Just when you thought you'd heard it all, they put wheels on a cat.
Xavier is a 10-month-old butterscotch and cream tabby who, because of some undiagnosed neurological disorder, is unable to walk. That all changed Wednesday when the fortitudinous feline was outfitted with a custom wheelchair.
Xavier's disorder, which was discovered when he was still a ward of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is not paralysis. Xavier can move his legs, but he has poor motor control and cannot support his own weight. It is all he can do to crawl around, according to Laurelin Sitterly, his adoptive mother and RISPCA's humane educator.
Not one to fold a bad hand, Sitterly developed a physical therapy regimen for Xavier, wherein she manually manipulates his legs, and brought him to see Sharon Chang, a renowned veterinary acupuncturist from East Greenwich (Xavier sees Chang on a regular basis).
These strategies have gotten results, but what Xavier really needed was a custom-built cat wheelchair, a prohibitively expensive item for your average pet owner (Sitterly found one online for $500).
Miraculously, one such apparatus was delivered to Xavier Wednesday by Deborah Winters, the VP of marketing for HandicappedPets.com, an online purveyor of products, services and information for the parents of elderly, handicapped or disabled pets. For the past three years, Winters' company has been working with Kathy Barton, a fourth- grade teacher from Velma, Okla. To increase her students' moral sensitivity towards animals, Barton, the proud parent of a blind dog, helps them raise money, purchase specialized veterinary apparatus through HandicappedPets.com and deliver them to deserving animals across the country.
"In the first year, Kathy's students bought a dogcart for a little dachshund named Johanna, who became paralyzed when a group of teenagers beat her with a baseball bat," said Winters. "Eventually, Johanna ended up with an adoptive family in Maine, and we were able to send her the equipment she needed.
"Some people think that this whole thing is nuts, that we should just put these animals to sleep, but we would never put a quadriplegic person to sleep. There is no good reason to euthanize an animal like Xavier. Aside from his legs, he is a healthy, normal cat."
Xavier, a Chihuahua from South Carolina, and a beagle from Florida were selected as beneficiaries this year.
Sitterly said she had entered Xavier's profile into the company's online pet database with the hope that someone could identify his condition or offer treatment advice. She still remembers the day when she answered the phone and a group of fourth-graders shouted in unison: "Xavier, we got you a wheelchair."
As it turns out, Xavier's new aluminum wheelchair, which supports his weight so he can "walk" to his heart's content, is the best physical therapy Xavier could get. In addition to giving him the mobility for the first time in his life, the wheelchair could help him hone his reflexes and regain muscle tone in his legs.
The aesthetic value of having a cat in a metal wheelchair sashaying around the parlor while you entertain guests is undeniable, but Sitterly, Winters and Barton are unlikely to think along those lines.
To varying degrees, they subscribe to the belief that animals are furry little people, entitled to life, liberty and happiness, just like everyone else. You wouldn't euthanize a person with multiple sclerosis, so why euthanize a dog with one eye or a rabbit with a tumor?
"People say 'he's just a cat, do you really want him to live like that?' but he was born with this condition and he doesn't know anything is wrong with him," Sitterly explained. "He's an amazing cat and he's helped a lot of people come around. Now they see him for the cat he is instead of a disabled animal.
"What Kathy does with those kids is amazing to me as an educator," she continued. "Not only does it help animals like Xavier, it teaches young people to hold all life in high esteem. I can't thank them enough. This wouldn't have been an option for me if it wasn't for Kathy and her class."
RISPCA's Riverside shelter does not, as a matter of policy, euthanize injured or disabled animals, even though it is considerably more difficult to find them homes.
Many shelter employees end up falling in love with infirm dogs and cats, who are generally more cuddly and affectionate -- and better behaved -- than their able-bodied counterparts. According to Sitterly, one veterinary technician in her office has adopted a three-legged dog, a three-legged cat, a one-eyed kitten and a club-footed cat.
If you think a handicapped puppy or kitty would make a great addition to your family, call the RISPCA at 401-438-8150 or visit it online at www.rispca.com.
For more information contact Deborah Winters at HandicappedPets.com
