily tasks, they can readily be employed in job-related skills training programs such as the canine program in Abbotsford, Canada. Cat care is also likely to instill a similar sense of focus and responsibility in inmates as in program participants in the Otsiville, New York correctional facility. “Prisoners have a real need to prove they can do something right. You’re taking care of a living life here, so it allows them to make a real impact on society”. In programs focusing on the therapeutic benefits of participating in the care of an animal, cats can participate based on their high-maintenance lifestyles.

            Employing cats as therapy animals in correctional facilities reduces the numbers of strays in need of housing and care while increasing the physical and emotional wellbeing of prison inmates. Cat therapy programs provide a cat population control method that is both low-cost and beneficial to local ecosystems as it brings cats inside from natural habitats and restricts their access to avian prey. With few disadvantages and an added benefit to human convicts, employing cats in prisons provides an ideal solution to the stray cat overpopulation issue in the United States of America.